Name: The Voice of the Good Shepherd | John 10:1-10 by Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ & Heart to Heart @htoh
Uploaded: 2026-09-20T08:17:00-05:00
Duration: 8 min 17 s
Description: The Voice of the Good Shepherd | John 10:1-10 by Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ & Heart to Heart

The Voice of the Good Shepherd | John 10:1-10 by Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ & Heart to Heart

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry 2026-09-20 | The Voice of the Good Shepherd | John 10:1-10 by Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ & Heart to Heart

The Annunciation - Season of Joy | Luke 1:26-38 by Fr. James Kubicki, SJ #easter

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-04-08 | from Luke 1:26-38
...And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus. ...
Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040824.cfm

Have you ever held your breath waiting for someone to reply, hoping almost desperately that they will say yes to something that you ask them to do? Well, back in the 12th century, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux imagined the Archangel Gabriel waiting desperately for the Blessed Virgin Mary to respond to God's proposal that she become the mother of his child.

In a homily, Bernard said the following: “You have heard of Virgin that you will conceive and bear a son. The angel awaits an answer. It is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion. The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. Tearful Adam, with his sorrowing family, begs this of you O loving Virgin, in their exile from paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it, all the other holy patriarchs — your ancestors — ask it of you as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole world waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, indeed, salvation for all the children of Adam and Eve, the whole of your race. Answer quickly O Virgin. Reply, in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Why do you delay? Why are you afraid? Let humility be bold. Let modesty be confident. This is no time for simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the creator. See, the Desired of all Nations is at your door knocking to enter.”

And then, it is as though Saint Bernard breaths a sigh of relief along with Gabriel as he quotes Mary's response: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me, according to your word.” With those words, Mary said “Yes” to God and God's plan to save the human race from the sin and death which entered the world because another woman and her husband said “No” to God. Mary's obedient “yes,” overcomes the disobedient “no” of our ancestral parents.

Let's imagine again that moment of Mary's “yes” to God. At that moment, a new life was conceived in her womb. And little by little, cell by cell, this new life developed into a little baby who would be born in a stable and placed in a manger. Years ago, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I visited the beautiful Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where tradition has it, Mary said “yes,” and Jesus was conceived. One of my most vivid memories is celebrating Mass with our group of pilgrims. Just a short distance from the Altar is the spot where the Annunciation took place. It's marked by a stone on which are carved the words: “Verbum caro HIC factum est.” That's Latin for, “the Word was made flesh HERE.” As I celebrated Mass, I couldn't help thinking that there, in that spot, the Word first took flesh so that here on the Altar, He could take flesh again. The Annunciation is a very Eucharistic feast. At the Last Supper, Jesus could not have said, “This is my body, this is my blood,” and then offered himself on the cross for the salvation of the world the next day, had he not first taken flesh in the womb of the woman who said “yes” to God. And now we parts, or members of the Body of Christ, are called to say “yes” to God and to bring Jesus into the world.

At World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, in the year 2005, in his homily at the closing Mass, Pope Benedict talked about the transformation that occurs when we say “Amen” and receive the body of Christ. He said, “The body and blood of Christ are given to us so that we ourselves will be transformed in our turn. We are to become the body of Christ. His own flesh and blood.” Did you catch that? We are to become Christ's own flesh and blood in the world today. Only that way will sin be overcome. Only in that way, is the knot of death undone. And it's all because of one woman's affirmative response to God's request that came to her through an angel. Thank you, Mother Mary, for saying “yes.” And please help me — help us — to do the same. One day at a time.

Jesus called: Mary! | John 20:11-18 #homily

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-04-06 | Fr. Michael takes us into the scene and imagines Mary's emotions as she goes from weeping to euphoria when he calls her by name and sends her off to let the rest of the Apostles know that he had risen.

from John 20:11-18
Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.

Read the full gospel passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040224.cfm

A Quick Thank You from Fr. Michael

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-04-03 | Thank you to everyone who watched and shared More Seeds of Hope for Lent in 2024! Please join us for Season of Joy this Easter, 50 daily audio reflections from Easter Sunday through Pentecost.

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The Rising Son - Season of Joy | John 20:1-9 by Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-03-31 | from John 20:1-9
On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.

The Rising Son

So often over the years, I’ve noticed that we put a tremendous effort into our Lenten observance and then when we get to Easter, we lose our spiritual steam, our fervor fades. Oh, for sure there’s the happy exuberance of finally being able to break our Lenten fast. But all too quickly for many of us, it’s back to same old / same old.

Today’s gospel begins before dawn. Only gradually does the darkness of night give way to the brilliance of that first Easter morning. Only gradually is the truth of what has transpired come to light.

Mary Magdalene goes to the grave, discovers that the stone has been rolled away, assumes that it’s grave robbers, and hurries to tell Peter and the Beloved Disciple. They run to the tomb and discover for themselves that indeed the tomb is empty. But grave robbers don’t strip a dead body of its clothes and leave them behind folded neatly. They go away believing but not fully comprehending what they have just seen.

