Category: Christmas

The Joyful Mysteries

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Christmas, Joyful Mysteries, Nativity, Rosary

There is something spiritually moving as we journey with Mary in praying the Joyful Mysteries. The process of reflection and visualization, helps in expanding our understanding of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. God’s presence is evident throughout. His hands preparing Mary for her pregnancy and birth in a blessed sequence of events. It’s no coincidence Mary visited Elizabeth and experienced first hand what to expect in a pregnancy and birthing process. God’s hand is also present in providing Mary and Joseph a cave away from the prying eyes of King Herod and his court, the Romans, and the Jewish elite. Those present were the lowliest – poor sheep herders. The three wisemen were foreigners who came from afar.

Not much has changed since the birth of Jesus. Herod went on a killing spree executing all children under 2. It’s not different in our world today – killing babies in the womb via abortion. Where the Romans had conquered and controlled most of the ancient world, our world today is in a similar chaotic state (Ukraine, Russia, China and the USA geopolitics). Today our churches are empty. Those that go to mass are the disenfranchised and the elderly.

Today, the story of Christmas is lost in secular translation. We talk about love, peace and joy, but forget that to attain this means letting go of our brokenness and embracing the grace of God. That means being Christ centred with our own, “yes”.

I dropped by Mary Queen of the World Cathedral (Montreal) for Friday morning mass. As I was early, I wanted to find a quiet spot to pray the Joyful Mysteries. I found the perfect spot in front of a beautiful Nativity Scene.

I share from: https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/the-most-holy-rosary/the-joyful-mysteries/

The Joyful Mysteries

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed
(Prayed on the Crucifix)

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.

Our Father
(Prayed on the first large bead)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass
against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen

3 Hail Mary’s…
(Prayed on the first three beads)

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

Glory be…
(Prayed before the first decade)

Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation

Scripture: In the sixth month 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. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “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,
and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?”

And the angel said to her,
“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, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38).

Our Father...
10 Hail Mary’s
Glory be…

Fatima Prayer:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.

Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation

Scripture: In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would bee a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:39-45).

Our Father...
10 Hail Mary’s
Glory be…

Fatima Prayer:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.

Third Joyful Mystery: The Nativity

Scripture: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:1-14).

Our Father...
10 Hail Mary’s
Glory be…

Fatima Prayer:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.

Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple

Scripture: And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And inspired by the Spirit* he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
according to thy word;
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation
which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to thy people Israel.”

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,

“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign that is spoken against
(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also),
that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanu-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:22-38).

Our Father...
10 Hail Mary’s
Glory be…

Fatima Prayer:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.

Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding in the Temple

Scripture: Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:41-52).

Our Father...
10 Hail Mary’s
Glory be…

Fatima Prayer:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.

Concluding Prayers:

The Hail Holy Queen (The Salve Regina)

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to you we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this, our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Optional closing prayers:

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: 

O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pour forth we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

God Bless 💕🙏

Second Advent Candle/Sunday: Peace

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Advent, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Christmas, peace

“May we be in this world a ray of that light which shone forth from Bethlehem, bringing joy and peace to the hearts of all men and women.” – Pope Francis

The second candle on the Advent wreath represents Peace. Like the first candle, it is also purple. Often called the “Bethlehem Candle,” the second Advent candle reminds us of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem before Mary gave birth to Jesus. Building on the meaning of the Prophecy Candle, this second candle recalls that after all of the division, destruction, and dispersion of the kingdom in the Old Testament, there might finally be peace on Earth – Jesus is coming, and so is his Kingdom of Peace. As we read in the quote from Pope Francis, this light of peace shone forth from Bethlehem for all the world. This Advent, light the second candle on Sunday, December 4, 2022. (https://hallow.com/blog/advent-candles-and-advent-wreaths/)

As we meditate and reflect on Mary’s journey before the birth of Jesus, I pray we all find peace within our hearts. Peace springs from within each of us. It is this light within us that reaches to the people around us.

God Bless 💕🙏

A Look Back…

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Advent, Catholic Faith, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Christmas, Mother Mary, Music, prayer, Rosary, Virgin Mary

There is a joy to in the season of Advent as we prepare our hearts and soul to receive God’s gift:

“The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus’ promise to come back. But the scripture readings during Advent tell us not to waste our time with predictions. Advent is not about speculation. Our Advent readings call us to be alert and ready, not weighted down and distracted by the cares of this world (Lk 21:34-36).“

From: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/advent

Christmas is a season for active preparation through fasting, reading the Bible, and prayer. It is a time to share with our families and communities the love of God. It is a time to express our resounding joy.

