10 Ways to Prepare Well for Christmas

10 Ways to Prepare Well for Christmas

How to ready one’s heart to welcome the Christ Child.

by Joseph Pronechen

“Advent is a time of waiting, conversion and of hope,” the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments reminds us.

Furthermore, popular piety “can contribute effectively to the conservation of many of the values of Advent, which are not infrequently threatened by the commercialization of Christmas and consumer superficiality.”

To counteract the commercialism, the Catholic Register offers 10 ways to prepare for Christmas.

Cultivate silence and reflection. “Given the busyness of the season and the many demands placed upon us to distract us to the real purpose — that we’re about to prepare for the Lord’s second coming and to welcome grace into our hearts to commemorate his coming to us in Bethlehem — we need to carve out time to be silent and reflect,” said Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut. It’s necessary “to save ourselves from busyness. Consciously set some time aside simply to rest in the Lord’s presence in prayer and to reflect.”

Return to reconciliation. “Make a good confession during the month of December,” recommended Father Gerald Murray, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Manhattan and a frequent guest on EWTN. “Bring the children.”

Read Scripture. Bishop Caggiano said he finds it “spiritually rewarding” in Advent when “setting aside time to read the prophets of the Old Testament like Isaiah and Micah, to meditate on them as the forbears, the harbingers of the Good News that would be realized in Christ.”

Rethink gifts. When selecting presents, Lisa Hendey, an author and founder of CatholicMom.com, said, “Our gifts at Christmastime traditionally reflect those gifts given to the Christ Child by the Magi. In presenting tokens of love to our family and friends, we recall not only our affection for them, but also the ‘Reason for the Season.’

To prepare for a peaceful, joy-filled Christmas, members of the Hendey family “thoughtfully select gifts which will not only bless our loved ones, but will bless those in need around the world,” she explained. “This sometimes means making donations to charitable organizations in the name of our loved ones or purchasing fair-trade gifts, or, more often, gifting an experience to be shared together, or a service or even the gift of time spent with a loved one — creating a special memory together.”

“Identify a charity that helps mothers and children and give them a Christmas gift,” suggested Father Murray. “In our parish, we help Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem. They have a foundation in America” (BirthplaceofHope.org).

He pointed out other possibilities, too, such as aiding local crisis-pregnancy centers. “They are always in need of help for mothers and their babies.” Another option is to “find an overseas orphanage run by the Catholic Church in places like Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Peru.”

He also said that, in his previous parish, “we collected toys for a halfway house for prisoners in the Bronx. These toys were for gifts for the families of the prisoners, and we got together with their families on Christmas.”

Hendey added, “Less time spent shopping means more time to savor all of the wonders of the Advent season and helps to prepare our hearts to remember the birth of our Savior.”

Light a Mary candle. Often forgotten is the custom of a “Mary candle.” Our Lady teaches us to patiently prepare for the birth of Jesus like she did. As Pope Francis said in his Dec. 8, 2013, homily, “Mary sustains our journey toward Christmas, for she teaches us how to live this Advent season in expectation of the Lord.”

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a good day to place a white candle decorated with a “mantle” of white silk or cloth tied with a blue ribbon before a statue or picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary, explains Helen McLoughlin in Family Advent Customs.

“It serves as an eloquent reminder of Mary’s eager expectation of the ‘Light of the World’ and helps members of the family keep their own light of grace burning brightly as the best preparation for his coming.”

Around the candle, the family can pray the Magnificat and sing Marian hymns.

Create a family shrine. In The Year of the Lord in the Christian Home, Jesuit Father Francis Weiser recommends creating a family shrine that can serve as a focal point for preparing for Christmas and be “an appropriate symbol to all members that their lives belong to God; that religion and prayer are not merely a Sunday affair (and) that the Christian home is a holy place.”

The shrine can have an Advent wreath or statue or pictures connected with Christmas. Father Weiser suggests an Advent Crib, but without the Infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Shepherds tending sheep can be a little distance from the crib in the stable with the empty manger.

