The Lights of Christmas

The Lights of Christmas was really cool! Watching Charity Parker sniff a large pizza at Little Caesar's later that night was cool too!! We went a little victorian, rode a
train, went on a horse carriage ride, ate some yummy mini donuts, tromped through lights and gift shops and hugged the snowman and teddy bear. We had a fabulous night. Yay for field trips!

Gaudete Sunday!! Rejoice!!!

From Magnificat's reflection section for Gaudete Sunday....

"Nature warns us by a clear sign that our desitation is attained. That sign is joy. I mean joy, not pleasure. Pleasure is only a contrivance devised by nature to obtain for the creature the preservation of its life; it does not indicate the direction in which life is thrusting. But joy always announces that life has succeeded, gained ground, conquered. All great joy has a triumphant note. Now, if we take this indication into account and follow this new line of facts, we find that wherever there is joy, there is creation; the richer the creation, the deeper the joy" (Henri Bergson). Joy is perfectly compatible with moral excellence; it is a sign of this excellence and contributes to its perfection. The fount of joy lies in the innter depths of our being, at the roots of our freedom, when this freedom is open to the oupourings of goodness and love.

Yet, in order for the waters of this fount to pour forth within us, we have to make a personal choice of great price: When we receive the call to a greater good, a good that will reveal to us the true joy at the core of our lives, will we know how to break free from the charms of pleasure through a liberating renunciation? The discovery of joy beyond our trials is a decisive step on the way to moral maturity. One even comes to perceive, upon fulfilling its requirements, that joy does not destroy, but rather defines and rightly orders, pleasure.

Father Servais Pinckaers, O.P.
Father Pinckaers is professor emeritus of moral theology at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel, shall come to thee Oh Israel!!

Events, events, events....

The Dead Sea Scrolls were great! It was amazing to see the first written word of God. Highlights...the Genesis scroll, Isaiah, Psalm 119.....learning about pottery and the essenes....having lunch at Seattle Center......going on a field trip with the youth!!!!

Today..... Dec. 19th

The Lights of Christmas!

If you're interested in coming bring your permission forms (or your parent to sign one 'cuz I'll bring extras). I've got 4 extra tickets since some people can't go today! Meet Jeannie and Val at the entrance at 5pm!!

Tomorrow.....

The Parish Christmas Party/ Bye bye Bettie Party!!

Thursday..... Dec. 21st

Gathering Place/ Soup Kitchen and.........................

JEANNIE'S YOUTH GROUP CHRISTMAS PARTY!!!

The Bishop's request on fasting for peace.

Here's some info on the rules for Catholic fasting.

Fasting as explained by the U.S. bishops means partaking of only one full meal. Some food (not equaling another full meal) is permitted at breakfast and around midday or in the evening—depending on when a person chooses to eat the main or full meal.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Lent/faqle9902.asp

The Archbishop is asking us to make a sacrifice and pray for peace. It's all about giving of yourself physically to suffer a little for the greater body of Christ. Let's pray for peace as we wait for the Prince of Peace this Advent :)

Original Sin and Suffering - 2nd week of Advent!

It's Advent, so we're trying to clean our souls up and get them spiffy for the Lord's coming on Christmas and when he comes again to take us home!

(**modified from Lifeteen “Full Filled” retreat.)

Sin. We’ve emptied ourselves of it. So how do we stay out of it?

Picture it: You realize that you’re in an unhealthy relationship. Emptying your jar means not only breaking up with someone who is dragging you down, emptying your jar, your life, but it also means that you might spend some nights alone – all alone – just you and God. That is a tough reality sometimes.

Picture it: You realize that you are consumed not by God’s fire, but by the need to be liked or to be accepted. Everything you do and don’t do, say and don’t say, wear and don’t wear, is in some way, big or small, affected by those you go to school with or hang out with. You realize that by emptying your jar, your life, also means that you probably won’t “fit in” completely. It means that to truly follow the Gospel means you can’t accept certain behaviors in the people around you, because they lead to sin and, ultimately to death. That’s a tough reality sometimes.

Picture it: Your jar is empty and God is calling you not to fill it….not to fill it with busyness, not to fill it with your own wants or desires – He wants to be the one to fill it. Think about it, God wants you to remain completely empty and be filled only by Him to COMPLETELY let go of control. Can you do it? Can you trust Him?