Praying the Joyful Mysteries, allows us to follow Mary’s “Yes” to the birth of Jesus. Through Mary’s eyes, we journey along with her in the faith, hope and joy. Reading scripture (Luke 1:26-56). also allows us to focus our minds and hearts on the true reason for the season – Christ, coming to redeem all of humanity.

https://rosarycenter.org/the-joyful-mysteries-without-distractions

Listening to hymns and carols immerses us in the soulful sound of celebration – we become a part of the heavenly choir:

Finally, I want to repost some thoughts I had as we ended the Year of St. Joseph. Christmas is also his story. Our story is no matter how often we fall or tumble, the light of Jesus lights our path.

https://rejoiceandpraise.ca/2021/12/18/a-light-in-my-path/

God Bless 🙏💕

Silent Night

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Christianity, Christmas, Jesus

Going into a Catholic Church during Advent fills my soul with quiet wonderment as I gaze upon the Nativity Scene.

Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, Montreal, Quebec

Kneeling before the manger, I recall a time when we would perform the nativity story for our parents and church congregation. It was a season of anticipation, of going from home to home, of festivities, food and baked goods, and different communities joined together in sharing in Christmas joy.

Our home was was opened to people from church. The first thing that would greet them is the smell of baked goods, and home made fruit cake which my dad gave out to families and friends. The joy of the season was also going to one another’s homes and carolling/singing Christmas songs. My favourite part of carolling would be the hot chocolate and treats our host prepared. The highlight of Christmas would be a candlelight service, where hymns were sung along with the Nativity play. All the kids would dress up and retell the story of the birth of Jesus. Always told with a bit of clumsiness and a tender heart.

The humble Holy family surrounded by shepherds and wisemen on a starlit night was a story retold year after year.

There is a rustic beauty as I gaze upon baby Jesus lying in white linen against the coarse backdrop of an old stable.

Watching this scene are sheep, donkeys, mule, cows – all in for the night. I imagine the barnyard smell of dry hay and animals. There is Mary and Joseph gazing with adoration upon this miracle from God – a baby is born into a world – our Savior. He is both Divine and human (now let’s try to wrap our heads around this), sent by the Father to redeem all mankind.

Let’s not let this beautiful story be untold in our world. Let this story not be forgotten, and let us share it even if it’s politically incorrect. This story tells of the birth of Jesus, born to a virgin who said, “Yes”, to God.

God Bless 💕🙏

The door of the manger is always open

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Christmas, Faith, God, inspiration, Jesus, prayer, Spirituality

Borrowing a phase coined by the Archbishop of Montreal, Most Reverend Christian Lépine, “The door to the manger is always open”, I wish to greet all with a joyous and “Happy Christmas Eve”.

Let us unite together from all across our globe and rejoice with a melody in our heart as we let the light of the Bethlehem star warm our hearts with faith, hope and love .

As in a time in antiquity when three wise men journeyed afar to meet Baby Jesus, and as Shepard minding their fields heard the joyful proclamation by the choral of angels – let us welcome our Saviour into the world with joy and thanksgiving.

Luke 1:10 – 14

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

As Archbishop Christian Lépine of Montreal reminds us,

Through this pandemic, let us always keep the door of our heart open, constantly keeping a look of kindness, inspired by the look of goodness that the child Jesus has for us,”

Archbishop Christian Lépine of Montreal

Let us start our day with a a prayer of thanksgiving, a smile and an inner glow within and without, as well as a spirit filled song in our hearts.

From Christmas Novena Prayer

The Birth Of Jesus In The Stable Of Bethlehem (Ninth Day)

O Adorable Infant Jesus! I should not have the boldness to cast myself at Your feet if I did not know that You Yourself invites me to draw near You.

It is I who by my sins have made You shed so many tears in the stable of Bethlehem. But since You have come on earth to pardon repentant sinners, forgive me also, now that I am heartily sorry for having spurned You, my Savior and my God, who are so good and who has loved me so much.

In this night, in which You bestowest great graces on so many souls, grant Your heavenly consolation to this poor soul of mine also.

All that I ask of You is the grace to love You always, from this day forward, with all my heart. Set me all on fire with Your holy love. I love You, O my God, who has become a Babe for love of me. Never let me cease from loving You evermore.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and my Mother, You can obtain everything from Your Son by Your prayers. This is the only favor I ask of You. Do You pray to Jesus for me. Amen.”