“It is amazing how well children will enter into the spirit and true understanding of such a visual representation of Advent,” the priest explains. “It teaches them to look forward to the arrival of the Savior, to prepare their hearts, and prayerfully to desire his great feast day. Now these thoughts are exactly what the Church expresses in her Advent liturgy.”

Be kind for Christ. McLoughlin recommends, at the beginning of Advent, each child in the family receive an empty manger. At day’s end, each gets a straw for every kind deed they performed in honor of Infant Jesus. They place the straw in their mangers daily to make sure that when the Infant Jesus arrives, he has a soft bed made of their gifts of virtue and devotion.

Explains McLoughlin, “It is amazing how much love a child can put into Advent when he or she is preparing for his Redeemer’s coming in grace.”

Pick up the phone. “Make a Christmas resolution to give a call to relatives you don’t see because they live far away,” said Father Murray. “‘I was thinking of you at Christmas and wondering how you’re doing?’ shows you don’t forget about them.”

Invite someone to Mass. As Christmas Eve and Day approaches, Hendey recommends inviting someone to “the birthday party.”

“We endeavor to plan the rest of our holiday events around Christmas Mass,” she said. “We find this a wonderful time to invite friends, more distant family and others who have been away from the Church for any reason or who may never have experienced Mass to join us for this special time of prayer.

“It offers us the chance to share with them the beautiful reason for our hope: our faith in Jesus Christ.”

Gather around the table. “I’m a big believer in the power of the table,” said Bishop Caggiano. “I think the season of Advent and Christmas is the ideal time to make a conscious decision to spend it with family and friends, to spend it around the table. Take the time to share a meal, a luncheon, a cup of coffee. Enjoy each other’s company and be grateful for the ones you love and spend time with them around the table. It’s a beautiful way to celebrate Advent and Christmas.”

5 Myths About the Eucharist

5 Myths About the Eucharist that Too Many People Still Believe (Maybe Even You!)

by Church POP Editor 

Corpus Christi is a special feast each year to especially commemorate the dogma of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Since the Eucharist is Christ himself, the Eucharist is at the center of our Christian faith!

Which is why it’s unfortunate there are so many misconceptions about it. Here are 5 common myths:

Myth 1: The Eucharist is just a symbol

Truth: Of course, there is symbolic value in our spiritual food coming to us in the form of bread and wine. But the Eucharist is not just a symbol. The Eucharist is Jesus himself!

We know this because Jesus told us so. At the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the Eucharist, he did not say that the bread was “like” his Body, or a “symbol” for his Body. He said “this is my Body.” Catholics take him at his word and believe in his real presence in the Eucharist by faith.

Myth 2: The Real Presence is a late corruption of the faith by the Catholic Church

Truth: Aside from Christ’s own clear teaching on the matter mentioned above (as well as St. Paul’s, see 1 Corinthians 11), we know from their own writings that the earliest Christians believed in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Here are just two (of many) examples: At the beginning of the 2nd century, St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote that a defining characteristic of heretics was to “not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again.” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 7)

And St. Justin the Martyr wrote in the mid-2nd century: “For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; […] the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him… is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus.” (First Apology, 66)

Myth 3: Catholics believe they are re-sacrificing Jesus over and over again because his first sacrifice wasn’t enough

Truth: This is old Protestant propaganda against the Catholic Church, and it’s simply false. The Bible (compiled and preserved by the Catholic Church) is explicit that Christ died “once for all” for the sins of the world (cf. Romans 6:10, Hebrews 7:27, et al.) And the Catechism makes this clear as well (cf. CCC 1330).

When we call the Eucharist the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,” we mean that “it makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior.” (CCC 1330) Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross is the infinite source for all the grace God dispenses in the world and in the Church. The Eucharist is a mysterious way that Christ left us for making his one sacrifice present for all generations so that we may join with his sacrifice and have it applied to our lives.

Myth 4: Everyone, regardless of their beliefs or the state of their soul, should be allowed to receive the Eucharist

Truth: This might sound welcoming or inclusive, but to open the Eucharist to everyone regardless of their beliefs or the state of their soul would actually be bad for people who are unprepared, in addition to directly contravening Scripture.

This isn’t something the Church made up. St. Paul specifically addresses the problem of people receiving the Eucharist unprepared:

“Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying.” (1 Corinthians 11.27-30)

Of course, Catholics want everyone to receive the Eucharist – just as believing and practicing Catholics.

Myth 5: It’s acceptable to use grape juice instead of wine

Truth: It’s common among evangelical Protestants to use grape juice instead of wine for their celebrations of the Lord’s Supper. This practice appears to have come from the 19th century anti-alcohol Temperance movement in the United States and was based on a concern about the abuse of alcohol.

That might sound reasonable at first, except that it’s contradicting what Christ, in his perfect wisdom, specifically told the Church to do.

Christ could have used any drink for the Eucharist, but chose wine. It’s not our place to determine that Jesus’ decision was unwise or socially unacceptable and then change it. The Catholic Church rightly remains faithful to Christ’s own institution and only uses real wine (and bread).

5 Ways to Make Mary’s Month (Extra) Special

5 Ways to Make Mary’s Month (Extra) Special

Do something to honor Mary during her month — it will make this May extra special for both of you.

Marge Fenelon

Have you been too busy to consider how to honor Mary during her month of May? You’re not alone; plenty of us are grappling to come up with ways to show our devotion to the Blessed Mother. And if you’ve not yet considered it, well, it’s time you do.
May is here.
You might be tempted to toss the whole idea out, thinking it’s too late or too much work to come up with something.
I assure you, it’s not too late and not too much work. Here are five quick and easy ways to honor Mary this May.

1. Set up a May Altar.
Reserve a place for Mary in your home or even at your workplace. It could be a stand-alone altar with a picture or statue or the corner of a desk or dresser with a picture of Mary. It’s not how fancy it is that matters, rather it’s the fact that it makes your heavenly Mother especially present to you. Out-of-sight-out-of-mind is often the case with many of our devotions. Keeping Mary present will urge you to honor her more frequently throughout the coming weeks.

2. Take the “Fresh Flower Pledge.”
Pledge to make certain that you keep fresh flowers on your May altar throughout the month. It can be a bouquet from the florist, a bunch from your garden, wildflowers you gathered on a hike, or even a simple, single stem. It’s the gesture itself, not the extravagance of the blooms that counts most. Think about how happy a mom is when her child brings her a flower – even if it’s a crumpled-up dandelion from the lawn. That’s how Mary is with you. She’ll cherish whatever you give her, not for what it is but for the fact that you gave it to her.

3. Learn a new Marian prayer.
No matter how many Marian prayers you know by heart, there are always more to learn. And, each Marian prayer shows a different facet of our Lady, which will be a boost to your knowledge of, and love for, her. It doesn’t have to be a long prayer; it just has to be a prayer that’s new to you.

4. Read about Mary.
Daily spiritual reading is always a marvelous idea. It helps you carve out time for God as well as helping you to grow spiritually. So, why not choose a book about the Blessed Virgin Mary for your spiritual reading this May? Even if you spend just 10-15 minutes a day, it’s absolutely better than not reading about her at all. (Below is a whole list of great Marian books for you to dig into!)

5. Attend Saturday morning Mass.
Even if it’s your day to sleep in, do yourself (and Mary) a favor and give up a little of that “me” time to go to Mass on Saturday mornings during May. Throughout the year, daily Masses on Saturdays typically are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The readings and prayers are Mary-orientated and showcase an array of her qualities, characteristics, and importance. Even if you make it to only one Saturday Mass this May, you’ll still benefit and it still will be a beautiful act of love for the Mother who has been devoted to you since before you were even born.

Whether you do one, some, all the above, or come up with something completely different, just please do something to honor Mary during her month. I think you’ll be delightfully surprised at the way it will change your heart and your relationship with the Queen of Heaven and Earth. It’ll make this May extra special for both of you.


List of Books

Classics

The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Anne Catherine Emmerich

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary edited by John. E. Rotelle

The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales: On Our Lady (Volume III)

True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Louis de Montfort

St. Bernard of Clairevaux: Homilies in Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Contemporary

Walking with Mary: A Biblical Journey from Nazareth to the Cross by Edward Sri

Hail Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God by Scott Hahn

Listen to Your Blessed Mother: Mary’s Words in Scripture by Gary Zimak

Praying the Angelus: Find Joy, Peace, and Purpose in Everyday Life by Jared Dees

Gifts of the Visitation: Nine Spiritual Encounters with Mary and Elizabeth by Denise Bossert

A Heart Like Mary’s: 31 Daily Meditations to Help You Live and Love as She Does by Edward Looney

Waiting with Mary: Ten Marian Virtues for the Modern Mom by Marge Fenelon

Meet Your Mother: A Brief Introduction to Mary by Mark Miravalle

This May 13 marks the 100th Anniversary of the first apparition of our Blessed Mother to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. If you’ve never been knowledgeable about Fatima more before this, now’s the time to look into it.

Fatima

Fatima: The Apparition that Changed the World by Jean Heimann

Our Lady’s Message to Three Shepherd Children and the World by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle (children’s book)

Vision of Fatima by Fr. Thomas McGlynn

Our Lady of Fatima: 100 Years of Stories, Prayers, and Devotions by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

Mary and the Little Shepherds of Fatima by Marlyn Monge and Jaymie Stuart Wolfe (children’s book)

Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words by Sr. Lucia and Louis Kondor (ed)

Why the Easter bunny?

Why the Easter bunny?

The American tradition of the Easter bunny comes from the German folklore tradition of the "Easter Hare" - the bunny that would come bring the children who had been good during Lent their eggs instead of the children having to go out and find them.

Easter Baskets

Easter Baskets

In the 16th century, children in Germany would turn looking for eggs to eat on Easter into a game. When the German immigrants came to America, they brought with them this custom which turned into an American Easter tradition.

They did what in the Middle Ages?

They did what in the Middle Ages?

In the Middle Ages, eggs became a symbol for the tomb of Christ. On Easter morning, Christians would carry eggs that they would then tap against the eggs of other Christians, symbolizing Christ breaking from his tomb in the Resurrection.

When did Jesus Die?

7 clues tell us *precisely* when Jesus died (the year, month, day, and hour revealed)

We celebrate Good Friday and Easter, the annual celebrations of Jesus' death and resurrection.
We all know that this happened in Jerusalem in the first century.
That separates Jesus from mythical pagan deities, who were supposed to live in places or times that none could specify.
Just how specific can we be with the death of Jesus?
Can we determine the exact day?
We can.
And here's how . . .

Clue #1: The High Priesthood of Caiaphas

The gospels indicate that Jesus was crucified at the instigation of the first century high priest named Caiaphas (Matthew 26:3-4, John 11:49-53).
We know from other sources that he served as high priest from A.D. 18 to 36, so that puts Jesus' death in that time frame.
But we can get more specific. Much more.

Clue #2: The Governorship of Pontius Pilate

All four gospels agree that Jesus was crucified on the orders of Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:24-26, Mark 15:15, Luke 23:24, John 19:15-16).
We know from other sources when he served as governor of Judea--A.D. 26 to A.D. 36--so we can narrow down the range by several years.
But how are we going to get it down to a specific day and year?

Clue #3: After "the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Caesar"

The Gospel of Luke tells us when the ministry of John the Baptist began:

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar . . . the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness [Luke 3:1-2].

This picks out a specific year: A.D. 29.
Since all four gospels depict the ministry of Christ beginning after that of John the Baptist had begun (Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1), this means that we can shave a few more years off our range.
The death of Christ had to be in a range of seven years: between A.D. 29 and 36.

Clue #4: Crucified on a Friday

All four gospels agree that Jesus was crucified on a Friday (Matt. 27:62, Mark 15:42; Luke23:54;  John 19:42), just before a Sabbath, which was just before the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1).
We know that it was a Friday because it is referred to as "the day of preparation"--that is, the day on which Jews made the preparations they needed for the Sabbath, since they could not do any work on that day. Thus thus cooked food in advance and made other necessary preparations.
The Jewish Encyclopedia states:

Friday, as the forerunner of Shabbat, is called "'Ereb Shabbat" (The Eve of Sabbath). The term "'ereb" admits of two meanings: "evening" and "admixture" (Ex. xii. 38); and "'Ereb Shabbat" accordingly denotes the day on the evening of which Sabbath begins, or the day on which food is prepared for both the current and the following days, which latter is Sabbath.

The idea of preparation is expressed by the Greek name paraskeué, given by Josephus ("Ant." xvi. 6, § 2) to that day (compare Mark xv. 42; Luke xxiii. 54; Matt. xxvii. 62; John xix. 42). In Yer. Pesaḥim iv. 1 the day is called "Yoma da-'Arubta" (Day of Preparation) [Jewish Encyclopedia, s.v., "Calendar"].

That eliminates six of the days of the week, but there were still quite a few Fridays between A.D. 29 and 36.
Can we figure out which one?

Clue #5: A Friday at Passover

The gospels also agree that Jesus was crucified in conjunction with the annual feast of Passover (Matthew 26:2, Mark 14:1, Luke 22:1, John 18:39).
Here we encounter a momentary complication, because Matthew, Mark, and Luke describe the Last Supper on Holy Thursday as a Passover meal (Matthew 26:19, Mark 14:14, Luke 22:15). That would suggest that Good Friday was the day after Passover.
However, when describing the morning of Good Friday, John indicates that the Jewish authorities had not yet eaten the Passover meal:

Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium [i.e., Pilate's palace]. It was early. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover. So Pilate went out to them [John 18:28-29a].

That suggests that the Passover would have begun on sundown Friday.
There are a number of ways of resolving this. For example, some have suggested that Jesus and his disciples used a different calendar than the Jewish authorities, and we know that there were different calendars in use in first century Judaism.
It's also possible that Jesus just advanced the date of the Passover celebration for him and his disciples. I mean, they were already convinced he was the Messiah and the Son of God. If he says, "We're celebrating Passover today," and it's a day earlier than most people, they'd just go with that. (Note that he made other modifications to the ceremony, such as instituting the Eucharist in the midst of it.)
And there are other solutions.
However, regardless of what Jesus' movement did, we can look to John's statement about the Jesus' captors as an indication of what the Jewish authorities or the mainstream Jewish practice was: They were celebrating a Passover beginning on what we would call Friday evening.
That lets us narrow down the range of possible dates to just a few. Here is a complete list of the days between A.D. 29 and 36 on whose evenings Passover began:

• Monday, April 18, A.D. 29
• Friday, April 7, A.D. 30
• Tuesday, March 27, A.D. 31
• Monday, April 14, A.D. 32
• Friday, April 3, A.D. 33
• Wednesday, March 24, A.D. 34
• Tuesday, April 12, A.D. 35
• Saturday, March 31, A.D. 36

As you can see, we have just two candidates left: Jesus was either crucified on April 7 of A.D. 30 or April 3 of A.D. 33.
Which was it?
The traditional date is that of A.D. 33. You will find quite a number of people today advocating the A.D. 30 date.
Do the gospels let us decide between the two?

Clue #6: John's Three Passovers

The Gospel of John records three different Passovers during the ministry of Jesus:

• Passover #1: This is recorded in John 2:13, near the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
• Passover #2: This is recorded in John 6:4, in the middle of Jesus' ministry.
• Passover #3: This is recorded in John 11:55 (and frequently mentioned afterwards), at the end of Jesus' ministry.

That means that the ministry of Jesus had to span something over two years. A fuller treatment would reveal that it spanned about three and a half years, but even if we assume it began immediately before Passover #1, the addition of two more Passovers shows that it lasted more than two years at a bare minimum.
That means the A.D. 30 date is out.
There is not enough time between the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar--A.D. 29--and the next year's Passover to accomodate a ministry of at least two years.
The numbers don't add up.
As a result, the traditional date of Jesus' death--Friday, April 3, A.D. 33--must be regarded as the correct one.
Can we be even more precise?

Clue #7: "The Ninth Hour"

Matthew, Mark, and Luke each record that Jesus died about "the ninth hour" (Matthew 27:45-50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46).
"The ninth hour" is what we, today, would refer to as 3:00 p.m.
This allows us to narrow down the time of Jesus' death to a very specific point in history: around 3:00 p.m on Friday, April 3, A.D. 33.
Of course, there are a lot of detailed arguments that I haven't taken space to deal with here. But this is the thrust of things.
This is when it happened. 



