BIG C CATHOLICS

"Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the 'Seat of Wisdom.'"  — Catechism of the Catholic Church 721 _____________________________________________________ O God, who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation, grant, we pray, that we may experience the intercession of her, through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Fr. Charles Irvin Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for Sunday’s readings ) Today we continue our Christmas celebration with a consideration of the Holy Family. This feast has the same first two readings every year but one of three different Gospels. The first reading is always the reading from Sirach about the honor that children should extend to their parents. The second reading is always the reading from Colossians about respecting each other’s position within the family. It is not a divine decree that women should be subordinated to men any more than was St. Paul’s admonition to slaves to be faithful to their masters is a divine endorsement of slavery. In today’s Gospel Mary and Joseph present Jesus in Jerusalem’s Temple in fulfillment of their religious tradition. You parents can remember when your children were infants. You couldn’t wait to show them off to family and friends. You probably had a big celebration on that very special day when you went to your parish church a

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) All of the shopping, all of the rushing about, all of the busy-ness of Christmas is now over. Today the streets are deserted. A quiet and peaceful stillness lays over all. Now the religious meaning of Christmas is allowed to emerge from beneath all of the mall music, the shopping, and the frantic preparations for this day. But to what do we turn our attention? To peace on earth toward men of good will? Yes, and something more. To the sharing of love with family? Yes, and something more. To joining together with the ones we love? Yes, but more. Christmas is more than having a lovely time, more than family sharing, more than the so-called “happy holidays.” We celebrate today what so many are looking for. We focus our attention today on that which will give peace to many who are lonely, uneasy with themselves, and who are searching for meaning in their lives. The centerpiece of the Mass

O King of the Gentiles and Savior of the World "Come and save man, whom Thou hast made out of dust." What is man? He is but a particle of dust, an insignificant creature who has further separated himself from God through sin. He has been cut off from the fountain of truth and banished from God to darkness and misery. Still in the ruins there dwells a spirit that possesses a capacity for truth. In these ashes there is yet a spark that may be fanned to life to burn with the brilliance of divine life. But only God can revive this flame. For this reason, the Church cries out, "Come and save man, whom Thou hast made out of dust." Save him who is so weak, so miserable and helpless. Remember his nothingness. Consider the many enemies who lay snares to rob him of divine life and to entice him into sin. Think of his [finite] knowledge and his proneness to evil, of his tendency to error, and his weakness in the face of temptation. Guard him from the enticements of the worl

Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism Fr. Anthony Pillari JCL, MCL, STD Lesson 3: On the Unity and Trinity of God Welcome to the third lesson of Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism – On the Unity and Trinity of God. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. O Jesus, I choose to live this day, for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen. In our last lesson we began to learn about God and His perfections. Today we will learn about the unity and Trinity of God. That is, we will begin learning about a mystery that we can only know because God has revealed it. We can only know it because God has taught it – that He is three Persons in one God. Listen to what happened when Jesus came to John the Baptist in the River Jordan and gave us a glimpse of the Holy Trinity. John the Baptist, the cousin of our Lord, had been given the mission of preparing people for the

Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism Fr. Anthony Pillari JCL, MCL, STD Lesson 2: On God and His Perfections (The following is a transcript from the Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism with Fr. Anthony Pillari . Each presentation focuses on a lesson from the Baltimore Catechism. While these catecheses are intended for young Catholics, a prayerful study of the subject matter and materials provided would greatly benefit anyone. This video series is available free online.) Welcome to the second lesson of Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism – On God and His Perfections. Let us begin with the prayer taught by our Lady to the children of Fatima, praying it slowly and well, so that you might help save souls even now, as you study your Catechism. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. O Jesus, I choose to live this day, for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) About 20 years ago I was asked to speak to a group of candidates in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, on the topic of “de-creation,” i.e., the fall of Adam and Eve and its negative impact of on creation and history. I began by showing them a very beautiful, truly artistic mug that had been given to me. It reflected the love of the artist, and of the one who gave it to me, just as the world created by God reflected his love. A little bit later, I “accidentally” knocked the mug off the podium and it shattered on the floor. As it began to fall, everyone in the group gasped. I concluded, “That is what creation did when Adam and Eve reached for the forbidden fruit. All creation gasped, crying out: ‘No! No! No!’” Almost 900 years ago, St. Bernard of Clairvaux delivered four homilies on today’s Gospel. Each one is easily four or five times as lo

Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism Fr. Anthony Pillari JCL, MCL, STD Lesson 1: On the End of Man (The following is a transcript from the Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism with Fr. Anthony Pillari . Each presentation focuses on a lesson from the Baltimore Catechism. While these catecheses are intended for young Catholics, a prayerful study of the subject matter and materials provided would greatly benefit anyone. This video series is available free online.) Welcome to the first lesson of Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism – On the End of Man. You are beginning today a great journey through the entire Baltimore Catechism. Through a challenging program of formation that will lead your soul to become stronger in the Lord and in His might. The keys to the success of this program will be your willingness to work hard at your studies, your willingness to make sacrifices, your willingness to persevere, and your determination to not become discouraged. Because in this pro

Fr. Charles Irvin Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for Sunday’s readings ) One of the most important needs we have in life is to receive respect and esteem from others, no matter how high or lowly our position may be on the ladder of social importance. This is a good and legitimate need. Humility does not mean being a door-mat upon which others wipe their feet. But our need for respect and esteem can, as we all know so well, become unbalanced. Self-appreciation and self-affirmation can slip over into egocentrism, self-centeredness, arrogance and an aggressive “in your face” approach to others. The result is certain … sadness, pain, and misery, not only in one’s own self but in the lives of those who must live near us. When the biggest thing in this world is self, there is no surer guarantee to misery. Preoccupation with one’s own public image and the everlasting pursuit of recognition leads us into the most merciless of all slaveries, with our ego as our tyrannical owner.

Solemnity - December 8th Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception solemnly affirms, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin." ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , no. 492) The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose Mary for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved her from all sin. Therefore, by His holy Benevolence and Love, we possess hope and bold confidence in God’s loving Will for our lives and the salvation of all humanity. Significantly in the first reading, the liturgy recalls the figure of Eve

The Third Sunday of Advent [Year B] By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks,  for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thes 5:16-18) Rejoice ... pray ... give thanks. A great trifecta for the season of Advent! If there is any liturgical season that is countercultural, it is Advent! While the world is scrambling and shopping for perfect Christmas gifts, the faithful are asked to rejoice, pray, and give thanks. While gift giving and family feasts and traditions are all good in and of themselves, they pale in comparison to that greatest gift of them all, Jesus Christ, the Word of the Father who was made flesh and now dwells among His people (John 1:14). Yes, the very Word of God the Father has been united to human flesh, and now the human person can know and touch God! This is the mystery of Christmas! It is also a

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings )  We read today in 2 Peter, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.” This salutary but unsettling reminder of what is to come makes me think of one of the “Holy Sonnets” of the 17th century poet and essayist John Donne. It begins with the words: “What if this present were the world’s last night?” “What if?” indeed! If we knew we had such little time, how would we spend it? Rush to the nearest confessional? Seek out the people we love most? Just cower in fear? The poet is not afraid. He invites his soul to look into his heart and see there the image of Christ crucified, which for him is beautiful and offers him assurance of mercy. We should note that St. Peter’s imagery is not simply about