The Adoration of the Magi (L'adoration des mages) - James Tissot            

"GIVE thanks this day to Christ our Redeemer, who was pleased to manifest himself to the Gentiles, and thus open the way to salvation. Pray for those Gentiles, who as yet in great numbers sit in darkness, and know not God, that God would please to call them to his faith.

Pray that you may ever imitate the zeal and diligence of the three kings, who were no sooner called but they obeyed; who were not discouraged by the difficulties of the journey, but without delay set forward to find him who called them.

Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish (Springboro, Ohio)

"THE time to serve God is now, and the place to serve God is right here. Such, brethren, is the lesson of New Year's Day. This day is the starting point of the whole year, and we should appreciate that the day itself, the present time, is of greater value than the past and the future. We should start right. We should get our minds in a proper condition for the labor and suffering, the joy and sorrow, of the coming year; and that means that we should use the present moment for all that it is worth. Of course, brethren, this is the day of big wishes: "I wish you a happy New Year," we all have heard and said many times to-day; and that is a good thing. But good wishes don't put money in the bank, or pay off the mortgage on your home, or even put a fat turkey on the table. They are pleasant and charitable, and, we repeat, they are good things-all the better if, as a matter of fact, they are likely to be fulfilled.

Now, many a one says: "I cannot be as good a Christian as I should wish because I am too busy just now." So you see he takes it out in good wishes by saying, "I wish I could be a good Christian." He is one of those mentioned by our Saviour: "Not every one who says, Lord! Lord! shall enter into the kingdom of heaven"; and He adds, "but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Thus our Saviour shows the difference between the one who says and the one who does the good-wisher and the well-doer. Don't you see that by simply wishing you are putting your business above God? Can't you understand that you think more highly of the guest you entertain to-day than you do of the one whom you. put off till to-morrow? First come, first served : and who comes before God? God the Father created you. God the Son redeemed you. God the Holy Ghost sanctified you. Is any business equal to creation, redemption, and sanctification? But somebody might insist: Father, that is all true, and yet what I say is true. I am too busy to attend to my religious duties, and I cannot help it. My occupations force themselves upon me. must work as I do, or I and my family will suffer. I answer: There must be something wrong about this. Is it really possible that you are compelled to work in such a way that you positively cannot receive Communion a few times a year; cannot say your night and morning prayers; cannot attend at Mass-is this really the case? If so, then you are a slave. There have been classes of men among us so situated, but they are not so now, because they rebelled against it, took effective measures to remedy the evil and succeeded in doing so. Have you tried? Have you asked leave to get off work to attend to your religious duties? Are you willing to lose a day's wages once in a while for the love of God? Think over these questions. Be honest with yourself. Do not blame your employer or excuse yourself until you have made your request and been refused.

IHS

"When We say the Lord's Prayer, my dear brethren, we pray that God's Name may be hallowed on earth as it is in heaven. So great is God and so worthy of our reverence that everything that belongs to Him or that has been devoted to His service partakes of this reverence. A church dedicated to His service is a holy place; the sacred vessels used in the sacrifice of the Mass are holy things, are set apart, and none but those who are ordained can touch them. Anything that came in contact with our Blessed Lord had a certain participation in His sanctity. At one time it was the mere touch of the hem of His garment that cured a woman of a lingering disease; at another it was His spittle that gave hearing to the deaf. As it is with these things, so it is with His holy Name indeed, much more so.

For His Name to us is representative of all that He has done for us. It is significant of His divinity and of His office as the Redeemer. It was given to Him by the Eternal Father. By the ministry of an angel it was declared that He should be called Jesus, "for He shall save His people from their sins." "For there is no other name under heaven given to men," says St. Peter in today's Epistle, "whereby we must be saved." the same measure as His elevated above all creatures, so is His sacred Name above all other names, "that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow." "From the rising of the sun," says the Psalmist, "until the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.”

Worthy of praise, my brethren; and yet what is our every-day experience? In all ranks of society, on the street, in the shop, in the home, in the presence of Christ's little ones, men swear, women swear; and little children ere they can use their tongues properly learn to lisp curses and blasphemies. Parents who are God's representatives, and who should love our Lord Jesus Christ and reverence His Name, instead of having a little patience, of acquiring some little control of their temper when anything goes wrong, give loose rein to their tongues and insult our Blessed Lord by their profane use of that Name which is the symbol of His love and mercy. How many there are who bow their head in reverence to that sacred Name in the house of God, and who go to their home or their occupation and use it only to add sin to their soul and give scandal to their neighbors! How often, alas! is that Holy Name dragged through the mire and filth of low, vulgar, and often obscene language.

Thirdly, they are obliged to free themselves from other more remote occasions of sin. But then, as there are different degrees in these, so there is likewise in the obligation of retrenching them; it being in some more absolute and pressing than in others, according to the connection they have with sin. As this differs according to tempers and circumstances, it must be determined in particular by conferring with spiritual directors. However, sine general rules may be proposed as the obligation which every one has of cutting off whatever helps considerably to heighten those inclinations and passions, which alienate the mind from the love of God, and lead to sin. Hence the good Christian is very careful in the choice of his company and conversation. For since the general discourse of the world is a communication of worldly principles, the effusion of error and pride, and other passions, a soul that indifferently exposes herself to company, is in danger of being infected with all this poison. The same caution the good Christian uses in reading books; because too many of these favour concupiscence and corruption so much, that frequent reading them must make impressions, and insensibly work upon the soul, to the great prejudice of all its spiritual concerns. It is the same, as to all manner of shows and diversions; because he sees the great danger and mischief of these things, inasmuch as they are the common ways by which the devil deludes souls into all kinds of sinful liberties and wickedness. Whatever therefore his affections or inclinations may be, he carefully removes so much of all that, to which these lead him, as he has reason to suspect dangerous to his eternal welfare.

This care of the good Christian extends likewise to whatever considerably disturbs that good order and discipline, which ought to be observed in his own person or family. For though these are not numbered among the virtues, yet they have place among the Christian duties; inasmuch as it is the obligation of every Christian to be watchful in that, which is the best security of a Christian life, and without which it must be exposed to be wholly overthrown. Indeed, it is as great an absurdity to think of maintaining a Christian life without order and discipline, as to support any civil or military government without it. Therefore, though it be often necessary to interrupt the order of praying, eating, working, sleeping, &c., yet whoever loses all regard to this order, and lets every humour and inclination take place of it, it is to be feared, that if he be not already lost, it cannot be very long before he will be so. For this going out of all method involves such variety of neglects, draws so many ill consequences after it, and betrays so great a stock of selflove, and desire of satisfying one's own inclinations, and preferring them to ordinary duties, that it cannot be long consistent with a Christian life.

For this reason, the good Christian, ever apprehensive of being insensibly carried out of the way, is not only careful to prevent it, by keeping up discipline, and observing good order in himself and family; but is likewise very watchful in retrenching whatever he perceives of this world apt to possess his heart and likely to turn it from God. And this, not only in respect of sinful objects, but also of all love of the world, love of temporal or secular things, in a word, of all love of creatures. This he undertook in baptism, when becoming the child of God, he promised to renounce all those inclinations, which he brought with him into the world, which naturally and violently carry him to sin, to earth, and to creatures; and solemnly engaged to follow those new impressions which he then received, which lead him to the love of God, to religion, and to the search of heavenly things, by a separation from creatures. Though, from that corruption which is in him, he cannot follow the new impressions, without violence to nature; yet having taken this obligation upon him, he considers it his duty ever to use this violence. This is his exercise, as long as he is in this life. He finds in it great difficulties; but he who undertook to be his Redeemer, has taught him that he is not to expect any part in this redemption without trouble and difficulties. Therefore, encouraged by his example, he resolutely offers himself to all these, and looks for them as part of his portion to which he is called. Though frail of himself, he yet hopes, through the grace of his Redeemer, and the assistance of his holy spirit, to hold out to the end, with cheerful submission, and untired patience, till that happy hour comes when he may say: All is finished. For this end, he puts himself this day under the covert of the sacred name of Jesus, hoping under that protection daily to receive a constant supply of courage and comfort; that he may go on in the practice of a spiritual circumcision, in the same spirit with him who taught it. Grant us, O Jesus, this thy holy spirit, that we may ever remember this lesson, and duly practise it. And whenever our corrupt nature is carrying us to sin, to the love of this world, or of creatures, powerfully check our inclinations, and say to our souls: I am thy salvation." The Catholic Year for Rev. Fr. John Gother

