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This Advent, my husband and I have been reading/praying with Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph (Fr. Mark Toups). In one of the meditations he says: ‘Msgr John Cihak begins to draw us into this mystery:’ “In marriage, a man’s wife changes him. He practices giving himself in love to her. He allows himself to be determined by her. He must attune himself to her, and she engages his heart and helps to develop his eros into agape love.”… “There is greatness inside of every man, but for many men, this must be pulled out of him. The love that a husband has for his wife pulls the deepest desires out of him, as he longs to “do mighty deeds for her.” (The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Role in the Celibate Priest’s Spousal and Paternal Love)

Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? But there are hurts we encounter in our marriages, and sometimes it’s hard to feel this ‘love that a husband has for his wife’. That’s where prayer and receiving the sacraments come in. I find many days when I am thinking ‘when is God going to change my husband?’ I sense God showing me I have some things to work on. And through the years of listening to ‘The Spirituality of the Twelve Steps’ CDs by Fr. Emmerich Vogt OP, God reminds me: Step 1) I can’t. Step 2) God can. Step 3) Let HIM!

This Advent I feel God telling me to open my heart and love my husband, to reach out past the comfortable, whether it be a smile, a loving look, a touch… I’m a work in progress on this one!

Dear Jesus, my prayer for my sisters in Christ and myself, is that we are open to your spousal love and are totally filled so we can radiate Your love to our families and all we encounter this day. Amen.

MaryKatherine Bushey lmc

“O Root of Jesse, who stand as a sign among the people, before whom kings shall shut their mouths, to whom the nations shall make supplication: come to deliver us, and tarry not.”

Come to deliver us, and tarry not! Come quickly, Lord! We cry out in supplication from the depths of our hearts. Rescue us. We are wearied by the heavy burden of life, of our pain, our sin, our broken relationships, our miseries. Lord Jesus, come and plant Your bright light right into the messy muddle of our lives and redeem every drop. Do not delay. Come quickly, Lord. We need You now. We beg Your Presence.
In today’s Gospel, Elizabeth declares, “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.”
Lord Jesus, You promise to take away our disgrace before others. This brings relief to my heart. I trust in You, Lord. I wait upon You, Lord. I believe You are coming to deliver me.
Blessed Mother, open my heart that I may wait with confidence. Open my eyes that I may see how He comes to rescue me in particular ways today.

In what area of my life does my heart cry out most deeply for Christ’s deliverance?
How may I open this up in full trust for His coming this Christmas?

Written by Marian West Veilleux

Mary set out in those days and traveled…where she entered the house…and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the infant leaped in her womb. -Luke 1: 39-45

As Advent winds down and we prepare for the joy of Christmas, many of us will be traveling as Mary did in the late days of her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy. She traveled in haste as she recognized the importance of being with her relative. Similarly, Elizabeth’s infant, John, recognized the presence of Jesus within Mary’s womb. As we travel and prepare for the liturgical Christmas season, may we continue to recognize the presence of Jesus in each moment. May we greet each person we encounter with the true peace and love of Jesus. May we find moments and experiences each day that cause us to leap with joy. And may we respond to the Lord’s promptings with the same faith as Mary and Elizabeth. Let us enter this winter solstice with the anticipation of the Light that is coming.

Written by Sara Caporaletti

the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:20-21

Joseph likely had dreams and plans for him and Mary, his betrothed. And then, wham, major life detour! What might he have been thinking in that moment, “Wait, but what about…” “No, I thought we were going to…” What might Joseph have experienced interiorly? Shock? Fear? Uncertainty?

A few verses later, we learn that when Joseph awoke from that dream, he arose and did what the angel of the Lord had commanded. Just like that! Joseph was obedient and steadfast, despite any questions or concerns arising from his humanity. O Lord, teach my heart to respond with such obedience!

What act of obedience is the Lord asking of you today?

