What Is It About Kids That God Loves So Much?

Gospel	Luke 10:21-24

No-one knows who the Son is except the Father

Filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:

  ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’

  Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’

Once again, we have Jesus mentioning the fact that God has revealed to children that have been hidden from the learned and the clever. What is it about children that God likes so much?  Well first off, they are innocent.  They have the ability to see the sun when others cannot see it.  They believe what you tell them.  They find the things that they see fascinating.  They have a sense of fairness and joy about them.  Their spirits themselves are joyful.  '

Many years ago I went to visit my sister who was living with her husband as he worked for the military.  I shared the room with my nephew who was quite young at the time.  The first morning we kind of woke up together and from his bed, he turned and saw me in mine and his whole face lit up in a smile and he said, with his face showing delight that I was there, "Good morning!"  You could see into his soul by way of the expression on his face.  Adults are too sophisticated to react like that. 

In this Advent season, let us pew dwellers look inside ourselves and ask ourselves how we can best become more child-like.  Notice I said child-like, not childish.  Can we give as a child gives?  A child gives from the heart.  Is it possible we can love as a child loves?  A child loves fully and completely.  Can we see other people as a child does, seeing each person as an equal, someone that might be fun to know?  Can we share ourselves like a child shares?  Can we have that sense of fair-play that is built into the young ones?  Can we pray as a child, from the heart and fully engaged with God and just knowing that their prayers are being heard?  Can we do this?  We must do this.  If we do become more child-like we will be ready to accept the Christ Child and all He brings into our heart and we will tirelessly share the joy of having the Savior of the Human Race as our best friend. 

Here is an Advent song to help you meditate today:

Faith = A Rainy Day and Cloudy Sky and Sunglasses

Gospel	Matthew 8:5-11

'I am not worthy to have you under my roof: give the word, and my servant will be healed'

When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralyzed, and in great pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.’

You just have to have faith.  Without faith nothing is possible.  With faith, all things are possible.  A Centurion was an officer that was in charge of at least one hundred soldiers in the Roman army.  Some that had more experience could have a couple or three hundred men under their command. They were men of authority.  This centurion knew how to wield power.  He used the authority entrusted to him to make things happen.  He understood that when you have authority you can delegate and things get done.  So, when he approached Jesus, he believed that Jesus had the authority and he believed that all Jesus had to do was give the command that his servant be cured and it would happen.  Remember, Jesus had trouble in Capernaum because the people knew Him and did not have faith so miracles were hard to come by. 

So it is easy to recommend that you have faith but sometimes in our own hearts it is hard to come by as well. Please remember that God is very much in love with you.  He wants only the best for you and in His mind "the best" might not include what you are asking for,  Faith is not the thought that you will get what you asked for, although it may be your fondest hope.  No, faith is the realization that the best will come to you because of the Father's love for you and you must keep that in mind through all of the turbulence of life.  Now, go out, walk through the raindrops, and go buy that sunscreen. 

Please remember to pray for the poor souls in Purgatory today. 

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Catching 40 Winks

Gospel
Luke 21:25-28,34-36

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamor of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high because your liberation is near at hand.

  ‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

This year has been a doozie for me.  My diabetes has worsened over the past twelve months and some of the medications I have been taking are beginning to lose their effectiveness. My doctor put me on another pill and boom, within two weeks, without changing my diet, I put on thirty pounds!  This made my insulin resistance greater and eventually, I was put on Lantus, a long-insulin which has brought my blood glucose down at the expense of (you guessed it) the addition of some more weight. You may be asking at this point, "Michael the Lesser, why the organ recital?"  Well, hang on for a just a moment because it gets better.  I began getting drowsy and actually falling asleep at work - one time while I was actually speaking to a customer on the phone!  This was noticed by some co-workers who made sure that management was made aware that Michael was sleeping on the job.  Now in the company rulebook or as we call it "10,000  ways to get fired" sleeping on the job is one of the many reasons they will gleefully set you free to find employment elsewhere.  Fortunately, I had a boss who cared for her team and she had my back.  I visited my doctor who arranged for a sleep test (don't get me started on that test) and I was diagnosed with sleep apnea.  I was experiencing 111 episodes of stopping breathing an hour.  Five incidents are considered normal and harmless.  Two weeks after the study, I found myself the proud owner of a CPAP machine. Long story short, I now am getting actual sleep when I close my eyes at night and not only am I no longer drowsy at work, I have much more energy and feel alive again.  OK, I hear you saying, "Fascinating, Michael the Lesser, simply fascinating, but what in the blue nubs of Hades does this have to do with the first Sunday of Advent?"