(Taken from the blog of Jimmy Akin who was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith. Eventually, he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, “A Triumph and a Tragedy,” is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on “Catholic Answers Live.”)

Why are Sundays not included in the 40 day fast?

Why are Sundays not included in the 40 day fast?

Why are Sundays not included in the 40 day fast during Lent? Although Easter is the designated Sunday to celebrate Christ's resurrection, in a way we celebrate it every Sunday. This is why Sundays are excluded from the Lenten count of 40 days, as it is a day of joy

Why is fish OK on Fridays?

Why is fish OK on Fridays?

Why is fish traditionally OK on Fridays during Lent but meat isn't?

Differentiating between fish and meat on Fridays (fish being traditionally OK to eat instead of meat on Fridays during Lent), came from the Jewish tradition of separating fish from meat.

St. Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians,

"There is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fish, and another of birds" (15:39)

As meat has always been a food for fasting, giving up meat on Fridays has been a way to acknowledge the sacrifice Jesus made for us by dying on the cross.

Why is purple the color of Lent?

Why is purple the color of Lent?

The liturgical color for Lent is traditionally purple. Why purple? During Lent we prepare for the coming of Good Friday and the Resurrection. Purple historically represents mourning (the mourning of the death of our Lord) and royalty (the Resurrection of Christ and His reign of His kingdom).

Why do we have Easter Eggs?

Why do we have Easter Eggs?

What do Easter Eggs have to do with Christ rising from the dead? The practice of blessing Easter eggs actually came from the practice of giving up dairy products during Lent. Since you couldn't have eggs during Lent, they became part of the Easter morning tradition.

Why do we give up certain foods?

Why do we give up certain foods?

In the middle ages, meat, eggs, and milk were forbidden during Lent not only by ecclesiastical law, but by civil statues as well. Believe it or not, this rule was enforced until the reign of King William III (England, 1689).

Why do we give up certain types of food for Lent? What good does that do? Giving up a sensual pleasure (food) helps ensure that our lives do not become overly comfortable and without suffering. Fasting from pleasures of this life help us to realize that his is not what we are made for - we are made for a higher good, to serve Christ in this life and be with him in paradise! 

Did Our Blessed Mother Suffer Labor Pains?

Did our Blessed Mother suffer labor pains when she gave birth to Jesus?

Answer

The idea that Mary did not experience the pains of labor is usually deduced from the fact that she was conceived without original sin (CCC 490-493). Since a consequence of original sin is bearing children in pain (Gen. 3:16), it seems fitting that Mary, who was preserved from the stain of original sin, would not experience its consequences. 

The Church teaches that Mary’s virginal integrity remained in tact during the birth of Jesus (CCC 499, citing Lumen Gentium 57). It seems to follow, therefore, that she would have been free of labor pains. 

One Scripture passage that many have looked to is Isaiah 66:7: “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.”

Answered by Karlo Broussard

(For a list of quotes from Fathers and doctors of the Church and popes on Mary’s virginal integrity and her painless delivery, see Taylor Marshall’s online article 

“Mary’s Painless Delivery of Christ (Scripture, Church Fathers, Popes, and Doctors of the Church).”)

The Number 40

Why the number 40?

40 has always been a significant time period in the Bible.

• Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18)
• Elijah spent 40 days and nights walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
• God sent 40 days and nights of rain in the great flood (Genesis 7:4)
• The Hebrew people wandered 40 years in the desert (Numbers 14:33)
• Jonah's prophecy of judgment gave 40 days to the city of Nineveh to repent or be destroyed (Jonah 3:4)

​Why the number 40? As you look at the examples in the bible, they are all times of trail or struggle. Although we do not wish to struggle, remember God uses suffering and trial to bring us closer to Him.

Side note: What else takes 40 weeks? A baby! A pregnant woman is considered full term at 40 weeks. Think God did that on purpose? :)

Why do we focus on prayer?

Why do we focus on prayer?

Scripture says to "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12) There are many scripture passage that stress the importance of prayer. Prayer is the building block to our relationship with Christ. 