It can be easy to “zone out” when we hear the Gospel passage that lays out Jesus’ lineage; it seems distant, ancient, unrelatable. What significance does that historical context have on my spiritual life and my relationship with the tiny babe whose coming we will celebrate in a mere 8 (!!!!) days? Jesus’ royal and complicated lineage actually has everything to do with us and our life as Christians. Through His Incarnation, birth, life, death, and resurrection He has invited us to be part of that same royal family, no matter how complicated or messy our own histories might be.

In Baptism we are anointed and called to share in Christ’s own identity as priest, prophet, and king. Our kingly calling gives us the responsibility to spread the Kingdom of God throughout the world and to exercise the power and authority we have been given to restore all things to their original value and order. One of the most important ways we can do this in the current place and time in which we find ourselves is to do our part to make sure all people (especially the vulnerable and marginalized) are loved as persons, not used like things.

How can you exercise your kingly authority in one concrete way today?

Written by Megan Gettinger

Feast day of St. John of the Cross

Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his path: All flesh shall see the salvation of God. – Luke 3:4, 6

Today we honor St John of the Cross, a priest and doctor of the Church. A celebrated poet as well, St John of the Cross penned Dark Night of the Soul, which details the journey of a soul from a body to complete union with God. The journey happens during a “dark” time, the many difficulties or hardships that help to lead a soul to the joyful light of reunion with the Creator. This season of Advent can also be a “dark” time, both literally as the days are shorter as the winter solstice approaches or figuratively as we grapple with family dynamics, holiday blues or other worldly stresses. But as St John of the Cross leads up to the joyful journey back to God, we have joy awaiting us at the end of the Advent season. The Light of the World, Jesus, is coming and His light will illuminate all the darkness. The hope that His coming provides is always enough to sustain us as we await our own joyful reunion with our Creator.

Written by Sara Caporaletti

An Advent Meditation… The Nurturing Silence of Mary’s Womb

Sit or lie comfortably… take a moment to just breathe and let your mind, body, and soul relax in God’s presence.
Visualize Our Blessed Mother standing before you… A beautiful young woman, her long dark hair just slightly visible beneath her sky blue flowing mantle. She fixes her loving gaze on you… looking deeply and tenderly into your eyes and in this moment you know you are truly seen… without a word she places her hands on her pregnant belly and draws your attention to the soft Light glowing within her.

Imagine you can see through her and actually see the Christ Child sleeping peacefully within her womb. How does God, the Holy Trinity, Made Man appear? Can you see the umbilical cord that connects God to Mary? This tiny Baby is your Savior. Take a moment to breathe in His Love… Now imagine yourself resting in the silence of Mary’s womb with Jesus… Let His Peace that passes all understanding envelope you… In stillness and quiet you shall find me and I shall restore your soul… you can always find Jesus here in Mary’s womb… Our Mother, the Mother of God, the Woman clothed with the sun held the Creator of sun and the stars within her womb… surely her holy womb is more spacious than the heavens and can hold you in holy nurturing silence too. Here in Mary’s womb Heaven and earth meet and humanity is infused with Holiness and Light.

Written by Laura Ercolino

In 1531, on the darkest day of the year, the winter solstice, Our Lady of Guadalupe came into a land darkened by the violence of human sacrifice. She came to the humble Juan Diego, to the Aztecs, and the Spaniards bearing the Light of the World, the Son of the one true God who would live and die so all might have eternal Life.

Our Lady comes to us again now, in this Advent season and every day. Our Mother is not afraid of the dark… she comes into the darkness of the death and human sacrifice of our culture and into the darkest recesses of our own hearts. She is the eternal Bride whose courageous ?Yes.? to the will of God fills her with His radiant Light.

She comes to you today asking, ?Am I not your mother? Will you let me shine Christ?s Light into your darkness so you might have new life with Him??

“Listen and let it penetrate your heart…do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain.  Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?” (Our Lady’s words to her servant Juan Diego.)

