St. Mary’s Catholic Church - Pendleton, Oregon

The readings from the Fourth Sunday in Advent opens the way to Christ’s birth. And Mother Teresa gives us some reflection on the words of Mary, “…be it done to me according to your word.” Mother Teresa says, Mary trusted that God’s word to her would be fulfilled. At the visitation, Mary is called ‘Blessed’ by Elizabeth. She is blessed because of her perfect trust in God. A perfect trust is based not on ourselves but on the infinite perfections of God:His infinite goodness, His infinite compassion, His infinite power, His infinite love.

Mary reached out to Elizabeth in her time of need. Now Mary reaches out to us in her Divine Son in the Blessed Sacrament who says to us in all our needs, no matter how great, no matter how small, “Yes, as clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in Mine…” “Be still and know that I am God.”

He who loves you infinitely more than you can think, imagine or desire, and who can do infinitely more for you than you can even ask for. “God will supply every need of yours according to His riches.” The greater our need, the more tender His love. “The Lord is compassion and love. I was helpless so He saved me.” No matter how deep the pit we fall into, His love always finds us. “I waited, I waited for the Lord and He stooped down to me.” With all our faults and failings, Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist and says, “My heart is moved with compassion.” “For I am the Lord, your God, who holds your right hand: it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you’.” “Anything you ask me in My name I will do.”

This is the joy of trust. God in His tender compassion continues to visit us in the Holy Eucharist that we may come to Him with confidence. “In Christ and through faith in Him, we can speak freely to God, drawing near to Him with confidence.”

Today Jesus visits us in the Blessed Sacrament to inspire us to have total confidence in the wisdom of His will and childlike faith in the goodness and power of His divine love. “Truly I have set my soul in silence and peace, as a child has rest in his mother’s arms, even so my soul in You.” THE MORE WE TRUST JESUS, THE MORE WE PLEASE HIM.

Life’s burdens are too heavy, only if we try to carry them alone. The obstacle to trust and the cause of all discouragements is pride. Pride centers our attention on ourselves, instead of the Lord. Humility opens our heart to trust, and with the light of faith, changes our bad thoughts into good ones by turning our attention from looking at our limits to centering our belief and absolute trust in the infinite perfections of God. “Grace enfolds the man who trusts in God.” “God has called you and He will not fail you.” “ Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. THE LORD IS NEAR.”

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December 14, 2008

From the Pastor

The Third Sunday of the Advent calendar is typically called the Gaudete Sunday which uses the rose color to reflect a lightening of our penitential journey. This joyful time calls us to reflect on the hope of Heaven. In the meantime, God has established this time for his promises and a time when these promises will be fulfilled.

This time on earth then demands we feed our hope by trusting in His promises. We should trust God’s promises. He promised eternal salvation, everlasting happiness with the angels, an immortal inheritance, endless glory, the joyful vision of his face, his holy dwelling in heaven, and after the resurrection from the dead no further fear of dying. This was his final promise, the goal of all our striving. When we reach it we shall ask for nothing more.

What is the final goal? It is gaining eternal life in heaven and the first thing we should remember is that Jesus assures us we make the passage into this perfect paradise. When we live a faithful life, repentant and obedient, we can see Him. “In my Father’s house there are many mansions ”(Jn 14:1, 2). St Thomas Aquinas and St Augustine tell us that these words of Our Savior refer to different degrees of glory of the Blessed in Heaven.

Therefore, the degree of glory and happiness will be different for every soul. Why is this? Because everyone who dies in a state of grace will eventually attain the reward of heaven. Since every man is imperfect, we need help to see God. “My face you cannot see, for no man can see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). We need the light of God to light up our darkness of faith. The beatific vision (when we see God face to face) transcends our abilities.

Therefore, another gift must be added after death for the purification of the soul to be complete. The created intelligence must be strengthened and elevated by a special supernatural power call the light of glory. This allows us to see God face to face. By this light of glory we become illuminated by God in every part of soul and glorious body. We see as He sees. We experience His perfect happiness. We are like pure crystal, God’s light shines through us.

To sum up: the depth of the soul’s capacity to behold and comprehend God’s life and perfections, and the intensity of the soul’s return of God’s love, will depend on the degree of the soul’s participation in the light of glory. This depends on the soul’s love of God and neighbor at the end of his or her earthly existence. In other words, the level of charity we leave the earth with will be the level of charity we enter the heavenly kingdom. Let us continue to hope in God’s promises as we respond to His great love for us.

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Sunday, December 7, 2008

From The Pastor:

“….The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard, “delay,” but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief….” The day of the Lord is something often forgotten during the Advent season. We can get caught up in the image of Christmas and Christ’s first coming.

Let’s look at the twofold coming of Christ through the eyes of St Cyril of Jerusalem. He says, “ At the first coming He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manager. At His second coming He will be clothed in light as in a garment. In the first coming He endured the cross, despising the shame; in the second coming He will be in glory, escorted by an army of angels. We therefore look beyond the first coming and await the second.” The reason for the Advent season is to prepare for His second coming.

What do we know about this time? What signs will there be preceding the last judgment—the day of the Lord. The Council of Trent gives us a light. First, the preaching of the Gospel will be throughout the world. “The good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed through the world as a witness to all the nations. Only after that will come the end.” (Mt 24:14) Secondly, The falling away from the faith by many and the coming of the Antichrist. (2Thess. 2:3,4) It is commonly admitted by many theologians, that before the final coming of Christ there will arise a powerful adversary who will seduce many by his wonders, and persecute the Church.

Finally, on the day of the Lord, He will come in glory to judge the whole of mankind. The world will witness several great manifestations of God’s power. First, the destruction of the physical world by fire (2 Peter 3:7-13). Second, the raising up of all the dead. (Thes 3:16,17). Third, the judgment of mankind, which will involve the separation of the good and the evil, and the revelation of all that is hidden in the lives of every member of the human race.

All this talk about the day of the Lord could be a cause for fear unless we keep the hope and stay close to the Lord. How do we prepare for the coming of the Lord? Adoration will help us to know how to be with Christ here on earth and in the Heavenly kingdom. Reading the word of God will help us to know Christ, He who desires we return to Him. Participating in the Sacraments where we receive grace for the journey and new insights on how we fight the battle of evil and do good. And by living of the traditional teachings of the Church where we search for the truth that has been given to us, following the saints who kept the faith alive in their hearts. These things are necessary to prepare for the day of the Lord.