Our Lord, in the Gospel reading, once again warns us to stay awake because the end may come on us and catch us off-guard and surprised.  We spend so much time and effort preparing for the Christmas holiday that we sometimes do not take the time to enjoy it.  The cares of this life invade our serenity and in our attempt to do good we exhaust ourselves and become drowsy and we miss what is important in life.  These four weeks of advent are gifts that the Church gives us to take time to consider what the birth of the Savior really means to us and those we love.  Don't waste the time between now and then.  Oh, it is okay to prepare for the feast day but do not become so wrapped up in it that you lose your awareness and become drowsy and the season will become a burden.  The birth of our Lord is to be a time of great joy for a savior has been born for us, He is Christ the Lord.  Wait for Him with your eyes open and your mind awake and ready. 

Give a listen to a most beautiful Advent Hymn. 

You Have Been Warned! (Don't be afraid)

Gospel	Luke 21:34-36

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples:

  ‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

It is going to happen someday.  It may happen when you least expect it or you may have a month or two of warning, but it will happen.  Many people are afraid of what will happen on the day the Lord returns.  They read of cataclysms, destructions, and death.  They are afraid of dragons, lakes of fire, and avenging angels.  They fear being in the group of goats being led to eternal punishment.  I say, "Be Not Afraid."  Yes, the end is coming and perhaps it is coming soon. Each of us will experience an end of life and each of us will have an opportunity to choose eternity with God as our ultimate fate. If we have lived a good life, if we have loved God and if we know Jesus, heaven will be our home and that is in spite of anything else that happens to us.  Fear not the writings of the sages of this age and instead believe in the love that God has for you, and I mean you as you are and as you will become.  Live and love and enjoy life by doing the will of God and you will be home on that last day and no one will ever be able to take that away from you. 

Please remember the Poor Souls - they need your prayers. 

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Wars and Rumors of Wars

First reading	Romans 10:9-18

Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ

If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

  But they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ. Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.

Today is the memorial for St. Andrew the Apostle.  Our reading states clearly that in order for the world to hear about Jesus, they need to have someone to preach to them.  That is where the Church is running into problems at this time. 

The average age of a priest in the Chicago area is about 62 years. So our priests are getting older and there are fewer of them every year as retirement and death claim them. The Church as we know it is in crisis mode here in the United States.  The devil has managed to employ fifth columnists over the years who have manipulated the wolves in sheep's clothing so as to disseminate them theatre wide so that the maximum number of casualties are created.  His followers have gravitated to positions of power in the Curia where any means were being used to protect members of the clique.  The homosexual agenda was slowly and cunningly brought out in the guise of "inclusiveness" and marriage and the family came under attack from the people who should have been the first to shout loud and long to protect it.  Add to this mix a Pope who, while a humble man, is not much of a leader and you have the Catholic Church today, a Church operating in a crisis mode where the words and works of the good are overshadowed by the deeds of evil that were perpetrated over the years by wolves.  What are we to do?  Do we abandon the Church and join one of the thirty-thousand denominations, each with only a part of the truth and none with the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ which is the Eucharist?  Do we give up completely and try to live a spiritual life without the aid of a Christian community, sinking into the "it's just you and me Lord." type of a spirituality? 

Things are looking grim.  Because of the hierarchy's inability to look honestly at what has happened to the Church, the state is going in and taking the very documents that some in the management tiers of the Church tried so very hard to keep secret.  What are we to do? 

DO NOT LOSE HOPE!  What is happening is happening under the control of Jesus, the founder, and owner of the Church.  He will stop at nothing to cleanse the flock of the wolves wearing sheep's clothing. He can use weakness to create strength.  What are we in the pews going to have to do?  We must become more vocal sheep.  We must demand that our bishops turn over all documentation that would help clarify the situation no matter who it points to.  The Church will be purified and the Church will come out of this mess both poorer in money but richer in spirituality.  