Written by Laura Ercolino

To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
– Isaiah 40:25-31

Father God, How many times have I read: ‘They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength’, when so broken, alone, seemingly without Your strength? And through this Scripture, I hear Your answer. I am comparing You to humans and not the powerful, yet tender, loving God Who You are. You’ve allowed me to go through the fires, but You have been with me every step of the way. You’ve strengthened me as part of Your army through the struggles and pains of life. Now, I wait on You, with expectant faith and ponder these things in my heart just as Mary, our Blessed Mother. Holy Spirit, I ask You for all the graces You have for me during this Advent season, the grace to wait, the grace to give you my FIAT as Mary did, and then to step out in faith knowing that Your Word promises the strength I need. In Jesus Holy Name, AMEN.

Written by MaryKatherine Bushey, LMC

“On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” ~ Isaiah 11:1

I am new to gardening. Last winter, I pruned back my perennial hibiscus from 3 flourishing feet to a 2-inch stub of dry nothingness. It looked dead and done. I thought I had surely ruined it forever in my amateur drastic cut. The following spring, much to my delight and total wonder, the miracle happened! Little tiny fresh chartreuse sprigs of green began to emerge from the seemingly barren stump. My heart quickened. Oh God, if you can bring new life here, surely you can bring new life out of the dry stubs of my heart! Not only did the hibiscus grow again, but it thrived! It was bushier and fuller and produced an abundance of blossoms!
Oh Gardener of my heart, sometimes You allow my life to be cut to a stump. The sharp, sudden blow hurts. It can feel like a lifeless finality. There are corners of my heart that can go dormant and dry. Mother Mary, help me to rejoice in hope as I am brought low, brought to nothingness. With you, I trust that He looks with “favor on His lowly servant.” (Luke 1:48) This pruning is for my good. These deep cuts are for fuller flourishing and abundant blossoming! Father Gardener, I trust You to tend to my garden heart with Your mercy and grace and love, for a beautiful spring harvest. I trust there will be a day when a shoot shall sprout from this stump and blossoms from these roots.

Where in my life do I feel pruned to a stump, where in my heart do I feel dormant or barren? How can I open this to the Light and further entrust myself to the tender, faithful Gardener, rejoicing in hope with the Blessed Mother, that new life will indeed come?

Written by Marian Veilleux

“‘In the beginner’s mind there is no thought ‘I have attained something.’ All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind. When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something. The beginner’s mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless.’ Shunryu Suzuki

I like these words. Also very important for Advent. Open, free, flexible, receptive. That is the attitude that makes us ready. I realize that in Zen you are not expecting anything or anyone. Still, it seems that all the things Shunryu Suzuki tells his students are important for Christians to hear and realize. Isn’t a beginner’s mind, a mind without the thought “I have attained something,” a mind opened for grace? Isn’t that the mind of children who marvel at all they see? Isn’t that the mind not filled with worries for tomorrow but alert and awake in the present moment?” – Henri Nouwen

I read this reflection twice… then I sat and just meditated on Henri’s “Advent words”…. open, free, flexible, receptive….” Show me Lord where in my life, in my thinking, in my prayer, do I “think” I am open, free, flexible, and receptive to Your Love and Will but You know that I am not.

And, Jesus, please help me to have the spiritual courage to give You, not a hesitant restrained “maybe”, but a total, free, faithful, and fruitful… enthusiastic YES.

Jesus, I trust in You… help me trust more… help me to grow in the Truth that You are Love and all that You will for me is Love. Thank you, my Beloved Jesus… I love You.

Written by Laura Ercolino

Luke 2: 29-32 “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

This line in the Gospel of Luke takes place at Jesus’ presentation in the Temple. Simeon, a righteous and devout man, was spared from death until he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. Once Simeon had seen the Lord, he was prepared to die.

How can you embrace a life like Simeon? How can you open your heart to the work God wants to do in you and through you before your last day on earth?

Written by Charlie Soule Mitton

As I drew this image below, I contemplated the “Promise” that Our Lady bore within her very being… her womb… her body. I come undone… again and again….
I drew through tear-blinded eyes overcome by Love… the immensity of His Love and Light… the purity of her love… love of God that caused her to unhesitatingly say “Yes”… love of her precious only Son… love of us, of all of humanity, that caused her to bear, to birth, to care for and suffer with our Savior… my little heart cannot even hold these thoughts without pain… how did she bear this Promise and not just burst into brilliant fractals of sheer Light?