So, I think it is with us. Only gradually is our sadness transformed into joy, our discouragement become anchored in hope, our confusion give way to faith.

For many years as a young man, I struggled with depression, a kind of low-grade sadness that I simply couldn’t seem to shake. I know I’m not alone in that many Americans have reported similar struggles with anxiety and depression. Through some therapy, regular exercise, poetry, spiritual direction, and lots and lots of prayer, the depression finally lifted for me. But most importantly, this malaise led me to hunger and thirst for a deeper joy and a more lasting peace.—In short, I hungered to taste the fruits of the resurrection.

Who has not longed for something more in life? I believe it’s precisely in sitting in the empty tombs of our own efforts that a deep prayer rises up in our hearts for something more, for something and someone so much larger than ourselves.

On this Easter Sunday, perhaps you will be blessed with an immediate experience of joy and hope. And if that gift is given, savor it, rejoice in it. But if you find that after the sugar high from the chocolate bunnies and multi-colored jelly beans wears off, that there is still some hint of sadness lingering, do not despair.

Remember today’s gospel. On Easter Sunday morning, Magdalen is frightened and confused. Peter and John belief but don’t understand. Coming to a deeper faith, a fuller understanding, and a long-lasting joy – THIS is the journey of this Easter season. Indeed, it’s the journey of our lifetime. And it takes time, prayerful patience, and persistent faith.

Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God. Pope Francis has called us to an evangelization with this joy as our calling card. In these 50 days of Easter, ask for this gift of joy. And know that joy is a choice. Choose a joy that is more than a feeling. Live with a joy that is not here today and gone tomorrow. Pray for a joy that is not dependent on external circumstances but is rooted in the victory that Christ has won for us on that first Easter morning. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and like all fruits it needs to ripen slowly in God’s time.

The Joy of His Resurrection

Let us bid goodbye to a sourpuss faith,
Living stoic of soul with a vinegar face,
Mourning each evening in funereal processions,
Grabbing and grasping our precious possessions.

Let us rejoice in His resurrection!

For who could believe what we have been told?
To a woman quite young and another quite old
Was born the Baptizer who leapt in her womb,
And the holy Messiah who danced from His tomb.

Let us rejoice in His resurrection!

Let us bid goodbye to a pickle-faced fast,
Feast on His mercy with a joy that will last.
Grace grows within us when Good News is shared,
When hearts spring open and sorrows are bared.

Let us rejoice in His resurrection !

Our God-man died like a wheat-grain seed,
Then rose to life for all who have come to believe.
That we reap so much more, so much more, than we've sown
Thru a power always greater, so much greater, than our own.

Let us rejoice in His resurrection!

Who Really Betrayed Jesus? | Matthew 26:14-25

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-03-30 | Matthew 26:14-25
One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032724.cfm

The Truth Sets You Free - John 8:31-42

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-03-23 | Quid est veritas? What is truth?

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from John 8:31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, 'You will become free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father."

Read the full Gospel passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032024.cfm

God Holds Everything Together | John 5:17-30 #homily #lent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-03-16 | Have you ever stopped to think about how many intricate details have to come together to make the universe work as we know it? Watch and listen as Fr. Michael reflects on God as Father and Mother who creates and sustains us.

From John 5:17-30
Jesus answered the Jews:
"My Father is at work until now, so I am at work."
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.

Jesus answered and said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.

Read the full Gospel passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031324.cfm

A Technicality - More Seeds of Hope for Lent | John 5:16

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-03-12 | Today’s story seed is A Technicality

From the Gospel of John chapter 5, verse 16
…the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.

A company put out an internal request for proposals. They were looking to expand their market share and wanted to see what ideas their employees could offer. They would select up to three ideas to be implemented that year.

Anyone who had a winning idea would receive a substantial bonus at the end of the year. There were more than 1,000 people who worked for this company, and many of them were excited by the offer. The proposals were to be hand delivered in paper form to a designated manager of the effort.
There were dozens that came in. One person had a brilliant idea that showed tremendous potential, but when she went to hand deliver the proposal, the manager was away at lunch, so she left it in his mailbox. He found it and put it with others.

When the reviewers read the proposals, that one stood out. Everyone saw that it indeed could make the company substantial profits, but there was a problem. The very people reviewing the proposals might lose their jobs because of a suggested streamlining of production.

They discussed this and decided that this proposal could not be considered because it had been delivered not by hand but left in a mailbox, something that was clearly against the published rules. They were firm in their decision. To protect themselves further, from that day, they began to find a way to force the woman out of the company who had submitted the proposal.

In today’s scripture, Jesus healed a man who had been ill for 38 years, but this happened on the Sabbath. Yet, what an amazing miracle. Jesus told him to get up and carry his mat. And he did! The Jews who witnessed this cured man carrying his mat aren’t interested in the cure. They are upset that he has broken the law and was doing work on the Sabbath.

Where do you fall in this story? Are you like the cured man? Or are you a stickler for details and take the side that no work should be done on the sabbath. That’s the law. End of story. Break the rules and face the consequences.

Or is there something more going on here? Is this about control? Jesus can’t be controlled by the law which is clearly written so he must be stopped?

This Lenten season, are you fasting because you are supposed to fast? Are you following the law simply because that’s what you are supposed to do? Would you even consider not fasting on a fast day? Perhaps fasting on a day that you are not required to fast?

Let’s remember that our God is not about technicalities. Yes, little things matter. Following the rules matter, but there is something more important. Jesus shows us that following the Holy Spirit, bringing good to the world, is even more important.

That’s a message that has been hand delivered, although some of you may have received it in your email box.

Now let’s take 30 seconds to water the seed…

What rules get in the way of you drawing closer to God?

What Color is Your Faith this Lent? | John 2:13-25

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-03-09 | Given ahead of his Parish Mission talks at Holy Family in Inverness, IL, Fr. Michael ties in our Lenten sacrifices with the sacrifices made by the Jewish people in their time of worship. The colors of the season signify Christ's own royalty but also the sacrifice that he made for us on the cross.

from John 2:13-25
Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030324-YearB.cfm

Do As I Say | Matthew 23:1-12 #homily #lent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-03-02 | Jesus told his disciples not to follow the example of the scribes and Pharisees. Fr. Michael reminds us that while human actions and examples may be fallible, God's example and mercy is not.

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from Matthew 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022724.cfm

Honest About Our Own Sin | Luke 11:29-32 The Sign of Jonah #lent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-02-24 | Are we truly honest about our own sin? Is it easier to see fault in others? Jonah came to point out to the Ninevites their need for repentance. Who is the Jonah in our lives?

from Luke 11:29-32
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022124.cfm

Happy VaLENTines Day | Matthew 6:1-16, 16-18 #homily #lent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-02-17 | You can't say Happy Valentines day without also saying Happy Lent. Fr. Michael preaches on this convergence of two events that hasn't happened since 5 years before he was born.

from Matthew 6:1-16, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Read the full scripture passage here: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021424.cfm

The Perfect Party | More Seeds of Hope - Joel 2:13

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-02-14 | Today’s story seed is the Perfect Party.

From the Book of Joel 2:13
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God,
For he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
and relenting in punishment.

Listen to this story seed. A family was about to host an annual party. They had invited all of their friends and many other acquaintances. Each member of the family truly wanted the party to be perfect.

They wanted people to see their beautiful house. They cleaned and decorated until it looked remarkable. They wanted their friends to notice the details, like the way the napkins were folded, the way the fresh-cut flowers were displayed, and how the family was providing expensive wines and top-choice meats.

Yet the preparations were filled with arguments over who was to do what chores. They refused to help each other. They begrudgingly finished the tasks to prepare for the party. Once finished, they were disgruntled as they put on their nicest clothes for the gathering.

When the guests arrived, the family smiled, but to each other they sneered. Their clean house, elaborate decorations, and expensive food and drink were not enough to change the atmosphere of the party. The guests were cordial, but didn’t stay long. Laughter was stifled. The whole affair was uneasy.

And everyone was glad when it was done.

Can you picture a party like that? Perhaps you have even experienced it. You see, this well-intentioned family, missed the most important part. It is not the appearance that matters most. It is the authentic hospitality of the people that truly matters.

Who wants to go to a party where the hosts are fighting with each other?

As we start this Lenten season, we do well to pay attention to what is most important. The scripture today tells you to “rend your hearts, not your garments.”

In other words, you have to do the work inside yourself. It is not about the things people see you do. If you make extra charitable gifts, recite more Our Fathers, and don’t eat chocolate, all those can be good things. But they make no difference if they don’t affect you from the inside, if they don’t rend your heart, if they don’t tear at your callous behavior and allow room for you to grow closer to God.

And the good news is that as you get closer to God, you find mercy, forgiveness, and love. That is the generous hospitality of our Lord who invites you into the sacred house. Most people don’t think of Lent as a party, but when you visit God’s house, you will always be welcomed with open arms. Come, and be refreshed during this annual gathering that invites us to find what matters most in life.

Join the party smiling from your inside and out.

Now let’s take 30 seconds to water the seed…

How can you let go of appearances and truly draw closer to God this Lenten season?

Written by Tom Sparough
Dramatized by Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
Produced by Nathaniel Stubblefield
Copyright 2022 by Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry Inc.

Raise the Bar of Your Faith | Mark 7:1-13 #homily

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-02-10 | Our faith isn't just about blindly following rules. Jesus showed that in today's Gospel. Watch and listen as Fr. Michael provides powerful examples of putting faith into action.

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from Mark 7:1-13
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020624.cfm

Healing Miracles: The Bleeding Woman & Jairus Daughter #homily Fr. Michael Sparough | Mark 5:21-43

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-02-03 | Today's gospel gives us a two for one: Jesus heals the hemorrhaging woman and raises Jairus' daughter from the dead. Fr. Michael draws parallels to recent stories from his own life of recent healings and death and the impact those experiences have on us.

from Mark 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed him.

Read the full Gospel passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/013024.cfm

Draw Closer to Jesus | Mark 3:31:35 #homily #unity - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-01-27 | During this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Fr. Michael highlights the call from Pope Francis, who echoed the words of his namesake St. Francis of Assisi, that all people should be drawn together through the love of Jesus.

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from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Fr. Michael read this prayer:

We pray, O gracious Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we all may be one as you are one. In your community of complete unity, we have our beginning and our end. To you we pray, asking for the gift of visible unity among all who believe in your Christ.

As we commemorate this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we are reminded by your Word that all human beings are our neighbors and that we are to love them like ourselves and in the same way we love you. Help us to overcome the barriers and divisions we have nurtured against your will.

Grant to us, O Lord, a new Spirit of love and solidarity, that we may proclaim your good news to all of creation. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirt are one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

from Mark 3:31-35
The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
"Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you."

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012324.cfm

On the Side of Mercy reflections on Fiducia Supplicans | Mark 2:23-28 #homily

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-01-20 | The history of Judeo-Christian faith is not without controversy. Fr. Michael highlights a recent declaration from the Vatican, "Fiducia Supplicans", and especially what it says, and doesn't say, and how its interpretation of pastoral blessings has been received throughout the Church.

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from Mark 2:23-28
As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011624.cfm

Listen to the Lord and Take Action | Mark 1:29-39

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-01-13 | Fr. Michael reminds us that we cannot just listen to what the Lord has to tell us. We need to take that message and act upon it throughout our day.

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From Mark 1:39-39
... Rising very early before dawn,
he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons
throughout the whole of Galilee.

Full scripture: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011024.cfm

Epiphany: Follow the Star to Jesus | Matthew 2:1-12 #homily

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-01-06 | Fr. Michael preaches: The Magi show us how to take ourselves off of the throne and to follow the star to Bethlehem and the true king, Jesus. Are we humble enough to take ourselves off of the throne as the Magi did?

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from Matthew 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. ...

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010724.cfm

Mary, Mother of God & World Day of Peace - Ornaments of Grace | Luke 2:16-21

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-01-01 | Luke 2:16-21
The Shepherds went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger; once they saw, they understood what had been told them concerning this child. All who heard of it were astonished at the report given them by the shepherds. Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart. …

Mary, of all the saints, is the most important, so it is ideal that we honor her first in the New Year. She is the Mother of Jesus and, through Him, our mother as well. Those who celebrate this feast realize the loving care Mary has for us and how powerful her intercession is for us. We know she wants to be involved in our lives every single day, and we can ask her to help us give ourselves completely to whatever God calls us to be and to do, just as she did.

Mary understood, from the beginning, the importance of not just jumping into anything we think is a call from God. She reflected, as today’s Gospel says, on all that was happening. Growing up as a faithful Jew, Mary would have been familiar with the words of the Old Testament prophesying the coming of the Messiah. So, when the Angel Gabriel came to her, she understood the Angel’s words in the context of the Old Testament. They resonated with truth. Also, Mary was unafraid to ask for specifics on how this could happen, and she listened to the Angel’s explanation. Of course, she said to let everything happen to her in accordance with God’s will. Finally, the Angel told her about her cousin Elizabeth being with child. So, Mary set off to help Elizabeth, and Elizabeth confirmed what the Angel had told Mary.

These are good lessons for us, too. Let us listen to the voice of God as He speaks in our hearts, but let us not be afraid to ask the Lord to confirm what we believe we have heard. Is what we heard in keeping with Scripture? It is important to check. Is there someone holy and truthful who can pray with us to help confirm what we think God is asking? Is it really of God? Do we feel the peace of Jesus and Mary within us as we accept our call? Do we continue to reflect on the Spirit’s actions in our lives and on how those around us are benefiting from our choices? The shepherds certainly rejoiced because of Mary’s acceptance of God’s call, and we find joy that Mary helped to bring us God’s salvation in Jesus.

Since Mary has the most successful experience in discerning and accepting the will of God, let us ask her for help. Mary treasured her child’s life from the beginning all the way to the end. She treasures, as our mother, all that happens in our lives as well; so, we would be wise to turn to her with whatever needs we have. She will nurture us along our journey; she will rejoice with us when we are happy, and she will hold us close in times of sorrow. She will never desert us.

At the Annunciation, she said, “Let it be done to me according to your will.” At Cana, she directed, “Do whatever he tells you.” She reinforced with words what she had already shown by example. She accepted her call to be our mother as Jesus was dying on the Cross and said, “Behold your mother.” As her children, we are brothers and sisters of all. Embracing our brothers and sisters everywhere is the only path to peace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How can you show that you are a true child of Mary by embracing a brother or sister who is different than you in some way, perhaps racially, socially, religiously, or politically?

