Friars Corner: Jesus is always with us
Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR
Jeremiah 33:1-16; Psalms 25:4-5, 8-10,14; 1 Thessalonians 3:12–4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
We have completed our Liturgical year for 2018, Sunday Cycle B. We finished the year with the wonderful Solemnity of Jesus Christ our King, Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit wants to lead us to be closer to God and all the angels and saints in heavenly glory.
We ask the Holy Spirit to guide us with this ancient prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit we shall be recreated and you shall renew the face of the earth
Now the church invites us to step on the next run of our heavenly ladder so we can understand more about our faith and the glories that God has for us. We begin this new cycle with C Sunday readings about the public life of Jesus and how our lives can be more united with him. We climb the mountain of God and have the power to stand with Jesus on the stormy seas of life. Jesus, help us our eyes are fixed on you so we can walk on water. Don’t be afraid. Jesus is our “lifeguard,” and he walks with us through difficult times.
We begin looking at the life of Jesus in a preparation mode of anticipation during Advent and not a Lenten mode of repentance. We are presented with various Old Testament prophets and St. John the Baptism in anticipation of a Messiah who will come to save us by putting us on the right path of his new Kingdom, which begins on earth and continues in heavenly glory. You can find out more about the history of Advent online.
Little Easters
Once the great early persecutions of Christians slowed down and Emperor Constantine gave Christians freedom to publicly pray in about 315, the liturgy began to grow. Sundays were “Little Easters.” Gradually, reflecting on the infancy stories in the early part of St. Luke’s gospel, the Western Roman church began to celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. France and Spain started a joyful preparation for Christmas around the 350s, in France and Spain at the Council of Saragossa in 380. It was more a joyful expectation time with white vestments. The length of time varied. Initially, Rome only had one day of fasting before Christmas.
Christmas has become, one might say, very commercialized so businesses can make a lot of money. This has happened with many Catholic saints feasts, like St. Patrick and Valentine. Christmas is travel, presents and big meals. The gift idea goes back to St. Nicholas who died in 350. He was the generous bishop of Myra. He secretly gave gold coins for three daughters to pay the dowry so they could get married. The gift giving developed around him. Yet in many European countries, gifts are shared on December 6th, his feast, not on December 25th.
How to prepare joyfully
What can you do to prepare joyfully for Christmas during Advent, aside from buying and wrapping presents, decorating your Christmas tree and house and sending out Christmas cards? I share a few ideas during this month so that you can get closer to Jesus. He wants to lead you in prayer into his very heart full of love for you as he told St. Faustina in the 1930s in Poland with the Divine Mercy messages. He said the blood and water that flowed from his heart of the cross are “highways.” “Get on one and come directly into my heart.” What a great invitation and gift to have direct access into the loving heart of Jesus.
He also gave us a 9-day novena of bringing various groups of souls to receive his love. Then he gave a simple set of prayers to be praying on our normal rosary beads called the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It only takes about 6 minutes to pray. I say the novena each day, begging for more graces for various groups of souls. I also pray at least one chaplet each day begging for graces for many places in our country and the world. What great blessings Jesus has offered us.
Daily Christmas present
I also don’t want to forget more frequent daily Masses. Jesus offers us the best “daily bread,” that we ask for in the Our Father prayer. Jesus comes and is born anew every day at the consecration, all over the world. That is a “daily Christmas present.” And it is free. Jesus and the church will not send you a bill for this great meal. Isn’t that wonderful? Amen.
I love Jesus. Come love Jesus with me. You will receive more and more of his joy and delights. Heaven will be a continuation of what God wants to fill us with here on earth. We can come to receive. The more we get filled, the more divine power will flow out of us to those we are with each day. Amen. Have a wonder-filled week. + Fr. Bob Hilz.
Have a wonder-filled week,
+ Fr. Bob Hilz
fbhilz@gmail.com
(© 2018 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)