I tried to draw His Light seeping out into the darkness but as I tried I realized that would not be accurate for the meaning I was attempting to make visual. Only Mary knew she was bearing the Light of the World. The world was still waiting in darkness for her to give birth to the Light she bore. The light shining in the darkness that first Advent was radiating from Our Lady… from her pure heart beating for God alone…. Purity and Love shone from her face….. Christ, The Light, remained hidden in her womb.

To ponder: As we journey through Advent with Mary, it is good to reflect on the hiddenness of our Lord, The Light of the World, within her most holy womb. And it is good for us to remember that He has already come into our darkness and is no longer hidden. In what ways do you keep the Light hidden within you? How can you shine the Light of the Infant Christ into the darkness of this world?

Written by Laura Ercolino

“In my time of trial I called out to the Lord:
he listened, and led me to freedom.
The Lord is with me,
I will fear nothing that man can do.
The Lord, my help, is with me,
and I shall look down upon my enemies.” Psalm 117

Lord Jesus, You desire to lead us ever deeper into the freedom You have in store for us. As we enter into the second week of this Advent season, may we be reminded of your great love and faithfulness and be filled with holy boldness and zeal, even in the face of difficulties. We await your coming with great expectation, Lord, please hurry!

In what area of your life is Jesus leading you to deeper freedom this Advent?

Written by Megan Gettinger

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Luke 10:21 & 22

In today’s Gospel reading we are given a glimpse into the mind of God the Father, which operates in ways that seem so illogical to those of us who are all “grown up.” Why reveal the promises of the kingdom to little ones instead of the wise who would seemingly understand them better? What qualities do the childlike possess that so endear them to the heart of God? Children are receptive and imaginative- they aren’t bound to what is rational or possible- just like God. Children are small- their smallness leaves room for God’s bigness and gives Him the freedom to work in big ways.

How will you strive to keep your heart childlike this Advent?

Written by Megan Gettinger

Luke 1:42-43 “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does it happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

In the Gospel of Luke, Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit as Mary approaches her. Oh, that we might approach Jesus in the Eucharist like Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit!

What practice(s) this Advent will help you prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist with joy and great reverence?

Written by Charlie Soule Mitton

Oh Jesus,
I am becoming aware of the hurtful way I speak to myself. I hear me uttering judgments, negativity, and demeaning words to myself and I come to You seeking forgiveness and help.

It is a new idea for me to consider myself as Your beloved daughter, and as such I sense that my self-criticism is offensive to You. For offending You Lord, I am sorry and I ask Your forgiveness.

Lord, I desire peace in my interior life, peace in my relationship with myself. Please show me the way. Thank you for guiding me to speak words to myself that are kind and supportive. Thank you for helping me to grow in self-acceptance and self-compassion. Thank you for raising my awareness to the thoughts I think and the beliefs I hold about myself that are not of You, so I may cast them aside by the power of Your name.

I yearn for an interior existence that is settled, not stirred up; at peace, no longer rife with conflict. Father grant me this grace! Give me the grace to lift my eyes from myself, and to see You looking upon me with great love and kindness. Teach me to let in, to truly receive, the life-giving riches You offer to me as Your beloved one, that You may be glorified in all I think, say and do.

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

This is one of my favorites! I find myself repeating the “chorus” many times a week, outside of the novena itself: O Jesus, I surrender myself to you,
take care of everything! The daily prayers of this novena were given to Father Don Dolindo Ruotolo in a private revelation from Jesus.

We all have some “knots” in our lives… and Mary can untie them!

The devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots has become more popular ever since Pope Francis encouraged the devotion in Argentina, and then spoke about it during his first year as pontiff.

The theology of the devotion actually goes back to the second century. Saint Irenaeus wrote that, “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve bound by her unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened by her faith.”

Mary’s faith unties the knot of sin!