The Holy Family - Ornaments of Grace | Colossians 3:12-17

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2024-01-01 | from Colossians 3:12-17
Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Over all these virtues, put on love which binds the rest together and makes them perfect. …

St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading that we are chosen and beloved by God, a God who does not make mistakes. Since we are chosen and loved, we are called to practice mercy, kindness, meekness, patience, and love. We cannot do this alone. We do this as part of our human family.

God, Who loves us, deigned that we would be born to an earthly mother and father. We might not know the mother who gave birth to us or the one who fathered us, but someone made sure we survived as babies and children. From that person or those persons, we learned about life from an early age. Jesus was no exception. Happily, He had two very holy people as parents: Mary and Joseph. They taught Him to pray, to read Scriptures, to do household chores and to ply a trade. Best of all, they taught Him, by example, to obey God and to find joy in doing so.

Jesus did not grow up alone; nor do we grow up alone, even if we have no living parents, no cousins or siblings. We grow as part of a community, and we can, at any age, choose to grow within a community of faith. When we embrace our brothers and sisters in a community of faith, we learn to love. As God’s children, we will find joy in learning to practice the virtues St. Paul outlines in today’s reading. If we practice these good habits, God will wrap them all together in love, making them perfect.

Jesus needed to practice how to bear with others in His community as He grew. People are sometimes unkind, cruel, thoughtless or unaware. Bearing with all kinds of people along His early journey helped Jesus endure His later journey, one filled with difficulties and sorrows. He had to be patient in teaching His followers and in facing the challenges the Pharisees and Sadducees threw at Him. He had to endure desertion by his good friends when He needed them most.

Horrific suffering followed by a death on the Cross were His lot; yet, He forgave those who put Him to death. Families today need to learn endurance as well, how to bear with one another within community; for no life is without difficulties that try faith and have the power to destroy it.

Joseph and Mary obeyed God and found joy in that obedience. Look at Joseph’s quick and unquestioning response when the angel told him to flee to Egypt. He did not groan about losing material possessions or worry about what he would do to support his family in a new land. He obeyed immediately, saving Jesus’ life.

Read Mary’s joyful song of praise in the Magnificat. She did not question God’s calling her to be the Mother of the Messiah, even though it might bring public disgrace and an uncertain future. She simply trusted, finding great joy in humble obedience.

So, while Jesus was blessed with great example from His parents, we might not be. Nevertheless, God will always supply what we need – teaching us to love. We are His beloved children, born into a holy family, the whole human family. Let us find joy in practicing forgiveness, patience, humility, and kindness. That way, we can live together in peace with our whole human family.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How can you help your family prepare for difficult days ahead by obeying God joyfully?

Find Christmas Joy In A Gloomy World | John 20:1a, 2-8

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-30 | Fr. Michael acknowledges that this Christmas season has been challenging due to gloomy weather and the ongoing war in the Holy Land. Despite these difficulties, he encourages us to find joy amidst hardships and embrace the true meaning of Christmas by going deeper in faith.

from John 20:1a, 2-8
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122723.cfm

JRR Tolkien - Ornaments of Grace | 1 John 2:12-17

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-30 | 1 John 2:12-17
Little ones, I address you, for through his Name your sins have been forgiven…Have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love has no place in him, for nothing that the world affords comes from the Father. Carnal allurements, enticements for the eye, the life of empty show – all these are from the world. And the world with its seductions is passing away, but the man who does God’s will endures forever.

While most recognized today for his highly successful works of fantasy such as The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings about a world called Arda and, within it, Middle Earth, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about a wide variety of subjects. Born in 1892 in the South African Republic, his father was a bank manager. When Ronald (the name his family called him) was three, he went with his mother Mabel and his brother to visit family in England. Before his father could join them, he died of rheumatic fever, leaving the family without a means of support. So, his mother took Ronald and his brother Hilary to live with her parents in Birmingham. Mabel taught the boys at home, and Ronald was eager to learn. She showed them the beauty of plants and taught them basic Latin. By the time he was four, he could read, and his mother encouraged him to read all kinds of books.

Over the protests of her Baptist family, Mabel chose to enter the Catholic Church in 1900. By 1904, the family cut off all financial support for Mabel and her two boys. She labored long and hard to support her sons in a rental cottage, teaching them the Catholic faith as well as secular subjects. Sadly, Mabel died of diabetes when she was only 34 and Ronald 12. Insulin had not yet been discovered, so Mabel lived as long as any diabetic could in those days. She had given guardianship of her two boys to a Father Francis, a priest she admired greatly. He ensured they received an education and were brought up in the faith.

At just sixteen, Tolkien and Edith Mary Bratt fell in love. Both had been orphaned and both shared a great deal in common. Fr. Francis told Ronald he was too young and should cut off all communication with her until he was twenty-one. Ronald was obedient. Even though Edith was going to marry someone else by then, he contacted her on his 21st birthday. Soon afterward, Edith cut off her engagement. She became a Catholic and married Ronald. In the beginning, he had nothing to offer her except his love.

When England entered World War I, Ronald finished his degree and then served in the army. There he got trench fever and was sick with it often throughout the war. When World War II broke out, Tolkien was asked to be a code breaker. He attended school for this work but was never called to use his skill. Together Tolkien and Edith had four children. Both parents loved the children fiercely.

J.R.R. Tolkien was particularly devoted to his faith and once wrote to someone seeking the answer to our purpose in life. He said that it was “to increase according to our capacity our knowledge of God by all the means we have, and to be moved by it to praise and thanks.” Seeing Tolkien living his faith helped his good friend C.S. Lewis move from atheism to Christianity.

J.R.R. loved the Eucharist deeply and urged all to receive Communion frequently. He once wrote to his son: “The only cure for sagging or fainting faith is Holy Communion.” That is where his treasure was – in God. He did not care about wealth or fame, things that came to him in later years. Rather, his focus was on doing God’s will.

J.R.R. Tolkien is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

Is your faith more important to you than riches and career and power? How can you tell?

Simeon, Who Recognized Jesus - Ornaments of Grace | 1 John 2:3-11 #christmas

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-29 | 1 John 2:3-11
The way we can be sure of our knowledge of him is to keep his commandments. …Dearly Beloved, it is no new commandment that I write to you, but an old one which you had from the start. …The man who claims to be in light, hating his brother all the while, is in darkness even now. The man who continues in the light is the one who loves his brother… .

Today’s Gospel speaks of a holy old man named Simeon. He exemplifies John’s words in the first reading since he lived in the light. Simeon could recognize Jesus as soon as Mary and Joseph brought their Son into the Temple to present Him to the Lord because his sight was not merely human sight. There is no way he could, with ordinary human vision, have picked out Jesus from all the other little boys being brought to the Temple day in and day out, including the day recorded in the Gospel. Simeon had waited patiently many years for this moment. Because he lived a life of faithful, patient prayer, he could see with the eyes of the Holy Spirit Who lived within him. The Spirit is light.

John’s letter today tells us that if we want to live in the light and not be blinded by darkness, then we need to love one another. This is the command he heard from Jesus; the command he saw Jesus carry out in His earthly life. Simeon, while born long before Jesus, knew the command. He prayed, and so he was in relationship with the God of love. He understood how he was loved, and he knew how to love others. He studied scripture and waited patiently for the Messiah to come. What joy he had when he picked up Jesus and held Him after so many years! He was so excited that he lifted up this prayer, “Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace; you have fulfilled your word. For my eyes have witnessed your saving deed displayed for all the peoples to see: a revealing light to the Gentiles, the glory of your people Israel.”

If we want to recognize Jesus in our midst as Simeon did, we need to walk in the light. Simeon called God His Master and himself, God’s servant. Simeon was called by God to serve in the Temple, to wait patiently in prayer, to look for the Messiah and to welcome Him. He did this right up until the end of his life, and his life ended in joy because he had light enough to reach for Jesus.

We are called to serve, but we have been given a vision of Jesus through the Gospels, something Simeon did not have. We know Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” We know He went about feeding the hungry, healing the sick, teaching those who wanted to know about God, praying, and forgiving. At the Last Supper, washing His disciples’ feet, He called us to serve one another in the same way. Finally, Jesus offered His life for us.

The Old Law required love of neighbor to protect the other’s life, interests, and welfare. Jesus brought love to a whole new level, asking His followers to love unconditionally. Sharing in another’s delight, showing compassion to a person in pain, and patiently waiting in prayer, we can begin to have light – not night – vision, the kind of vision Simeon had.

To really see Jesus and reach out to hold Him this Christmas season and always, we need to see Him among the many who stream into our lives each day. That kind of vision only comes if we live in the light of love.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How has the light of the Holy Spirit helped you love intensely, making you eager to serve others?

The Holy Innocents Across the World - Ornaments of Grace | 1 John 1:5-2:2

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-28 | 1 John 1:5 – 2:2
Here, then, is the message we have heard from him and announce to you: that God is light; in him there is no darkness. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while continuing to walk in darkness, we are liars and do not act in truth. But if we walk in light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

Today’s first reading is, like that of yesterday, from John. Today he does not mince words. He tells Christians to quit pretending that they are good and holy if they continue doing sinful deeds. Of course, everyone sins, and that is why Jesus came to save us. But hypocrisy runs rampant in our country and our world, dividing people and causing little children the greatest harm. We cannot say we are for life if we fail to act in life-giving ways.

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a day when we remember those boy babies under the age of two who were slaughtered in and around Bethlehem by order of King Herod. Herod, thinking Jesus could be the Messiah, wanted to eliminate him for fear he would someday usurp his power. Herod’s lust for power caused unimaginable suffering. Lust for power still does today.

An average of around 15,000 children under the age of 5 die each day. Some die because of preterm birth or birth trauma, some from infectious diseases, others from injuries and drowning. Most die from treatable diseases and other preventable causes. Poverty, inequality, discrimination, and illness still stalk and kill our children. War and other conflicts deny children the safety they need to grow in security. They lack healthcare and intact family life in war-torn regions, so they cannot be properly nurtured.

Children everywhere, even in our own country, lack proper nutrition. Many more children are in school than ever before, but more than half the children do not achieve even minimal educational goals. Often, in some countries, girls are denied education altogether. Children of all ages often suffer violence or the threat of violence in their own schools and neighborhoods.

Walking in the light means working so that all the children have clean water, clean air and a safe climate. Obviously, our changing climate is endangering the lives of many – if not all – children. It contributes to drought, flooding, and the destruction of crops. Malnutrition and starvation result. Many children die painful deaths daily. Others have to flee from their homes due to increasing natural disasters driven by climate change. Some die in the process of migration; others make it to a new destination, only to live in dire poverty, with little or no healthcare, facing a slow death.

Nearly 300 million children live in areas with severe toxic outdoor pollution – air, groundwater, toxic waste areas. Over 600,000 of these are under five and will die. Those who survive will suffer damage to their bodies and minds. If we do not work against all these evils, then we walk in darkness, not in the light.

Little children are the first victims of war and poverty. How are we working for peace in order to save our Holy Innocents today?

Herod, by other names, still seeks to kill the little children. God entrusted the care of his children to us. Let us walk in the Light of Love.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How will we help to stop Herod’s forces today – forces of environmental degradation, war, poverty, hunger, fear – from killing our little ones?

St. John, Apostle & Evangelist - Ornaments of Grace | 1 John 1:1-4 #christmas

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-27 | 1 John 1:1-4
This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and our hands have touched – we speak of the word of life. …This fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Indeed, our purpose in writing you this is that our joy may be complete.

Today’s first reading is from the short letter of John, proclaiming the same idea as the Gospel of John with a slightly different emphasis. In John’s Gospel, the divine nature of Jesus is prominent. We hear about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead today. But, by the time the letter of John is written well after the resurrection, some people based everything on Jesus’ divinity and tended to forget that He was truly human as well. So, John’s letter reminds us that Jesus, while one with God, became one of us, truly sharing in our humanity.

Having just celebrated Christmas, when Jesus became man, it is a good time to remember that Jesus spent His time on earth loving. That is John’s message over and over. God is love, and Jesus is love in the flesh. Love, for Jesus and in John’s messages, is not an abstract concept. It is love embodied in human actions. John says today that Jesus invites us into communion with His Father and with Him. So, we, too, embody love in the way we speak, in the way we are present to one another, in our actual living in this human community.

John’s emphasis is also on joy. If we live in right relationship with God and one another, then he says our joy will be complete. John knew Jesus personally and loved Him as a human walking this earth; he heard Jesus, touched Him, and saw Him reaching out to the poor, the sick, the marginalized. John knew what Jesus was about and, therefore, what we need to be doing if we want to experience true joy.

John, along with his brother James, was among the first apostles called by Jesus, after Peter and Andrew. Early in Jesus’ ministry, John witnessed many signs and miracles performed by Jesus. He was present when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead. Jesus took him up the mountain at the Transfiguration, where he witnessed Jesus’ glory and heard the voice of the Father. He heard Jesus prophesy about the last days when they were on the Mount of Olives, and he was nearby when Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus trusted John with the care of his beloved mother when he was dying on the Cross. John saw the empty tomb after the resurrection, and he was in the upper room when Jesus appeared. John was present at Jesus’ last appearance at the Sea of Galilee prior to the Ascension. Likely, these are just the highlights, but John knew Jesus extremely well and wants us to know Him, believe in Him and love as Jesus did so that we, too, can know perfect joy.

In establishing the early Christian Community, John worked first in Jerusalem along with Peter. He was with Peter when he healed a lame man in the Temple. When Peter went to confer the Holy Spirit upon the Samaritans converted by Philip, John accompanied him. His mission of preaching never ended during his life, and he tells us today the same message: God is Love. We can listen to John, for he knew Jesus intimately.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

What difference has your relationship with Jesus made in your life?

St. Stephen the Martyr - Ornaments of Grace | Matthew 10:17-22

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-26 | Matthew 10:17-22
Be on your guard with respect to others. They will haul you into court; they will flog you… You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings… When they hand you over, do not worry about what you will say or how you will say it. When the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say…The Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death.

As we begin the Octave of Christmas, we continue to celebrate Jesus’ coming. Yet, the happiness of Christmas seems to stand in stark contrast with the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel today remind us that Jesus’ birth cannot be somehow separate from His death and resurrection. Neither can our birth by baptism be separated from our death and resurrection in Jesus.

After Jesus’ resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles needed more help to serve the growing early Christian community. Disputes began to arise between the Greek-speaking Jews and the Hebraic Jews about fair food distribution to their widows. The Greek-speaking Jews felt their widows were not being treated as well as the others. Stephen was highly respected as a man of faith and fairness. An added benefit was that he spoke Greek. So, the Apostles asked Stephen to be one of seven deacons to distribute food and other necessities to those in need.

