BIG C CATHOLICS

The Incarnation of Christ is the seminal event in history. The Catechism of the Catholic Church  states: 463 "Belief in the true Incarnation of the Son of God is the distinctive sign of Christian faith: 'By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.' Such is the joyous conviction of the Church from her beginning whenever she sings 'the mystery of our religion': 'He was manifested in the flesh.'" True God and True Man As we continue to celebrate the season of Advent in anticipation of Christmas, we proclaim what the Church has always professed: "that Jesus is inseparably true God and true man. He is truly the Son of God who, without ceasing to be God and Lord, became a man and our brother." (CCC 469) The following links discuss the Incarnation and Nativity of Christ. We submit them for your consideration. Why God Became a Baby , Fr. Michael Najim Why Isn’t Jesus N

The Christmas Novena begins on December 16th, and concludes on Christmas day. This devotion honors the Incarnation of Christ, and is prayed especially for an end to abortion. The birth of our Savior was, and is, an occasion of unrivaled joy for all of humanity. So to will His second coming be a glory that is completely beyond our comprehension. In fact, the birth of Christ heralds His passion, death, and resurrection through which the world is redeemed and we are saved. A God who became so small could only be mercy and love. — St. Thérèse of Lisieux There is no better time to reflect on the most vulnerable of this world than during Advent and Christmas when we prepare for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ who came to us as a small baby. Advent also reminds us that Christ will come again at the conclusion of history, not as a helpless infant, but as a triumphant King and just Judge, at whose name every knee will bend. Join thousands of others worldwide in praying for more pr

December 9, 2016 St Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474-1548). Little is known about the life of Juan Diego before his conversion, but tradition and archaelogical and iconographical sources, along with the most important and oldest indigenous document on the event of Guadalupe, " El Nican Mopohua " (written in Náhuatl with Latin characters, 1556, by the Indigenous writer Antonio Valeriano), give some information on the life of the saint and the apparitions. Juan Diego was born in 1474 with the name "Cuauhtlatoatzin" ("the talking eagle") in Cuautlitlán, today part of Mexico City, Mexico. He was a gifted member of the Chichimeca people, one of the more culturally advanced groups living in the Anáhuac Valley. When he was 50 years old he was baptized by a Franciscan priest, Fr Peter da Gand, one of the first Franciscan missionaries. On 9 December 1531, when Juan Diego was on his way to morning Mass, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, t

December 8th, the Church celebrates the most holy solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With Mary's "yes" to the announcement of the Archangel Gabriel, all creation celebrated the imminent arrival of its Savior. Free from all taint of original sin, the "new Eve" benefited uniquely from the work of Christ as the most perfect Mediator and Redeemer. The first redeemed by her Son, Mary shares his holiness in full; she is already what the Church hopes to be. 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 confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed on December 8, 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 imm

Nothing escapes God's knowledge. This is proved by the witness of the Scriptures and the analogy of the sun, which, although created, yet by its light or heat enters into all things. — St. Ambrose of Milan We should trust God, in all matters, even if we cannot understand the designs of Divine Providence at present. Be assured that in the fullness of time all things will be made known to us when we see God face to face in heaven.

December 7, 2016 Today we pray for all those intentions that reside in the silence of our hearts; especially those that concern our own welfare, and for the willingness to suffer for the sake of coming closer to Christ. To thee, O Virgin Mother, who was never touched by any spot of original or actual sin, we commend and entrust the purity of our hearts. We ask these things through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Day 9 - Immaculate Conception Novena O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Th

The liturgical season of Advent has two parts, both of which look to the coming of the Lord. The first part of Advent, which immediately follows the feast of Christ the King and ends on December 16, looks to his second coming — the return of Jesus at the end of time. The second part of Advent begins on December 17 and is the Novena leading up to the feast of the Nativity of our Lord. In the second half of Advent, the Church places itself once again in the era anticipating the Lord’s birth in Bethlehem — looking forward to his first coming. Our attention shifts from the One who is to come to the One who has already come in the flesh. This second part of Advent is another period of intense training. ... The importance of O Antiphons is twofold: each one highlights a title for the long-awaited Messiah by the Jewish people: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King o