Every year my mother says, that she is not cooking for Christmas, so we all have to bring what we are eating. Every year my sister co-ordinates with my wife and sisters-in-law and everybody brings something. Every year my mother still cooks. Every year I regret that this event does not go on all day. It is the only day in the year when all my siblings gather in one place with their children and our mother. We open presents, have lunch, then head off to our other extended families for dinner, but every year during the few hours we are together, my mother’s old house shakes with such happy noise.
Every year one of my brothers comes after twelve noon. Every year my mother proclaims “We eatin’ without him. Come let’s bless de food.” Every year my cousin Raymond, drops by, but not to eat or drink, just to wish us Merry Christmas. Every year I overeat, and wonder if I will offend my mother-in-law if I don’t pile my plate up with even more food when I get to her house.
There are a lot of things I have come to expect with Christmas, but I never take them for granted. Every year I think of the many things that could have happened this year that would have taken the joy out of Christmas: unemployment, bereavement illness or some other form of loss. I thank the Father for his generosity and remember that “there but for the grace of God goes me.”
Every year I thank God for all that he has given to me.
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Feast day for the Archdiocese of Port of Spain
This is the picture of the Virgin Mary as it looks over the city of Port of Spain from the Cathedral of the Immaculate conception in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain.
Happy Feast Day!
Most holy Virgin, who wast pleasing to the Lord and became His Mother, immaculate in body and spirit, in faith and in love, look kindly on the wretched who implore thy powerful patronage. The wicked serpent, against whom was hurled the first curse, continues fiercely to attack and ensnare the unhappy children of Eve. Do thou, then, O Blessed Mother, our queen and advocate, who from the first instant of thy conception didst crush the head of the enemy, receive the prayers which, united with thee in our single heart, we implore thee to present at the throne of God, that we may never fall into the snares which are laid out for us, and may all arrive at the port of salvationand sing once again the hymn of deliverance and of victory and of peace. Amen.
In Thy conception, O Virgin Mary, thou wast immaculate; pray for us to the Father, Whose Son, Jesus Christ conceived of the Holy Ghost, thou didst bring forth.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
sacrifices
How many of us really love God? Have you really thought about that? How much time do we spend with him? How much time do we spend doing other things: watching TV, listening to music, sitting in a car? There are so many distractions.
Let us not count family, work or sleep, for we must attend to these. Still even in our dealings with these we have opportunity to be a good example. You know you will fall asleep, but as you close your eyes at night, keep giving praise – trust me, it is better than counting sheep, or taking a pill to help you sleep.
I can think of many sacrifices I made, but not for Christ. I guess the rewards were different. For example, when I was in my late teens, there was one young lady I would visit after work on a Saturday. At one o’clock in the afternoon, the sun was very hot (it still is eh?) I had to take 2 taxi’s, then after sweating that out, had to walk for about 20 minutes in the blistering heat, the last 5 minutes up a hill. Leaving her house was also a trial. Just imagine trying to get 3 separate taxi’s on a rainy night. The interesting thing was that I didn’t love this person, she was just someone I was “checking out.”
I can tell you that you would not find me doing that today. But what if I had to go to these extremes to go to church or to do a good work for Jesus? Do I love him that I would do this? What if I don’t love him and I am just interested? Will I still do that? What does it say about my humility if I won’t go unless I have a car?
You know what? Jesus Loves US. If he walked on earth today as a man, he would do this and much more for us. That makes me feel awful. It makes me feel inadequate, It makes me feel I should be doing more. What about you?
Lord show me how to love you more…
Let us not count family, work or sleep, for we must attend to these. Still even in our dealings with these we have opportunity to be a good example. You know you will fall asleep, but as you close your eyes at night, keep giving praise – trust me, it is better than counting sheep, or taking a pill to help you sleep.
I can think of many sacrifices I made, but not for Christ. I guess the rewards were different. For example, when I was in my late teens, there was one young lady I would visit after work on a Saturday. At one o’clock in the afternoon, the sun was very hot (it still is eh?) I had to take 2 taxi’s, then after sweating that out, had to walk for about 20 minutes in the blistering heat, the last 5 minutes up a hill. Leaving her house was also a trial. Just imagine trying to get 3 separate taxi’s on a rainy night. The interesting thing was that I didn’t love this person, she was just someone I was “checking out.”
I can tell you that you would not find me doing that today. But what if I had to go to these extremes to go to church or to do a good work for Jesus? Do I love him that I would do this? What if I don’t love him and I am just interested? Will I still do that? What does it say about my humility if I won’t go unless I have a car?
You know what? Jesus Loves US. If he walked on earth today as a man, he would do this and much more for us. That makes me feel awful. It makes me feel inadequate, It makes me feel I should be doing more. What about you?
Lord show me how to love you more…
Sunday, 28 November 2010
The drive Home
Tonight at Mass I noticed quite a bit of babies. My almost two year old noticed them too... and they noticed him. One little girl even threw herself at him and proceeded to hug him till they both fell and her father had to pull her off. I was a bit envious. That never happened to me, even when I had hopes of being a rock star playing bass in a rock band. I had a strange sense of something being different today. I could not figure it out. I realized how aware I was of all the small children. I also realized that there were few big kids. I wonder why?
I put down my feelings to the fact that it is advent and that we are preparing for Christmas in so many ways. On the drive home I pointed out a house to my family. This house was fully lit up with lots of colourful lights and Christmas (lighted) statues. It was quite impressive. "Look close" I said to my wife "and you would not see a religious item on that house". The reason is, that the house belongs to a muslim family who love the idea of gift giving and showing love, but believes that God had no son.
Mass has put me in a good mood. I pray that this mood carries throughout the week and that all the readers of this blog may be blessed today and everyday. Amen.
I put down my feelings to the fact that it is advent and that we are preparing for Christmas in so many ways. On the drive home I pointed out a house to my family. This house was fully lit up with lots of colourful lights and Christmas (lighted) statues. It was quite impressive. "Look close" I said to my wife "and you would not see a religious item on that house". The reason is, that the house belongs to a muslim family who love the idea of gift giving and showing love, but believes that God had no son.
Mass has put me in a good mood. I pray that this mood carries throughout the week and that all the readers of this blog may be blessed today and everyday. Amen.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Saint Cecilia
Prayer to St. Cecilia
St. Cecilia, glorious Virgin and Martyr of Jesus Christ, I admire the courage with which you professed your faith in the face of severe persecution, and the generous love with which you offered your life in witness to your belief in the Blessed Trinity. I thank God with you for the wonderful graces He had bestowed upon you to make your life holy and pleasing to Him even in the midst of the wealth that was yours. I thank Him for the privilege offered to you of receiving the glorious crown of martyrdom.
Saint Cecilia, I also admire the purity of love that bound you to the Savior, which was greater in your eyes than any human affection, so that you declared yourself before the enemies of the Church, "I am the bride of my Lord Jesus Christ". Pray for me that in imitation of you I may keep my body pure and my soul holy, and that I may love Jesus with all my heart.
In these times so full of pleasure seeking and so lacking in faith, teach us to profess our faith courageously and to be willing to sacrifice ourselves in practicing it, so that our good example may lead others closer to Christ and the Church He as founded.
In thanksgiving to God for the graces he bestowed on St Cecilia: Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be. St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
St. Cecilia, glorious Virgin and Martyr of Jesus Christ, I admire the courage with which you professed your faith in the face of severe persecution, and the generous love with which you offered your life in witness to your belief in the Blessed Trinity. I thank God with you for the wonderful graces He had bestowed upon you to make your life holy and pleasing to Him even in the midst of the wealth that was yours. I thank Him for the privilege offered to you of receiving the glorious crown of martyrdom.
Saint Cecilia, I also admire the purity of love that bound you to the Savior, which was greater in your eyes than any human affection, so that you declared yourself before the enemies of the Church, "I am the bride of my Lord Jesus Christ". Pray for me that in imitation of you I may keep my body pure and my soul holy, and that I may love Jesus with all my heart.
In these times so full of pleasure seeking and so lacking in faith, teach us to profess our faith courageously and to be willing to sacrifice ourselves in practicing it, so that our good example may lead others closer to Christ and the Church He as founded.
In thanksgiving to God for the graces he bestowed on St Cecilia: Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be. St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Sunday, 14 November 2010
1000 souls released from purgatory
Today, Sunday, is the feast day of Saint Gertrude.
Our Lord dictated the following prayer to St. Gertrude the Great to release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said.
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."
Our Lord dictated the following prayer to St. Gertrude the Great to release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said.
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Monks wanted, apply within
Here's an interesting story from the BBC:
Roman Catholic friars in Switzerland have placed a job advert in a newspaper as part of a recruitment drive.
The Capuchin order says it is looking for professional single men like bankers or lawyers aged 22 to 35 to join its dwindling ranks.
The community, which has 200 members with an average age of 70, hopes the ad will help recruit 10 to 20 men.
Adverts for craftsmen, technicians and men in social professions are to follow, a spokesman for the order said.
The Capuchin order - one of the Franciscan orders - is calling for young Catholic "bankers, journalists, teachers, theologians, tradesmen, lawyers, communication specialists" to consider joining the order.
Applicants should be independent yet capable of communal living, curious and show initiative, the ad says.
"We offer you no pay, but spirituality and prayer, contemplation, an egalitarian lifestyle, free of personal material riches and the common model of a couple relationship," it says.
The number of Capuchin friars in Switzerland has dropped by half in the last 10 years.
The order has had to close two friaries in a decade, and a third in Appenzell is to close next year.
"Our form of life offers an alternative even if the times of large orders are over," a spokesman said.
Roman Catholic friars in Switzerland have placed a job advert in a newspaper as part of a recruitment drive.
The Capuchin order says it is looking for professional single men like bankers or lawyers aged 22 to 35 to join its dwindling ranks.
The community, which has 200 members with an average age of 70, hopes the ad will help recruit 10 to 20 men.
Adverts for craftsmen, technicians and men in social professions are to follow, a spokesman for the order said.
The Capuchin order - one of the Franciscan orders - is calling for young Catholic "bankers, journalists, teachers, theologians, tradesmen, lawyers, communication specialists" to consider joining the order.
Applicants should be independent yet capable of communal living, curious and show initiative, the ad says.
"We offer you no pay, but spirituality and prayer, contemplation, an egalitarian lifestyle, free of personal material riches and the common model of a couple relationship," it says.
The number of Capuchin friars in Switzerland has dropped by half in the last 10 years.
The order has had to close two friaries in a decade, and a third in Appenzell is to close next year.
"Our form of life offers an alternative even if the times of large orders are over," a spokesman said.
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