God Bless 💖

An Unusual Christmas

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Christmas, Faith, God, Spirituality

In Quebec, due to new government restrictions, all participants must show a vaccine passport to attend worship. Not many religious has spoken out on this government protocol except for a few sane voices.

I am sharing here a message from the Bishop of Pembroke, Quebec. At a time when the Catholic Church is getting more and more ruptured – Bishop Pembroke’s call for spiritual unity is heartfelt and inspiring.

December 20, 2021

An unusual Christmas!

 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It’s a funny title to use as we approach the great feast of Christmas, considering that it has always been an unusual and extraordinary feast on its own! This year, however, the Christmas celebrations in Quebec are shaping up to be very different because of the new restrictions recently imposed by the Quebec government.

The announcement of new measures reducing the number of people allowed in churches as of Monday, December 20, and the exclusion of the unvaccinated from the usual celebrations, are creating even more division and resentment among the members of those parish communities. Not to mention the fact that the government is also imposing on them the task of acting as a police officer at the entrance to their churches, in order to check whether the faithful have their vaccination passport or not! And please note that the Bishops of Quebec were not even consulted before the publication of this announcement which seems to me to be totally unfair to a part of our faithful, and which has no scientific basis whatsoever, since even the vaccinated can be contaminated and contaminate others, as scientists and the media have revealed again recently. If this is the case, how can we justify imposing a vaccine passport, as if by magic the vaccinated could avoid any contamination?

Since the very beginning of the pandemic, our churches have scrupulously followed the multiple standards of the health authorities and have helped to prevent any spread of the virus in our congregations. Now, it is as if the government suddenly had no confidence in the measures it has imposed on places of worship. We are treated more harshly than supermarkets and many other businesses, yet at one point we were recognised as “essential” to the welfare of the public, particularly to the faithful.

I seriously wonder whether the line between what the State can and cannot dictate to the various religious communities has been crossed with this obligation to present vaccination passports at the entrance to our churches. The Code of Canon Law is clear: no member of the faithful should be deprived of the Sacraments. But our governments are making a mockery of the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church. Dare to challenge your government representatives to change this latest law which in fact oversteps their role and duty in our society. Their role is earthly, and we recognise that it is God Himself who has entrusted them with this responsibility, but ours is heavenly, for Christ Himself entrusts us with the spiritual stewardship of His Kingdom. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s, our Master and Saviour has taught us.

Archbishop Lépine of Montreal recently published a very eloquent letter. He asks us to fight the virus instead of fighting each other with judgment and resentment towards those who do not think as we do, between the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated. Otherwise, the virus will win over us and hurt us not only physically and psychologically, but will divide us spiritually to the point of hatred towards our neighbour, instead of the unconditional love that Christ wants to give us by taking on our mortal condition on this great Christmas Day.

May we rediscover our childlike hearts as we contemplate the Child in the manger. See how he opens wide his little arms and hands, as if to say to each of us: “Will you let me into your heart at Christmas?”

Sincerely yours in Christ our Redeemer,

I pray that the hand of God surrounds His people from the fears that permeates our secular world. We need to hear more attestation of Biblical faith: Jesus, I trust in You!

God Bless 💖

Make Haste

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Bible, Catholic Faith, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Christmas, Faith, God, inspiration, Jesus, Music, Personal Reflection, Praise, Spirituality, Testimony

As part of my St. Ignatius Spiritual Exercises (The Ignatian Adventure, Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius in Daily Life, by Kevin O’Brien, SJ.), I have been praying and mediating on a “grateful awareness of the many ways in which God calls me”, and the past week, I have been reading, rereading, reflecting, and praying on Luke 5:1-11. The depth of it’s meaning came to light a few days ago – “God, how can I be a fisher of men? Moreover, I ask myself how can I serve You in our world today? Next week begins a new challenge – I won’t be able to attend Mass and the Holy Eucharist due to new government restrictions. I was feeling so down about it. How do I live in the new normal – a world of Covid-19 fears and now Omicron restrictions? How can I continue to be a disciple of Jesus?

Luke 5:10 reminds us:

Jesus always said to us, “And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.”

I was greatly comforted by Luke’s reminder.

I have low immune system, and I am very careful, especially mindful of those around me, and isolate myself at the first signs of illness. Today, was one of those days, when I felt a migraine and under the weather. Being the last day I could attend Mass before new restrictions set in, I felt guilty and terrible that I did not go.

In the face of challenges, it is a miracle the way God’s hand is constant in my life. Not only did I feel uplifted and full of joy watching online mass this morning, but I felt renewed. Today’s lectionary reading Luke 1:39-45 touched me, and I was reflecting upon it since last night when I flipped open my Bible and read it while procrastinating rereading Luke 5: 1-11. God is ahead of me! God knows my worries.