True repentance has two motions: turning away and turning toward. Last week you turned away from sin. Unless you identify those areas of your life that lead you into sin, however, there is a good chance that you will walk back into it…even seek sin.

Fear of emptiness (being emptied of the comforts which lead you to sin) is what the devil wants. He wants you to doubt God’s grace and the fulfillment you get with God.
Emptiness of sin makes us nervous, anxious, scared, worried, frustrated, doubtful.
We are afraid to let God take care of everything. Why when we know that God is bigger than the issues we have and he sees all our hurts and knows our every need? He sees everything, he knows everything, he knows you, and he loves you.

(Blue is Info from “A Father Who Keeps His Promises” by Scott Hahn)

So how did we get this way? How did we come to the point where we lack trust in God? Why do we fall to sin? Why do we suffer from all of this?
Adam and Eve and the first sin – Original Sin

Here's a neat video on The Beginning. Just know that they take some creative story-telling liberties and they aren't using straight up Bible verses. Also, after Lucifer fell we refer to him as Satan. But other than that, it's a pretty neat video and fits into our discussion well.

The serpent lied to us and we believed him. Unfortunately sometimes we still do.

Check out Genesis 3: The Fall of Man

If we’re on Adam’s team (the human race team) and he is our challenge "champion" then we are troubled with the fate he “won” for us. The Stain of Original Sin.


Quote from Scott Hahn
“ Once the nature of Adam’s sin is understood to be his refusal to suffer out of love for his Father and bride, three conclusions logically follow. First, the divine curse of suffering imposed on Adam and Eve was reasonable. Second, their humble acceptance of that punitive suffering would be remedial. Third, Christ’s bearing of this curse, in his own sacrificial suffering on the cross, would prove to be redemptive.”

“Willingness to give ourselves out of love, even if it entails suffering, is what makes us fruitful.”
Adam failed to give himself willingly out of love, trusting God and being obediant to Him. He doubted God and feared the serpent aka the devil more than he trusted God. He failed God and he failed his wife.

Thus the curse of suffering was laid upon us all.

“Our father still wants us to be fruitful; that is why he imposed the curse of suffering, in order to keep alive our potential to become supernaturally fruitful.”

Suffering as part of the Church (which is Christ’s mystical body) shares in the redemption factor which gets us into heaven. Christ’s sacrifice made it possible for us to get into heaven. So being part of his church and part of his mystical body redeems us, but we have to “take up our cross” and suffer along with him as well. This is why there is suffering in the world.

As Christians we are called to suffer joyfully with Christ for through his suffering and the suffering of the Church his bride we are redeemed! We can’t be totally free from Original Sin until we’re in heaven, but the only reason we’re allowed into heaven/paradise in the first place is because of Christ’s strength in death to counter Adam’s weakness. Christ is the new Adam being the perfect man and Mary is the new Eve as the perfect woman. Through Mary's self giving "Be it done to me according to thy word", and by Christ's death on the cross we are again allowed to partake in salvation. We can see that "tree of life" again.

This is all the spirit of Advent. It’s penitential, but it’s life giving. We’re suffering because we’re waiting in anticipation, but we’re joyful because Christ is coming!!

For more info check out "A Father Who Keeps His Promises" by Scott Hahn, The Catechism of the Catholic Church #396 - 421, and some of these links In Innocence We Were Created, To Explain Infant Baptism You Must Explain Original Sin, Verse by Verse on Original Sin

Courtesy of B.Lo aka Brother Laurence

Network Shows We'd Like to See
(If Catholics took over the airwaves.)

Married With Lots of Children
A young Catholic couple with seven children live a happy, Christ centered, hectic life.

Friends of Christ
Five attractive and funny 20-something Catholic men and women share the fun and fulfillment of chaste, platonic relationships as they discern their vocations.

Madrid About You
A sitcom about an annoying Catholic apologist who constantly pesters a 30-something NY couple to become Catholic.

As the World Burns
A lighthearted, "feel good" sitcom set on the Day of Judgment.

All My Baptized Children
The uplifting story of a devout Catholic widow and her heroic efforts to raise her kids strong in the Faith.

IHS-1
24-hour all Catholic music video channel.

I Dream of Genealogies
(Whoops, never mind. Thats a Mormon show.)