The Feast of Christ the King is a moveable feast that occurs on the last Sunday of the Liturgical year. Pope Pius XI created this feast to help the faithful to remember that allegiance to Christ is above any allegiance to government of a nation.

The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.

“He who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt 23:12).

The litany of humility is a moving prayer that can bring us closer to Christ. I first found it in one of those little prayer booklets that showed up on the bookshelf, but I had no idea when it got there or from whom. Know what I mean? Let’s just say Jesus put it there for a reason. In the case of the Litany of Humility, it was time for me to release to Him all those nagging doubts and fears about myself, as well as my misguided search for others’ approval and recognition. The harder I sought to have these needs met by people around me, the less fulfilled I felt. The litany of humility is a powerful way to claim the Lord’s freedom from all that is not of Him!

Use the link below to download the Litany of Humility.

There are many, many consecration prayers to Mary. Below is one that I (De) feel particularly drawn towards.

O Exalted Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, I consecrate myself to you this day and humbly ask that you take me into your constant care and protection as your devoted child.
O tender Mother of our Redeemer, fill me with your love for your beloved Son and make me into a likeness of Him. Fashion my heart after your heart. Make it tender, pure, gentle, and kind. Give me great reverence for life and devotion to duty.
O Spouse of the Holy Spirit, fill me with your virtues that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may become a true spouse of Jesus Christ.
O Star of the Sea, guiding light, ever guide me into a deeper union with Jesus that I may glorify Him in time and eternity for the greater glory of the Most Holy Trinity, now and forever. Amen.
– Adapted from “Consecration to the Mother of God,” The Apostolate of Holy Motherhood, page 122.

The Liturgy of the Hours is the prayer of the whole People of God. In it, Christ himself “continues his priestly work through his Church.” His members participate according to their own place in the Church and the circumstances of their lives. The laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office either with the priests, among themselves, or individually.

The celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours demands not only harmonizing the voice with the praying heart, but also a deeper “understanding of the liturgy and of the Bible, especially of the Psalms.”

The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated. Moreover, the reading from the Word of God at each Hour with the subsequent responses or troparia and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters at certain Hours, reveal the deeper meanings of the mystery being celebrated, assist in understanding the psalms, and help one prepare for silent prayer. The lectio divina, where the Word of God is so read and meditated that it becomes prayer, is thus rooted in the liturgical celebration.

The Liturgy of the Hours, which is like an extension of the Eucharistic celebration, does not exclude but rather (in a complementary way) calls forth the various devotions of the People of God, especially adoration and worship of the Blessed Sacrament.

The worship “in Spirit and in truth” of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place. The whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men. What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the “living stones,” gathered to be “built into a spiritual house.” The Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water emanates. Incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, “we are the temple of the living God.”

Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Two, Section One, Chapter Two.

Good morning Jesus! Thank you for bringing me to the light of this new day. Thank you for all the blessings and graces you have in store for me today. Thank you for _____________[what are you grateful for today?]

Send Your Holy Spirit to open my heart and enlighten my mind so I may receive everything that You will offer me today. Help me to be ready for all, and to accept all. I wish only Your will be done in and through me this day. Jesus, with you by my side, enough has been given. I trust that however much sleep I had last night, it is enough. I trust that however much time I have for each activity of the day, it is enough. I trust that Your grace is always enough for me.

Jesus, I love you. I trust you. I am grateful to be journeying through this day with You by my side. I pray in Your most Holy Name, Amen!

Lord Jesus, I pray your protection today upon me, my family, ____________ [name of others]. Mary, my Mother, I seek your protection and intercession especially for _____________ [specific intention]. St. Michael the Archangel and our guardian angels, come defend us in battle this day. Guard our hearts and minds, delivering us from all thoughts and beliefs that are not of the Lord.

In the name of Jesus, I command each and every spirit that is not of the Holy Spirit, to depart right now from me, my family members, and __________ [name of others].

I thank you and praise you, Lord Jesus, for your boundless Mercy, Love, and Protection! Amen.