See the source image
Carl Heinrich Bloch’s painting – The Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth

Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Three key words come to mind – “Mary set out and went with haste…”, the second is the power of the Holy Spirit in the bonding these two woman with inner and outer joy – “For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy...”

I am reminded that in Jesus, there is joy. His birth into this world and walking among us is a testament of God’s eternal love and plan for us. Hence, no matter how many obstacles the world may throw my way that prevents me from going to Mass to worship, I can still praise and sing glory to my God, because I take the time today to keep the Sabbath Holy in my home – my place of refuge.

How to keep the sabbath holy

Making my home a sancturay for God

Making my home a refuge, and adorning it with objects that reminds me of the Blessed Family, God, Jesus, our Blessed Mother, and Father Joseph. Sanctified with Holy Water is also a good idea.

The point here is having a quiet place to spend time with God.

Spend time in prayer and read the day’s Mass reading

Daily reading from the Catholic Calendar is a special contemplation I do on top of my own personal Bible journey. Daily readings are centered around liturgical themes, and they help guide the believer into a better understanding of the Old and New Testament, as well as insights from all Saints, religious, and all who have gone before us. The following two sites are a great resource for daily Catholic readings:

Homepage
The Morning Offering
Weekday Lectionary
Weekday Lectionary
Make a Spiritual Communion and Thanksgiving

I can’t make it to Mass for the Eucharist, and instead of getting stressed out about it, I watch the Mass online and make an act of spiritual communion and thanksgiving. God doesn’t want us ridden with anxiety and stressed out. Jesus loves us, and wants us to be near to Him and filled with inner joy.

watch the mass online or on tv

Here is a list of some of my favorite Catholic organizations:

EWTN

https://www.ewtn.com/

The Divine Mercy

https://www.thedivinemercy.org/

Bishop Barron (Word on Fire)

https://www.youtube.com/user/wordonfirevideo

Father Mike Schmitz and Ascension Presents

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVdGX3N-WIJ5nUvklBTNhAw

rest and reflection

Remember God rested on the 7th day. Enjoy a day of stillness, rest and reflection on God’s day.

In all things, remember to give thanks

Make the day beautiful, peaceful, and joyful. I like to spend part of God’s day smiling and thinking of how wonderful my God is, and am thankful for His hands in my life and the lives of those around me. I love to listen to music of praise and worship on God’s day of rest. Just as I am sitting here sharing with each one of you my love for our Immortal God. Jesus, I trust in you❤️

I love to listen to the Virgil Project:

May the hand of God hold each of you in His warm and protective embrace, and know that as long as we focus our attention on Him, we do not need to feel fear! God is faithful, and knows our hearts more than we do. Let each of us take the time to pray on a greater awareness of the many ways in which God calls each and every one of us.

God Bless 💖

The First Day Of A New Beginning

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Christmas, Faith, God, inspiration

Today marks the first day of the beginning of a new liturgical year. As it ends, I can only thank the Lord our God for all the love and graces He has bestowed upon me and those around me.

Today is a new day! This is also a special day for me, as it marks my first Advent as a Catholic. It also marks the first time my family and I celebrate it in a spiritually meaningful way – full of joy in God’s embrace.

It is a time for us to prepare spiritually as we wait upon Jesus – for the return of Jesus Christ. It is a time to recall His humanity and divinity. We are reminded of His humble birth, for the world (inn) was not prepared for His arrival. It is a time for reflection as we ready ourselves with HOPE, because God is faithful.

We pray for the conversion for those trapped in our secular world as we recall the prophets of old:

Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2)
Further Meditation
  1. Hope: Isaiah 11:1-3; John 1:14-18; Matthew 24:30-35; Titus 2:11-14
  2. Prophets: Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:2-7
Our Hope comes from God!
Celebrate With Candles
1st Sunday (Hope / Prophets): Purple candle
2nd Sunday (Peace / Angels): Purple candle
3rd Sunday (Joy / Shepherds): Pink candle
4th Sunday (Love / Magi): Purple candle
Christmas Day (Birth of Jesus!): White candle (the Christ candle)

Today and as we head into a new week, let’s light a purple candle or wear something purple and reflect on HOPE and pray:

Dear Jesus, you are the hope of our world. Help us to slow down and turn off all the white noise around us. Help us to mindfully and quietly listen to your voice, and to focus on what’s really important. We place our hope and trust in you as we prepare our hearts to celebrate your birth on Christmas. Amen.

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