The Samsons
This animated Old Testament family gets into hilarious religious dilemmas caused by their rambunctious long haired son who's really, really strong.

Sesame Street Preachers
Evangelization and apologetics training for kids! Catholic toddlers learn how to explain and defend the Faith through rhymes, skits, and cute songs.

Father Seinfeld
The funny, quirky story of a New York Jewish Comedian who converts to the Catholic Faith, becomes a priest, and spends his life working among Indian children in rural New Mexico.

God's E.R.
True stories of the confessional (names have been changed to protect the absolved).

Heavenly Court T.V.

A dramatic, edge of your seat depiction of Matthew 25. See souls judged and sentenced for all eternity.

Wheel of Providence
See ordinary people answer challenging questions that lead them to discover the will of God for their lives!

N.Y.P.D. Blue Army
A tense, gritty, dramatic series about hard boiled cops who fight street crime and spread the message of Our Lady of Fatima.

Oprah Sin-Free
A sassy daytime talk show featuring interesting guests who talk about how they avoid sin and cultivate virtue.

The Whore of Babylon (Five)
Part five in a thrilling mini series adventure about the Catholic Church's heroic struggle against, and victory over, the antichrist and his minions.

WWC "Wrestling With Your Conscience!"
Top moral theologians grapple with real, live sinners who give lame excuses for not repenting and returning to the sacraments.

Bayside Watch
Attractive, athletic young Catholic men and women save unsuspecting people from the dangers of bogus Marian apparition cults.

From Envoy Magazine May/June 1997, Volume 1.3

News from the Archbishop

Prepare your heart!!

It's Advent!!!

Reconciliation

Prayer

Good Works

Fasting

Holy Reading

Waiting patiently with excitement!!!

Don't forget the Parish Reconciliation Service on Wednesday at 7pm!!!

Here's a cool article on Advent Click Here for the original article.
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As We Wait in Joyful Hope
Ancient Catholic Customs Can Control Christmas Materialism
By Kevin Orlin Johnson

For many American Catholics, Thanksgiving kicks off another season of "here we go again"-fending off the annual bombardment from advertisers and the temptation to measure Christmas in terms of presents. It's a month-long struggle to get all of our holiday work done and somehow keep Christ in Christmas, too.

Many of us look back to a simpler Christmas in the "good old days," a mythical time when the holiday came wrapped in a stocking full of chocolates and maybe an orange. Well, let's look back a little farther and stand where we can get some perspective on the matter.

For one thing, when you look at the liturgical calendar, you'll notice that Christmas isn't the Church's major holiday. It never has been. Church Fathers such as Augustine didn't include a commemoration of Christ's birth in their lists of holidays at all. Early Christians focused their attention on Easter, the holiest day in the Church's calendar, the solemnity of solemnities.

In fact, our pattern of activity each week still echoes the Easter Triduum. That's why every Friday has always been a day of penance (it still is, by the way-the rule is either no meat or an equivalent penance, every Friday). Saturday was originally a day to lie low and keep quiet, which is why we have two-day weekends instead of laboring six days, as it says in Genesis. Sunday is the "little Easter" commemorating the resurrection in the splendid liturgies of the principal Mass of the week. The early Church recalled this more explicitly in its weekly liturgies, but in the old days Easter itself was surrounded by vigils, processions, songs, presents, feasts, and parties for which everybody bought new clothes.

Today we've shifted all of the fuss and festivities to Christmas, and we pass over Easter almost entirely. But Easter still overshadows the commemoration of the birth of Jesus-spiritually, theologically, and liturgically-as the high holy day, the most solemn and joyous holiday of all.

That's undoubtedly why we didn't get around to commemorating the birth of Christ in the liturgy until about the late fourth century. The earliest surviving record of a specific celebration of the Nativity is a sermon by St. Optatus, bishop of Mileve in Africa, from about 383. Evidently, Optatus was the first to put a Feast of the Nativity into his diocese's calendar. The idea caught on almost immediately, but the feast was celebrated on different days in different places any time from November to March. It wasn't set at December 25 for the whole Church until about 650, and even then it wasn't a major holiday. It wasn't called "Christmas" until about the year 1000. The Feast of the Nativity didn't get loaded down with all secular customs of Christmas-the caroling, the banqueting, and the elaborate exchange of presents-until about five hundred years later.