There are two kinds of examination of conscience, both of which are good. One is done at fixed times by some arrangement with one's self honestly adhered to. The other kind of examination is spontaneous. In this latter case the conscience won't let you pass an hour, or even a minute, without undergoing scrutiny. In the former case you examine your conscience, and in the latter your conscience examines you. I have met numbers of persons who need never examine their consciences when preparing for confession : they live habitually in the Divine presence and are ready at all moments to perform the highest spiritual duties. I think it was one of the St. Catharines who was kneading dough to make bread for the community when the bell rang for Communion; she went up and received our Lord with the dough sticking to her hands and then went back to her batch of bread and she was excellently well disposed for Communion. St. Francis of Sales, from the evenness of character which he attained, must have had this gift of consciousness of the Divine presence in a high degree.

Brethren, I wish all of you had something of this high gift. But for most of us I may truly say that the examination of conscience which will benefit us will be that made at set times; of course, at confession. But no practice will produce better results for persons of good sense than having fixed times at which we shall go over the actions of the day. And on New Year's Day, of all day's in the year, we should take account of our conduct towards God and our neighbor and ourselves, and make good resolutions for the future. The fact is that on a day like this the old year rises and demands examination. Sometimes we say, "The past is gone." But in truth there is no such good luck as that. It would be a very good thing for some of us if the past could be politely bowed out with the old year. But there it is, fixed for ever. The past year is an account book turned over to God's court to witness for or against us; let us try and get a favorable balance out of it. At any rate, let us know the truth about it.

"ON a Day when God the Father speaks to us by His only Son, the Eternal Word, it cannot be less than presumption in man to speak. He ought rather in silence to give ear to what is spoken to him from Heaven, and to contemplate with admiration the wonders and mercies of this day. It is the day, when the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, made man in the womb of the Virgin Mary, was born of her in the stable of Bethlehem, and came in this humble manner to be the world's Redeemer. Approach then in spirit, Christian soul, to the manger: stand there awhile, and receive the instructions which He thence gives you.

But first, while you hear the angels saluting Him with a celestial hymn, and see the shepherds informed from Heaven, making their offerings, and adoring Him as their God, join with them, and confess Him to be your God also. Behold Him, and learn how much you are indebted to the goodness of your God, and the infinite mercy of your Redeemer. The whole world lay under the guilt of sin, and nothing but an eternal banishment from the sight of God, joined with everlasting punishment, was the unavoidable consequence of such guilt. Man was lost; and being through sin an enemy to God, it was not in his power to reverse his fate. For what could rebellious clay do to satisfy an injured God? The debt is infinite, and the unhappy debtor, poor of himself, through his offence, is become still more miserable, wretched, and worse than nothing. And though there wants not mercy ready to forgive, yet there is justice too, which must be satisfied. What remedy then for man, but to be delivered to the executioner, and cast into prison, there to abide, miserable for ever? And thus it was to be. But behold the mercy of your Redeemer; the second Person of the Blessed Trinity offers Himself to become man, that so He may be capable of being made a sacrifice for the sins of men, a sacrifice of infinite value, and more than equal to the guilt. For this end, when the fulness of time was come, ordained by God, for the accomplishment of this work of mercy, He is born of the Virgin Mary, an infant, and yet true God and man! This is the mystery, this the mercy, which the Church at present commemorates, and which you are humbly to adore with love and gratitude.

There was no room for them in the inn."-LUKE 2. 7.

1. The thought of home.

    2. But no home for the poor wayfarers at Bethlehem.

    3. Now, as then, our Lord seeks a home.

4. Let us resolve to give Him a welcome, and make a home for Him in our hearts.

THERE is a word ever dear to our hearts, but dearer at this Christmas season than at any other time. Our hearts agree with the old saying, "There is no place like home." Home! what a charm, a fascination clings to that word. It does not matter whether it is a mansion or a cottage, so that it is our home. Childhood's affection nestles round our home, and it is the pride and comfort of venerable old age. And Christmas is the time of all others when our memory and thoughts gather round our home. We all go home in spirit or in glad reality at Christmas. And amidst all our pleasures and comforts we have a thought— a loving thought for those who are far away, whether distance or death separate us. We remember them all at Christmas. We miss their voices and their tender glances; we notice a vacant chair or a little token of the past. Perchance on coming to the Christmas Mass we may cast a wistful glance at the churchyard, where in their little home some dear one is at rest.