How can we say we know him if we don't spend time with him?

ISIS Inadvertently Proves Bible Historically Accurate

ISIS Inadvertently Proves Bible Historically Accurate

One archaeologist was quoted as saying that ISIS's act of “destruction has actually led us to a fantastic find.” A find that shows the Bible to be correct once again.

Matthew Archbold

Irony alert. The Bible once again shown to be historically accurate...this time with the help of ISIS militants.

So here's how it happened. In 2014, ISIS destroyed a site believed by many to be the burial site of Jonah in Mosul because...that's what ISIS does. They destroy. For some reason they went to town on the place, even using dynamite to destroy it.

But a few weeks ago, the area was liberated by Iraqi forces from ISIS. But because the site was blown to smithereens, what was under the shrine became apparent. And archaeologists soon discovered the 2,300 year old palace of the Biblical King Sennacherib. I know all of you read the Bible so much that good ol' Sennacherib's story is as known to you as your own history. But just in case you forgot, according to the Bible, King Sennacherib ran a pretty wealthy city around 700 BC and he was all about sacking towns and raking in the Benjamins. Typical bad guy king stuff.

So then he set his sights on the Kingdom of Judah. The Bible states that “Sennacherib king of Assyria advanced and invaded Judah, and laid siege to the fortified towns, intending to demolish them.” Not only did he do that but he talked trash while doing it. I can't help but be reminded of the scene from the movie The Incredibles when they're talking about the bad guy has the good guy dead to rights and what does he do? He monologues about how he is all powerful and going to take over the world yadda yadda, thus giving the good guy a chance to escape. Well,  that's pretty much exactly what happened here. The first known example of monologuing to one's own detriment.

When he realized that the people would not surrender because of their faith in Yahweh, he mocked their faith. “Don't you know what I and my ancestors have done to all the peoples of the other countries?” he sneered. “Have the national gods of those countries had the slightest success in saving their countries from my clutches?” But because of all of his trash talk, an angel came down and pretty much wiped out his army and then he slunk back home, defeated, only to be killed by his sons. I know, right?

Now, for many years, as you might know, much of the Bible has been dismissed as unreliable history. But now it's believed we actually found Sennacherib's palace. Sadly, ISIS seems to have absconded with many of the artifacts from the site to sell for their own profit. It seems they're not big into respecting people who are alive or dead.

One archaeologist was quoted as saying that ISIS's act of “destruction has actually led us to a fantastic find.” A find that shows the Bible to be correct once again. So, come on. That's gotta' give you a little “heh,” doesn't it? ISIS proving the Bible correct?

This isn't the first time the Bible was shown to have historical merit, despite many thinking that it's just a collection of myths. Just a few years ago, archaeologists discovered what's called the Tel Dan inscription on a ninth-century B.C. stone which was the first historical evidence of King David outside of the Bible. Also, the ancient town, called Gath, ruled by the ancient Philistines and the home of Goliath of watch out for that slingshot fame, was also recently discovered.

But so far this story about ISIS uncovering evidence of the veracity of the Bible is the favorite ironic story of the week.

HT Fox News

What is Alms giving

What is Alms giving and why do we do it?

Alms giving is donating money or good to the poor. It is a witness to fraternal charity and a work of justice that is pleasing to God.

"Give alms from your possessions. Do not turn your face away from any of the poor, and God's face will not be turned away from you. Son, give alms in proportion to what you own. If you have great wealth, give alms out of your abundance: if you have but little, distribute even some of that. But do not hesitate to give alms; you will be storing up a godly treasure for yourself against the day of adversity. Almsgiving frees one from death, and keeps one from going into the dark abode. Alms are a worthy offering in the sight of the Most High for all who give them." (Tob. 4:7-11)

Do you struggle to give alms? Why?

Why do we fast during Lent?

Why do we fast during Lent?

Jesus is questioned about fasting in Mark 2:18 -20

"Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not? Jesus answered, 'How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.' "

Mark 17:21 as mentions that fasting is necessary to help drive away evil:

"But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting."

What struggles do you have with fasting? What things have you fasted from in the past?