Christians in northern Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean were still observing a fairly low-profile Christmas around the year 1500. But it was different in northern Europe. About that time, that part of the world experienced a mini-Ice Age. Suddenly there was snow in the winter, lots of it; people had to work all summer to store up food for the weeks and months they'd be kept indoors. By the end of December you'd probably be stringing the dried fruit into endless garlands and singing incomprehensible songs anyway, holiday or no.

Certainly having the neighbors in to sit around a blazing Yule log wouldn't cut into your workday. All of the extras that naturally settled around Christmas-which comes just after the winter solstice-were not so much a burden as a welcome excuse for some social and physical activity. The parties back then were a well-earned celebration of a whole year's work harvested and gathered into barns.

Nowadays, of course, we wear ourselves out doing all of that stuff in addition to our normal daily workload, which takes the whole point out of it. Simplifying things to a leisurely level would be a courageous counter-cultural stand. But as our forebears in faith filled their empty hours with Yuletide cheer, they did something else, too, in the weeks before Christmas, something that can still put the holiday in perspective: They observed Advent.

Advent is really a lot like Lent. Both are roughly month-long seasons of preparation for a joyful holiday. In fact, starting in about the sixth century, Advent and Lent used the same liturgies, Mass for Mass, in the Latin Rite. During both seasons, you would see the purple vestments of mourning, symbolism echoed today by the colored candles of the Advent wreath. In the reign of Innocent III (1198-1216) the vestments of Advent were black. Long after that, pictures and statues were covered, the organ was silenced, and flowers were banned from the churches, just as during Lent. Even in the Ambrosian and Mozarabic rites, where there was no special Advent liturgy, there was still a requirement to fast during the season before the Nativity. It was designed to remind us of the need to repent in preparation for a holy season.

In Protestant denominations, of course, Advent has largely faded away. That's probably why the secular observances of Christmas, as they rushed in to fill the void, got out of hand. Advent fasting and almsgiving used to keep people aware of the proper use of material goods and of the need to offset other people's poverty with the excess from our own prosperity. If you take the penitential observances away, the secular celebrations can seem somehow obligatory, somehow the essence of Christmas.

Well, you wouldn't get far asking people to give up Santa's jolly red suit in favor of sackcloth and ashes. But there's one crucial difference between Lent and Advent: Christmas doesn't have Passion Week preceding it. The penitential observances of Advent always had a festive character to them. The idea was to contain your excitement before Christmas and to use that energy in preparing for Christ's coming. So people took on these penances joyfully-something that only a Christian could do. They'd pause in their celebrations to acknowledge their sins and to clean house spiritually, overjoyed that Christ came to us, but aware of our unworthiness to receive him.

We still use Advent calendars and wreaths to measure out joyful anticipation, but we can learn a lot from the old Advent practices that we've forgotten. Kids probably begged Optatus himself for Christmas presents, but for a month before that they would collect pennies for the poor, going door to door with a little Christ-child doll in an Advent variation on trick-or-treat. Families would have meager meals and give the unused food to the needy. Parishes used to have penitential feasts after Mass during Advent, with menus that were abundant but austere-bread and water, maybe, or fish, but plenty of it.

People had a good time keeping Advent, although music and dancing were forbidden then, just as during Lent. It was all part of a "discipline of joy" that is still an important part of our heritage today. Listen to the Mass after the Lord's Prayer: "In your mercy keep us free from sin . . . as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ." That's Advent, right there.

Maybe we can still recapture this uniquely Christian attitude of joyful penance. During these Advent weeks bring out that Lenten alms box and add coins to it before a meatless Friday dinner. Sing an Advent song as you do. Put the poor on your gift list: books and toys for the children, of course, but the whole family might save up for a bigger gift-an overcoat, maybe, for somebody who couldn't otherwise afford it.

And pay more attention to Easter. It's still our highest holy day. And the weather's usually nicer, too.


Kevin Orlin Johnson, Ph.D., is author of several books about the Church and her teachings, including Apparitions: Mystic Phenomena and What They Mean and Rosary: Mysteries, Meditations, and the Telling of the Beads.
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We're going to see this Movie on Friday. Meet at the Theatre at 3:30 to buy your $6.00 matinee ticket. The show is at 3:50. Don't forget your permission slips! Bring your friends and family!