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!  Pray for Holy Father and the Curia that they do what is good for the Church and for the People of God, that is us, the pew dwellers who want nothing more than to have Godly men with no hidden agendas to be in charge of the Church. 

WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS.  Very often people interpret this bit of scripture as referring to nations.  Nation will rise against nation, that is true.  But the wars and rumors of wars we must be aware of is the struggle between the Bride of Christ and the devil, it is a battle for souls.  While the victory of Christ is certain, we must remember our beliefs, we must live them out in spirit and truth and we must help one another and face the front lines where Jesus, our Lord and Savior, stands as a bulwark against the forces that seek our end.  Move forward brothers and sisters and close ranks behind the King of Glory.  All praise and honor to Jesus!  Amen. 

Not A Single Stone Will Be Left On Another...

Gospel	Luke 21:5-11

The destruction of the Temple foretold

When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’

  ‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’

Take a tour of the temple (4 minutes)

The pictures in today's reflection represent what the Temple looked like in the time of Jesus.  It was one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.  It was very substantially built of the finest materials, it was a building the shouted, "Strength" and the Jews of the time were in awe of the complex.  This, of course, was not only because of the beauty and strength of the building but because it was the home of God on earth.  Anyone might go to a synagogue to pray and to learn the scriptures and The Law and to hear preaching from the wise and the learned but only in the Temple could one worship the Lord and offer sacrifices to Him.  It was the center or Jewish life in Israel.  There was a chink in the armor.  If you look at the picture at the top right you will notice a structure with four towers that overlooks the courtyard of the temple.  This is Fortress Antonia and the rampart could easily be willed with archers whose job it would be to quell any riot by quelling the rioters.  The Jews were not pleased with their neighboring building but could do nothing about it.  Imagine the shock that accompanied the words of Jesus when He said that it was all going to be destroyed.  And it was destroyed in the year 70AD when the Romans had had enough of the rebelliousness of their Jewish citizens.  Not a stone was left on a stone, just as Jesus foretold.  It was, in effect, the end of the world for the Jews.  Today, a pagan edifice occupies the space that once was God's home on earth.  The Dome of the Rock is revered by followers of Islam as the place where Mohammed rose to heaven. If the temple, a building so beautiful and so strong can be destroyed, what does that say about our future? 

Jesus tells us to be on our guard and to watch out for those who claim to be Him.  We should not follow these fakers but we should keep our march going in the direction the Catholic Church tells us is the way. We should not be afraid when we hear of wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and floods and destruction in many places.  The temple of God is also His Bride and Jesus promised us protection until the time of His return.  So, the Church is going through a period that will end in her purification.  The wolves in sheep's clothing will depart and peace will settle over the Church, a peace that is sent by God Himself and we will become more holy and our eyes will see more clearly and the world will hear our voices and our example will attract more and more people to the Catholic Church.  We will wait for the Lord and praise Him every day for the love that He has shown us.  While others quake in fear, we will rest in the oasis of His love.  While others are running to and fro we will sing Psalms and songs of praise.  While others are turning on each other we will offer the Lord sacrifices of our time, out talent, and out treasure and help those who live in fear.

The Church is at a crossroads today. Be patient and know that Jesus has it all under control.  The victory is His and His alone and all will know that Jesus is Lord.  A song of victory for you...

The Day It All Comes Crashing Down !

As the visions during the night continued, I saw
one like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
when he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

The new Church year is about to begin which means, of course, that the old year is coming to an end.  The end of a year can bring to mind the end of time, the stories we hear about the imminent return of Jesus and the end of all things.  But what is a Catholic view of the end times?  What is it we actually believe will come to pass?   Please read the following with the understanding that Michael the Lesser has no idea then the end of the world is to come. He leaves the timing of the triumphant return of Christ to God the Father who alone knows the exact moment in history when it will happen.  