Just as it was nineteen hundred years ago, there will be gatherings of friends and happy hours spent in our homes this Christmas-time.

Saint John the Baptist Sees Jesus from Afar (Saint Jean-Baptiste voit Jésus de loin) - James Tissot

"There hath stood One in the midst of you, whom you know not." - St. John 1. 26.

1. St. John the Baptist causes the character of the Messias to be revealed.

2. How blessed are we to know Him so well.

3. Christ's dealings with men all mercy and love.

"The prophets had foretold and partially described the Messias that was to come. But was it not most appropriate that the most explicit testimony of Him and revelation of His character should be given us by and through means of the Baptist? Therefore we find in Advent that St. John is brought before us in the gospels. His preaching, his works had led men to think that he himself was perhaps the Messias. But "he confessed, I am not the Christ," to the priests and levites, who had been sent to question him. "And the next day,' says the gospel," John saw Jesus coming to him and he saith: "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who taketh away the sins of the world." "And John gave testimony, saying: "I saw the Spirit coming down as a dove from heaven, and He remained upon Him. and I saw and gave testimony that this is the Son of God" (John 1.).

Moreover, the Baptist later on, when cast into prison by Herod, sent two of his disciples to our Lord, and by his questions causes our Blessed Lord to reveal Himself openly to us — the character and description of our divine Lord given us by Himself! What excuse can man have not to know Him; and knowing Him, not to love Him and follow Him? John's disciples gave his message, "Art Thou He that art to come, or look we for another?" "And Jesus making answer, said to them: "Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he that shall not be scandalised in Me" (Matt. 11. 3). Thus the Baptist drew from Christ the description of the character by which He would be known by man. The God of Truth made Man gave testimony of Himself.

The Immaculate Conception by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

"The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways.”PROV. 8. 22.

1. The Redeemer and His Mother.

2. Therefore Immaculate for His honour.

3. No change of belief in the Church, but now all bound to believe the doctrine.

4. Effects: increase of devotion to Mary Immaculate; and more manifest proofs of the power of her intercession.

THE dominant thought in this holy time of Advent is the coming of the Redeemer. How appropriate it is, then, that there occurs at this time the Festival of the Immaculate Conception. For the Son of God offering Himself to become a Man to redeem us, a Mother had to be chosen for Him. A Mother of God! Picture the amazement of the angels in heaven that a human creature could possibly be so exalted! The purest, the holiest, the humblest of all the daughters of Eve was chosen.

But above all the endowments of grace, above all her virtues, one singular prerogative was needed and was granted. This chosen one should never for an instant be under the curse of fallen man. Original sin could not be allowed to taint her soul. "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways." This is what we believe in accepting and professing the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Cornelis Schut III  (1629–1685)

"Your redemption is at hand.”—St. Luke xxi. 28.

SOLEMN and sublime thoughts should lift up our hearts at the beginning of this holy time of Advent. The anniversary of the coming of our Redeemer is at hand; and gratitude for that blessed coming bids us raise up the eyes of our soul, and reverently peer into the mystery of God's goodness in decreeing that a Saviour should be born to save His people from their sins. From all eternity the Almighty had determined to create mankind. From all eternity He knew of the fall, of man's sinfulness and rebellion against Him, so that it would come to pass, as the Scripture says, "It repented Him that He had made man" (Gen. vi. 6). His justice was outraged; His mercy despised. And poor fallen man, what could become of him? He could not retrieve the past. He could not atone for his own misdeeds. Was there no salvation for the human race? A God was needed to make reparation and atonement for the outrages against a God! for the outrages of unbelief, of blasphemy, of hatred, of the impurities, and of all the evils that spring up from the depraved hearts of sinners. Then was the mystery of love declared that astounded heaven; that caused countless angels to rebel; for poor fallen man was to be more honoured than themselves. The second Person of the Blessed Trinity willingly offered Himself to come to the rescue of mankind. As God, He could not suffer, but a body and a soul united to the divine Person, and behold Emmanuel-God with us, our Redeemer! "Behold! I come," He said. A Man to suffer; a God to offer! The justice of the Almighty to be placated; His mercy to be thanked; His love to be requited! And the gates of heaven to be opened to repentant man. This is the tidings of great joy that Advent brings to the faithful.