Posted on January 18, 2015 View all news
Laudetur Jesus Christus!
Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Now that we have celebrated the Sacred Christmas Season, concluding with the Baptism of the Lord, we return to the regular Sundays through the year. In these Sundays we hear of Christ’s works and the teachings that He has left us. During the time outside of Advent, Lent, Christmas, and Easter we hear of Christ’s life among His people, His public ministry. We should take note of this, and, now that the Christmas Season is concluded and the great Lenten Season approaches, contemplate how the mysteries we celebrated these past few weeks have affected us. How is it, now that we have been given a share in God’s Divine Nature through the Incarnation of Christ and our own Baptism, that we have been changed? Do we recognize the great dignity that has been given to us, and that our true home is not this earth but Heaven?
God desires and has called each of us to become saints. The Church has proposed and given us the Christmas season as a reminder that if we want it, the divine nature has been offered to us. The themes and reminders given to us in Christmas need to be carried throughout the whole year because they remind us of what has been offered to us. Christmas prepares us for the events that will be commemorated during the Lenten Season, so that we can truly see ourselves as a redeemed and priestly people. During this time, I would suggest the following: ensure that your prayer life is in order, look for opportunities to grow in the knowledge of the faith, and look for the things in your life that prevent you from doing good. Perhaps seek to remove some vice from your life and instead adopt some virtue. St. Philip Neri was always concerned with inspiring people to good works, because our works certainly show our interior disposition toward the good. The Christmas Season is a good springboard for the rest of the year so that we can begin to practice and do the good and avoid sin and evil.
Hopefully Advent and Christmas was fruitful for each of us. The hard work of working out our salvation now begins. If we respond to the gifts and graces that God offers us, and if we grow in virtue, God will certainly give us the crown of Sanctity. May God Bless you in this week ahead!