As I see it, the universe, like the earth has God mandated seasons.  Today, we here on earth are experiencing the winter season, a time when things sleep and gather strength for the spring that fosters growth that is to come.  This cold time is a time of persecution for the Church.  Raise up the Cross of Christ anywhere and you will find thousands who want it tore down. The Church today is undergoing a trial by fire.  The fire she herself has kindled by nurturing the sex scandals of years past.  Yes, some Catholics are leaving the church because they are disgusted with the way the bishops have failed to protect the flock and rather, at least it appears, spent time, talent and treasure protecting themselves.  They have a right to be angry at the leadership but they do not have the right to use this failure to become apostates. In spite of its many issues at the moment, the Catholic Church remains the Church that Christ founded and the one that bears his seal and his guarantee that it will survive until the end of time.  But what is wrong with a Catholic leaving one church for another?  Is this not their right?  The long and short answer is no.  Participating in the carving up of the church into denominations was never the idea of Jesus.  He wanted and continues to want a single unified Church of authentic believers.  But, do not Protestants believe in many of the same things that we do?  Yes, they most certainly do and that is why we call them the separated brother and sisters.  Protestants born into Protestantism bear no sin for being separate from the Church.  But I truly would not forsake the Catholic Church for any denomination.  The first reason, of course, is that I would lose the Eucharist, that meal of unity that unites one Catholic to another and all to Christ.  But, more than that I would not want to chance to be part of a denomination that has refused belief in the authority of the Church.  There are just too many ways for that to end badly for a Christian. 

There was a time when mainstream Protestant denominations and the Catholic Church stood side by side on some very basic doctrines.  For example, and please take note, I am not in the business of judging anybody, I am just pointing out where things have changed between Catholics and Protestants.  First, let us look at marriage.  At one time, marriage was seen to be between a man and a woman and to be a forever thing. That was civilly changed and some denominations allow divorce and remarriage and others allow same-sex marriages where two people of the same sex take wedding vows.  The Catholic Church has not changed her teaching about marriage, it still is a forever sort of thing between a man and a woman.  Same-sex couples will need to look outside of the Catholic Church to celebrate their "nuptials."  On the question of birth control, the Catholic position has not changed.  Every act of intercourse needs to admit the possibility of procreation.  For most Protestant denominations this view is seen as old-fashioned and very inconvenient for their followers so, of course, birth control is left up to the couples and they may choose whatever method that they think suitable.  Abortion is another area where Catholics and Protestants walk different paths.  Where at one time the mainline denominations agreed that abortion was murder and was not allowed, some now say it is not so bad and allow it. The point here is that Protestantism is sinking to become a religion of convenience and social service where rather ironically they are abandoning the Bible for mere human principles and considerations.  Considering that one of the hallmarks of Protestantism is the fallacy of Sola Scriptura this descent in humanism is troubling and is leading them away from their roots and from the teachings of Christ. 

The Catholic Church is not immune to the dangers that are plaguing the Protestants.  We see in our own Church factions in the hierarchy that want to steer the Barque of Peter in new directions where some practices once that were forbidden, such as the communion of divorced and civilly remarried people without the benefit of an annulment of their first marriage.  There is also fermenting thoughts about accommodations to same-sex couples by some of the leaders, but it is unlikely that they will be able to garner support for their ideas.  There also the phenomenon of the cafeteria Catholic who chooses the bits and pieces of Church doctrine that will be believed and leaving the others rules for other Catholics to follow.  There is always the danger that one can let one's religion become a religion of convenience rather than a religion of belief. So, we in the Church will, as our Protestant brothers and sisters see some apostasy creep into certain quarters of our Church but we will prevail because of the promise of Christ that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church.  

In spite of some apostasy creeping into the Church, the victory of the Bride of Christ is certain and that victory will be complete.  I think that others who are practicing religions of convenience that embrace secular humanism as their god will experience as the military calls it, "shock and awe" when Christ returns to claim His bride.  What we must do today is to remain faithful to the Church, to Her teachings and we must rally at the foot of the Cross where our Savior died for our sins and we must pray for ourselves and for others that when the Bridegroom comes that He finds us awake and ready to welcome Him.  If we remain faithful to the Church, the light of Christ will not fail to draw people towards it.  Many will be saved through our good example and loyalty.  Many will abandon the empty promises of the "good life" promised by the secular humanists and return to the Church that is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. 

Please click here if you would like to see the source document that helped me to clarify my thoughts on this matter. 

Here is a most beautiful song to help your reflections today:

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Remember to pray for the poor souls in Purgatory - Here is why: