Month: December 2024

Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, a prophet named Micah¹ prophesies the birth of a promised ruler and savior in Bethelehem:

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.

“There he shall give them up until the time
when she who has labor pains has
brought forth;
then the rest of his brethren shall return
to the sons of Israel.

“And he shall stand and feed his flock in
the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he
shall be great to the ends of the earth.” (Micah 5: 2-4)

Through Micah’s words, we understand that even though humanity has fallen from a state of innocent devotion and obedience to God, all is not lost!

In the Book of Genesis, we observe God drive Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, placing the cherubim at the east end of the Garden to guard the Tree of Life. (Genesis 3: 22-24) But we also know from the remaining Old Testament stories that God remains with fallen humanity in the world, still guiding and loving us — and inspiring prophets like Micah to share His plan for offering us, through Jesus, another chance at eternal life with Him.

All is not lost. God loves us so much.

O my God and my Father, You remain my source of all wisdom and hope and counsel and love. Thank you, dearest Father, for this profound act of love. Amen.

¹Micah prophesied sometime during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah (750-686 BC).  His prophecies may have been compiled in this book (Book of Micah) after his death. (Source: Catholic News Agency)

Every year, as Christmas approaches, I make time to read one or two Christmas-themed stories. This year, one of the books I read is He Sees You When You’re Sleeping, written by mother-daughter duo Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark.

The story focuses on a character named Sterling Books who has been waiting for more than 40 years after his death to enter heaven. One day, Sterling is summoned by a Heavenly Council and given the chance to redeem himself by returning to earth and finding someone to help. Sterling finds a heartbroken young child named Marissa who has been separated from her father and grandmother because of their placement in the Witness Protection Program.

In this heartwarming story, Sterling devises a plan to assist Marissa and her family; and with special powers granted him by the Heavenly Council, Sterling finally learns what it means to live and love with an open heart.

The story is thought-provoking in the sense that Sterling’s sins were sins of omission. Sterling is not a terrible person, but he is awaiting entry into heaven because of the self-absorbed life he lived on earth and the love he withheld from so many of those around him.

As Christmas approaches, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the love we give and the love we withhold from others. In the opening prayers of the Mass, we recite a Penitential prayer that includes these words:

“I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, through my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do.” (Excerpt from the Penitential Act of the Mass.)

Who are we failing to love? Why are we withholding love from others? The stories recorded in the New Testament are filled with observations of Jesus loving the people around Him so deeply. Shortly before He dies, Jesus prays these words to the Father:

Jesus said, “‘I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your Word … Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before creation.'” (John 17: 6, 24)

Jesus spent his human life sharing the Love of God with humanity through the Word of God. What is the secret to a life well-lived? According to Jesus, love God and love each other. Everything hangs on these two things. (Matthew 24: 36-40)

It’s hard sometimes to not be self-absorbed. It’s hard sometimes to forgive and to extend a loving gesture to someone who has caused us pain. But the rewards of loving as Jesus loves are so great.

Jesus said to the Father, “‘All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine. And glory has come to Me through those You have given Me to love.'” John 17: 10

Just like the character of Sterling Brooks, our own hearts are transformed as we extend love to others. Glorious joy and peace await all of us through love.

Jesus loves you so tenderly.

“He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.” Isaiah 40: 11

Today we are celebrating the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

Destined by God as the Mother of Jesus, Mary was given the very special privilege of being conceived without original sin and of being filled with all the graces needed to make her a fitting Mother for the Son of God.

When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, he acknowledges the extraordinary condition of Mary’s soul in his greeting:

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” Luke 1: 28

The Catechism of the Catholic Church goes on to describe Mary’s Immaculate Conception in this way:

“The ‘splendor of an entirely unique holiness’ by which Mary is ‘enriched from the first instant of her conception’ comes wholly from Christ: she is ‘redeemed in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son.’ The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person ‘in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places’ and chose her ‘in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love.'” CCC 492

It is through her Immaculate Conception that Mary is prepared to mother Jesus in a manner that both preserves and ensures His redemptive role as Savior. And by responding “Yes” to the angel Gabriel when he presents the Father’s request (Luke 1: 38), Mary in turn becomes the first person eternally saved by the Mercy of Jesus and the Love of God.

From an early age, Pope John Paul II carried a deep love for the Blessed Mother. When a young Karol Wojtyla lost his own beloved mother at the age of nine, his father, before an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pronounced, “From today on, she will be your mother.”

In his Angelus address on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on December 8, 1997, Pope John Paul II described the transformative effect of a relationship with the Virgin Mary:

“‘Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ (1 Samuel 16: 7) And Mary’s heart was fully disposed to the fulfillment of the Divine Will. This is why the Blessed Virgin is the model of Christian expectation and hope. In contemplating the biblical scene of the Annunciation, we understand that the divine message does not catch Mary unprepared; on the contrary, it finds her watching and waiting, recollected in profound silence, in which echo the promises of the prophets of Israel, especially Isaiah’s famous messianic prophecy: ‘Behold a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.'” (Isaiah 7: 14)

It is inspiring and hopeful to witness the transformative power of Mary’s intercession on Pope John Paul II’s life.

It is also perfectly fitting that we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary at the start of Advent, the season in which we anticipate and prepare for the Nativity of Jesus, for it was through Mary’s total trust in God’s will for her life that a Love like no other entered the world.

We too can be transformed by Mary’s maternal love. Here is a beautiful prayer to Mary, written by Pope John Paul II. It is purported that he said this prayer daily:

Totus Tuus (translated, “Totally Yours”)

Immaculate Conception, Mary my Mother,
Live in me, Act in me,
Speak in me and through me,
Think your thoughts in my mind,
Love through my heart,
Give me your dispositions and feelings,
Teach, lead me and guide me to Jesus,
Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior,
Possess my soul,
Take over my entire personality and life, replace it with Yourself,
Incline me to constant adoration,
Pray in me and through me,
Let me live in you and keep me in this union always.

Note: The origin of the icon above — titled Our Lady of Perpetual Help — is unknown. Today, the original icon is displayed within the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome.