I am sorry my friends but for some reason the concussion symptoms after 4 months have taken a dramatic turn for the worse and I must stay off electronics as much as possible right now. Christmas blessings to all! Advent blessings! I know you don’t really need my advice, so I would simply encourage all to pray to be holier by the end of the Christmas Season. Our celebrant at Mass suggested the Rosary, a good confession and weekday Mass. All good ideas! Will see you in a few weeks or so. I know this is all in God’s wise plan. -CF
5 Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas
[Edited since posting.]
I tried to make the “Advent” button to the right>>> as noticeable as possible. Did I succeed? Have you clicked on it? This takes you to the “Advent” category of the blog (if button is not there, please click “Advent” just above^^^). I would like to turn your attention to the posts on Fr. Alfred Delp, martyred in Germany under the Nazis. Advent was an important theme for him and his writings are particularly relevant at this time in history. He talks about the need for “calling voices,” which could not be more appropriate for the time we are living in right now. Please have a look!
The 5 points below were written for printing and distribution in churches or elsewhere. I have been printing this for years and it has gone through many drafts-this one I completed just today. You will see I had to be sensitive about the “Santa” issue, only because we all know there’s some “Karen” somewhere who will complain that we traumatized her child. My answer would be, “Any child who can read should not still believe a fat guy can fit down a chimney or a reindeer can fly!” One of these days, talking against Santa will be considered hate speech.
Please consider printing the PDF below and see if you can distribute it this coming Sunday or during the week before Christmas (I realize it’s a bit late getting it out, but better late than never and you can think of it as an Advent Spiritual Work of Mercy!). Of course, there are a number of other ways to share, so be creative! Here goes…
1) GIFT-GIVING: Since we want to remember that Christmas is about the birth of Our Lord, and not about luxuries, it is a good idea to keep presents to a minimum and not allow them to be extravagant. For parents, a nice idea is to give the children three presents, representing the three gifts given to the Christ Child by the magi: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Relatives may also be asked to buy only one gift per child. This way, the children will not be too overwhelmed. There will also be less clutter in the home!
2) DECORATING: To keep the emphasis on Christ, it is important to keep decorations to a religious, not a secular, nature. Since Christmas is a profound holyday, when we celebrate the Incarnation of God Himself, everything we do should be in keeping with this deep and awesome truth. This extends to the cards we send and even the wrapping paper we use.
3) THE CHRISTMAS TREE: The holy and reverent atmosphere we wish to create will also extend to the Christmas tree. Choosing ornaments relating to the religious celebration of Christmas can be easily done. Balls and ornaments featuring the nativity scene or the Madonna and Child can be found quite readily. Musical themes, candles and of course, angels, would all be good choices. This is not to suggest that pictures of loved ones, sentimental items or that ornament your child made at school, should be excluded. It’s the spirit of the tree that matters.
4) THE TRUTH ABOUT A CERTAIN CHARACTER: A character based on a holy man, Saint Nicholas, has become a challenger to Christ on this most holy of days. Children's minds are consumed by this idea and the materialism associated with it, instead of the real and far more incredible gift of God's Son. Telling our children the truth includes the following benefits:
the emphasis will be on the real Person of Christ rather than a fictional character
children will know that their presents come from their loving parents
the intellectual development of children will not be impeded by being encouraged to believe a story that goes against reason
the trust that children have in their parents will not be undermined when they come to realize the truth-the disappointment and hurt that is often felt at that time will not be experienced
5) SEASON OF ADVENT: Advent is a time of preparation, similar to Lent. We can encourage penance, as we do in Lent, or we could also focus on works of charity, which can be a wonderful activity for the whole family. This is also a great time to learn Christmas hymns (that you don't know all the words to) and to read and meditate upon the Incarnation. Also, down-scaling Christmas preparations can be a good idea if they've been too stressful in the past. It is wise to be mindful of the simplicity of the first Christmas. If the stable in Bethlehem is our starting point and our mindset, we cannot go wrong!
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December is the Month of the Divine Infancy & the Immaculate Conception
The good Christian name “John” is well-represented this month, as we honor 5 saints by this name: one the beloved of Christ, 2 Doctors of the Church, one visionary and one priestly professor. We also honor 5 Doctors of the Church: in addition to the 2 Johns, we have 2 Peters and St. Ambrose. December also contains the Ember Days, adding further to the preparation of Advent through prayer and penance. These are loosely concerned with the seasons, so there are many ways to be creative with children, combining the Ember Days, the coming season of winter and Christmas. It is wonderful to teach our children these traditions, so they will develop a love for the Catholic Faith and its many-faceted riches.
As for our themes this month, it is not difficult to combine the Divine Infancy with the Immaculate Conception. Mother and Child are inseparable, as the beautiful painting above shows. The Child Jesus points us toward His Nativity and the time of spiritual preparation for this joyful celebration. The sinless Virgin Mother serves to glorify the Infant Himself. There are many ways we can creatively celebrate both Mother and Child. One possibility is to participate in pro-life activities-there are so many ways to do this and to use one’s unique gifts. We may have done this 2 months ago in October, but the unborn ceaselessly need our help. If you do not have much time, you can always pray and offer up for them. Only 3 days after Christmas, we honor the Holy Innocents, further encouragement to remember God’s precious little ones this month as we prepare to celebrate His birth.
Here are some notable feasts from both the old and new calendars of the Roman Rite…
3-First Friday / St. Francis Xavier
4-First Saturday / St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church, Author Fount of Knowledge / St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor of the Church, Author of many great sermons / St. Barbara, Martyr
5-2nd Sunday of Advent (purple candle)
6-St. Nicholas
7-St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church, Author De Virginibus
8-IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY (obligation)
9-St. Juan (John) Diego, Seer of Our Lady of Guadalupe
10-OUR LADY OF LORETO
12-Gaudete Sunday (pink candle) / OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
13-St. Lucy / St. Odilia, Martyrs, Patronesses of the eyes (Odilia’s feast is non-standard)
14-St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church, Author Dark Night of the Soul
15-Ember Wednesday in Advent (trad meat at one meal)
17-Ember Friday in Advent
18-Ember Saturday in Advent (trad meat at one meal)
19-4th Sunday of Advent (purple candle)
21-St. Thomas, Apostle / St. Peter Canisius, Doctor of the Church, Author Summa of Christian Doctrine
23-St. John of Kanty, Priest, Professor of Sacred Scripture
24-VIGIL OF THE NATIVITY
25-NATIVITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (obligation)
26-THE HOLY FAMILY / St. Stephen, Protomartyr
27-St. John the Evangelist
28-The Holy Innocents
The stunning painting above is “Virgin with Angels” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. This is an ornament which can be purchased here.
Thankful for the Sacrament of Penance
The Sacrament of Penance, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia:
“Penance is a sacrament of the New Law instituted by Christ in which forgiveness of sins committed after baptism is granted through the priest's absolution to those who with true sorrow, confess their sins and promise to satisfy for the same. It is called a sacrament, not simply a function or ceremony, because it is an outward sign instituted by Christ to impart grace to the soul.”
Click on the link above for a rather exhaustive study of this topic. Contemplating and learning more about this great gift of Holy Church, is an appropriate way to begin the Season of Advent, a new Liturgical Year. In a culture that approaches the Birth of Our Lord with nothing but materialism, never giving sin a second thought, how much more should we do so…not only for our own benefit, but to make reparation to Him.
Having celebrated the American holiday of Thanksgiving last week, and having made a recent confession, my mind has been turned to a sense of gratitude for the Sacrament of Penance…especially after having witnessed the unthinkable last year, its prohibition in many places. In a land where there is still plenty, let us remain grateful for all the Church offers and not lose sight that it is the spiritual riches which are most important.
Several weeks ago, I decided to confess at a local church I had not been to for a while. I knew some churches were still abandoning the confessionals due to Covid, but I hoped for the best. I got a sinking feeling when I saw 2 tables decked out with hand sanitizer and blue tape over the holy water fonts. At least there were no dividers in the pews. I forged on to find there were 2 priests doing face-to-face confessions only. I was disappointed, complained to one of them (he was stunned and not very friendly), and left. I will also tell you, there were no lines for these confessions. The church was almost empty.
The following week, I tried another local church, known for being conservative. Jackpot! There was one priest hearing normal confession and the line was quite long. Give the people what they want and they will come! The more traditional churches will probably thrive in the coming days and the more “modern” will just dry up, like their fonts. I was also very happy to see several young people and children confessing. I felt I was home, where I belong and with my people. I am deeply thankful to God that this can still be found in the New York area.
Some final thoughts: We all have difficulty sometimes in the spiritual life. If you have been away from confession and have a fear of going, please just give it over to Our Blessed Lord, place it in His hands and know that He can do what you cannot. He can overcome all things. With His strength you can face a difficult confession, get through it and come out the other side unbelievably joyful! It’s the best Christmas present you could give yourself…and those you love, because being happy and at peace is the best gift you could give to them. Maybe you are the kind of person who stays away due to scrupulosity. Maybe you feel you must re-confess things or the whole process is too overwhelming for you. Again, please take this to Our Lord and He will fix it. Ask in His Name for help and you WILL receive it!
"If you shall ask Me any thing in My Name, that I will do."
John 14:14
December: Month of the Divine Infancy & the Immaculate Conception
“And the Word was made flesh.”
John 1:14
+ + +
Blessings to all in this new Church year! We are now several days into Advent. This is the time when we are in waiting for Our Savior, a time to perform appropriate spiritual exercises. If you have arrived at Advent unprepared, try to get it together this week. Certainly, a good confession before Christmas is probably in order for all of us, as our celebrant told us this past Sunday. December is traditionally dedicated to the Divine Infancy or the Immaculate Conception. Of course, we celebrate both great feasts this month. Perhaps our Advent devotions could include one or both of these themes.
This month honors 5 Doctors of the Church, 2 of whom share the same day. Saint Ambrose is known for his writings on devotion to the Blessed Mother. Reading his work this month would be one way to honor the Immaculate Conception. St. Nicholas, popularly associated with Christmas, has his feast on the 6th. In addition to the feast of the Immaculate Conception, 4 days later, we honor Mary under the wonderful title of “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” As if all of this is not enough, we have the Ember Days as well! Time to ramp-up the penance heat, especially in the wake of a dire year for Holy Church. Towards the end of the month, we honor the Holy Innocents-let us remember pro-life intentions as well.
Wishes to my readers for a most blessed Christmas and let us pray for a triumphant New Year in the Church! Here are some notable feasts this month…
4-First Friday / St. John Damascene, Doctor, “Doctor of Christian Art,” “Doctor of the Assumption” / St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor, “The Golden-Worded”
5-First Saturday
6-2nd Sunday of Advent / St. Nicholas
7-St. Ambrose, Doctor, “Patron of the Veneration of Mary”
8-IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Patroness of the USA (holy day of obligation before the NWO takeover)
12-Our Lady of Guadalupe
13-3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday / St. Lucy, Patroness of the blind
14-St. John of the Cross, Doctor, “Doctor of Mystical Theology”
16-Ember Wednesday in Advent (prayer and penance, trad meat at one meal)
18-Ember Friday in Advent (prayer and penance)
19-Ember Saturday in Advent (prayer and penance-trad meat at one meal)
20-4th Sunday of Advent
21-St. Thomas, Apostle / St. Peter Canisius, Doctor, “Doctor of the Catechism”
24-Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
25-NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (holy day of obligation before the NWO takeover, solemnity-no Friday penance) / St. Anastasia
26-St. Stephen, Protomartyr, Archdeacon (one of the original 7 deacons ordained by the Apostles)
27-Sunday in the Octave of the Nativity (trad) / The Holy Family / St. John the Evangelist
28-The Holy Innocents
Fr. Alfred Delp...Advent not over yet!
[originally published December 13, 2015]
For our Advent meditation today, here are some excerpts from Fr. Delp's "Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, Preached in Munich, December 14, 1941:"
"Standing in the presence of the Last Things [Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell], in the presence of the Ultimate...results in-a peculiar knowledge of ourselves...Someone facing the Ultimate will not be apathetic, not just accept everything simply because it is, and because it does not change, and because it goes on and on, and because it is happening everywhere...In the presence of God, the Absolute Ultimate, nothing counts but that which is real. Man can pass the test of the last days only without pathos, without cramps, without lies, without masks. This requires an honesty of being that has measured itself against the Ultimate...Alexander, Caesar Augustus, Napoleon...were not content with the laurel wreath of greatness, but wanted to take the diadem of the Messiah [Delp and others like him, could not publicly mention Hitler or the Nazi regime...but would cleverly allude to their present reality in the hopes of avoiding a legal cause against them-Delp would consult others on these matters before giving his homilies]......one must contradict false claims when they are set forth or intimated, and false promotions when they are offered...'Who are You?'...One day, when we stand in the presence of the Absolute, this question will cut through our existence like a lightning bolt and manifest what is real and what was masquerade...'In your midst stands One Whom you do not know.' He is, however, in our words and in the beating of our hearts and the hammering of our pulses and in everything. What you do not comprehend, and yet what should be so real and merciful, is that He is standing there, through it all, in your midst. That should be our confession. It is not a protest, not a proclamation, but our very being..."
Fr. Delp concludes this Gaudete homily on a joyful note: Christ is with us always!
More on Father Alfred Delp.....
[Originally published December 11, 2015.]
I gave a brief introduction to Fr. Alfred Delp and the book Advent of the Heart in [a previous post]. Advent was a topic that concerned Fr. Delp throughout his life (1907-1945). It became a metaphor for his own experience "waiting" for the end of the terrifying Nazi regime. In his case, Christmas became his own martyrdom, when he encountered, not a porcelain baby in a creche, but Christ Himself as the Second Person of the Beatific Vision. Almost in anticipation of this extraordinary journey, his preaching and writings on the subject were gripping theological genius...and very appropriate for our own times. It is ironic that the United States of America, rolling into Germany in 1945 with her tanks of salvation, would one day need so desperately this martyr's words of warning and instruction.
The book divides into the 4 weeks of Advent, with appropriate selections of Fr. Delp's writings. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the Season of Advent, but not at all for the faint-hearted. If you take these writings to heart, they will challenge and change you in the most fundamental, deep ways. So....consider yourself warned. As it states in the introduction to Saint Louis de Montfort's The Secret of Mary, these words will exact a responsibility from you:
"...beware, then, of remaining inactive...it would turn into a poison and be your condemnation."
To proceed, I'd like to offer a few brief excerpts from the various introductions to Advent of the Heart, which I feel are essential to the understanding of Fr. Delp:
"Delp wrote the 1944 meditations in Tegel Prison, usually while his hands were in handcuffs. These meditations were smuggled out of the prison as seret messages...
This book presents Advent sermons from Father Delp's parish work in Munich, alongside the powerful messages from his prison Advent experience of 1944...
Their roughness evokes a powerful sense of immediacy rooted in the suffering and danger of the times."
Fr. Delp was originally arrested for suspicion of having knowledge of the attempt on Hitler's life which took place on July 20, 1944.....
"Although all charges related to the assassination attempt were dropped, the irreconcilable opposition of Christianity to Nazism became the focus of the proceedings...Delp was convicted of high treason and sentenced to death by hanging."
Dear Father Alfred Delp, pray for us!
Advent of the Heart, Writings of Fr. Alfred Delp, Martyr under Hitler
I'm very busy for the next few weeks, so I will re-publish some posts from last advent, dealing with the amazing writings of Fr. Alfred Delp....here goes....
[The following was originally posted on November 29, 2015.]
There is an INCREDIBLE book by Ignatius Press, compilations of Fr. Alfred Delp, martyr under the Nazis, entitled Advent of the Heart: Seasonal Sermons & Prison Writings, 1941-1944. It takes us week by week through Advent....and believe me, with this book, you will not be the same person when you arrive at the creche on Christmas Day. I will be posting some quotes from this book throughout Advent. No better time than today to begin. Here are excerpts from Fr. Delp's "Homily for the First Sunday of Advent Preached in Munich, November 28, 1943" (remember the words you are about to read, this man was killed for).....
"There is nothing more blessed in life than true waiting."
"Man is truly human only when he transcends himself."
"We should discover life and its fundamental order."
"This should be our first Advent light: to understand everything, all that happens to us and all that threatens us, from the perspective of life's character of waiting."
"God enters only His own rooms, where someone is always keeping watch for Him."
"Other values of secondary importance impose themselves, making life inauthentic and bringing it under an alien law and an alien paradigm."
Image courtesy amazon.com
It is Advent! And....December is the Month of the Divine Infancy
As of this past Sunday, in both the old and new calendars, the Season of Advent has commenced! Wishes to all for a holy and blessed Advent which draws you closer to the Christ Child! (Please see prayer on Home page.) Lent is a time when we practice sacrifices of self-denial. Perhaps during Advent, our sacrifices may be ones of charity-almsgiving and good works. We may consider volunteer work, cleaning out the old clothes in our closets and giving them to the poor, visiting a homebound neighbor down the block, etc. Admittedly, Christmastime is often a time of stress and feeling like we have too much to do. But if the very celebration of the Birth of Christ prevents us from exercising charity...then something is wrong. We all need to downscale. Also...spiritual reading, the rosary and learning Christmas hymns....children should learn the words to our beautiful hymns and they will likely remember them for a lifetime!
As for the liturgical calendar of December, it is unique in several ways. Aside from the great feast of Christmas, we also have the Marian feasts of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe, along with the feast of the Holy Family. We have the Sundays of Advent when we light the pink and purple candles and the Ember Days of Advent, when we beseech God's mercy and blessings for the coming season of winter. We have several feasts of the time of Our Lord and the time of the Old Testament....5 Doctors of the Church and December 13th, devoted to 2 saints invoked for blindness! Here's our sampling....
12/3-Saint Francis Xavier, Priest-patron of missions
12/4-Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor/Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, Doctor/Saint Barbara, Virgin, Martyr-invoked against lightning
12/6-Saint Nicholas, Bishop-patron of children, bakers, pawnbrokers, mariners & Russia
12/7-Saint Ambrose, Bishop, Doctor-patron of candlemakers/Vigil of the Immaculate Conception-trad meat at one meal
12/8-Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patroness of the United States of America-Holy Day of Obligation
12/9-Saint Juan Diego, Seer of Our Lady of Guadalupe
12/11-Gaudete Sunday, 3rd Sunday of Advent-a day to remember the joy of our coming Savior!
12/12-Our Lady of Guadalupe, Empress of the Americas
12/13-Saint Lucy, Virgin, Martyr-patron of the blind/Saint Odilia, Virgin-invoked against blindness (non-standard)
12/14-Ember Wednesday in Advent-trad meat at one meal/Saint John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor
12/16-Ember Friday in Advent/Saints Ananias, Azarius & Misael, Companions of Patriarch Daniel (non-standard)
12/17-Ember Saturday in Advent-trad meat at one meal/Saint Lazarus, Friend of Our Lord, Brother of Saints Martha & Mary-raised from the dead by Christ (non-standard)
12/20-Saints Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, Patriarchs (non-standard)
12/21-Saint Thomas the Apostle, Martyr-Apostle of India, baptized the Magi/Saint Peter Canisius, Priest, Doctor
12/24-Saints Adam & Eve (non-standard)/Vigil of Christmas-trad meat at one meal
12/25-The Birth of Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, Christmas
12/26-Saint Stephen, First Martyr-patron of stonemasons, due to the fact that he was stoned to death
12/27-Saint John the Evangelist, Apostle-Writer of Holy Scripture, patron of theologians & Asia Minor
12/28-Holy Innocents, Martyrs under King Herod the Great, re-builder of the Holy Temple
12/29-Saint David the King, Patriarch (non-standard)
12/30-The Holy Family
(this blog provides both old & new feasts)
"Light the Candles Wherever You Can, You Who Have Them"
On the previous post, First Sunday of Advent, we read a few of Fr. Delp's quotes from his writings of that day-here are a few more from his First Sunday homilies and prison writings that speak so much to our present times, on the precipice of chaos (this is why there is now such a person as the "Catholic Prepper"):
"Perhaps what we modern people need most is to be genuinely shaken, so that where life is grounded, we would feel its stability; and where life is unstable and uncertain, immoral and unprincipled, we would know that, also, and endure it. Perhaps that is the ultimate answer to the question of why God has sent us into this time...It is because we have stood here on the earth with a totally false and inauthentic sense of security...
...[Delp moves into the past tense here, as he contemplates the crumbling world around him] man stood on this earth in a false pathos and a false security, under a deep delusion in which he really believed he could single-handedly fetch stars from heaven; could enkindle eternal lights in the world and avert all danger from himself; that he could banish the night, and intercept and interrupt the internal quaking of the cosmos, and maneuver and manipulate the whole thing into the conditions standing before us now. That is the first Advent message: before the end, the world will be set quaking...
...now it is time for each individual to use every opportunity to guide life into this order now-and to do it with the same 'unshakeability' with which the Lord will come...
...the basic condition of life always has an Advent dimension: boundaries, and hunger, and thirst, and lack of fulfillment, and promise, and movement toward one another. That means, however, that we basically remain without shelter, under way, and open until the final encounter, with all the humble blessedness and painful pleasure of this openness...
Hunger and thirst, and desert journeying, and the survival teamwork of mountaineers on a rope-these are the truth of our human condition...
In the same way that lies have gone out from people's hearts, penetrating throughout the world and destroying it, so should-and so will-the truth begin its healing service within our hearts. Light the candles wherever you can, you who have them."
As much as I see the internet as part of the artificial, inauthentic life modern man has created, it IS, nevertheless, a light. We each must find the light God has given us to save souls at this very late hour.