Stephen had many talents, though, and he not only served food, but he preached in the synagogues of the Greek-speaking Jews. There, he spoke powerfully and worked miracles among the people. The prominent members of these synagogues argued with him. Stephen engaged in their debates and showed all the truth of his teachings.

Unfortunately, winning the debates humiliated those who had challenged Stephen. So, the leaders of the synagogues made up lies, saying Stephen had showed contempt for God and a lack of respect for Moses. Such blasphemy was considered a serious crime, a crime that would have to go to trial before the supreme court of the Jewish elders, the Sanhedrin.

Angry members of the synagogues dragged Stephen before the Sanhedrin for trial. There, they accused him of preaching against the Temple and the Law of Moses. Stephen must have remembered Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel because he did not get upset. He gave a long speech to the Sanhedrin, carefully outlining his understanding of the history of Israel. Speaking of Abraham, the patriarchs, and Moses, he explained how the Chosen People disobeyed God and needed the Messiah. He showed how Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not to destroy it.

Stephen bravely told those before him how they were, by falsely accusing him, doing what their ancestors had done by persecuting the prophets. He warned them that they were not listening to the Holy Spirit, and he reminded them that they even killed the Messiah who came to save them.

Stephen’s words angered the crowd who began to throw stones at him. Stephen looked up to heaven and cried out, “Look! I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God!” As he died, he asked the Lord to receive his spirit and forgive those who stoned him.

We will suffer in following Jesus, but Christmas reminds us that He lives among us to give us everything we need to stay faithful in the moments, days, or years ahead.

Today's Ornament of Grace is St. Stephen, the Martyr.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

Who are some people who have spoken ill of you? Have you forgiven them?

Jesus, Prince of Peace - Ornaments of Grace | Isaiah 52:7-10 #christmas

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-25 | Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, “Your God is King!” Hark! Your watchmen raise a cry, together they shout for joy, for they see directly, before their eyes, the Lord restoring Zion… The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.

Today, we celebrate Jesus’ birth as God made flesh and what that means for us and for all creation. May we offer everyone around us a hearty greeting of “Peace be with you,” for the Prince of Peace has come and dwells with us!

The first reading for Christmas Day was written long before the birth of Jesus by a prophet called to bring hope to God’s chosen ones. The people of Judah had been defeated by a pagan king who destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. Many Judaeans were slaughtered, and those who didn’t die were sent into exile in Babylon. Suffering as slaves in a strange land, God’s people wondered if they had been abandoned. So, the prophet reminds the people that God will never forget His people. In fact, in today’s reading, we hear a shout for joy that God has won the battle (through King Cyrus of Persia) and redeemed his people from captivity.

Even more, God did not just save Jerusalem, but Isaiah states all the ends of the earth, all nations everywhere, have been redeemed. How beautiful, the prophet says, is this good news of peace and salvation! It is a cosmic victory, a victory for everyone and every part of God’s creation.

While we have not had to serve as slaves in Babylon, God has sent his son to rescue us from all that might enslave us. If we idolize anything but God, we are enslaved. We can be enslaved to food or drink. We can be held captive by a desire for money or fame. But today, we are called to put everything under the Lordship of Jesus. For we are called to freedom. The message is one of peace and salvation. It is not just peace from outright war but from all reasons for war. Jesus dwelling among us means the peace is limitless because He is God made flesh and God is limitless.

Jesus, as God, bursts through all barriers. He comes from heaven to earth, embracing all of creation and all people everywhere. We no longer have to be afraid to move out of our fears and isolation to reach out to our brothers and sisters. We can see the sacred earth with new eyes and the universe with wonder.

On this Christmas Day, we may be aware of battles going on around us and within us, but we do not have to fear. God, in Jesus, has the power to save us. God, in sending His Son Jesus, showed us He wants us all to be triumphant. Let us sing with all the angels, “Peace on earth and good will toward all!” Let us live this song of love joyfully every day of our lives. Let us never forget for a second that God dwells with us because Jesus loves us without any limits, infinitely.

Jesus, Prince of Peace, is today’s Ornament of Grace.

How can you tell you really believe God became flesh and dwells with us?

Corrie ten Boom - Ornaments of Grace | Luke 1:26-30

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-24 | Luke 1:26-30
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Upon arriving, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, O highly favored daughter! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” She was deeply troubled by his word, and wondered what his greeting meant. The angel went on to say to her: “Do not fear, Mary, you have found favor with God.”

Blessed Mary lived in an obscure Galilean village, and yet God chose her to change history for all time. It had been more than four hundred years since the last of the Old Testament prophets, and some people wondered if they would ever hear the loving promises of God again. But Mary never doubted that God was nearby. When she heard his voice through the angel, she listened. Though not understanding all that would unfold in her life, Mary trusted. We know she acted courageously in saying yes to God’s call.

Many years later, another woman listened to God every day and acted courageously. While not called to be the Mother of Jesus, Corrie ten Boom – like all of us – was called to give witness to God’s love and give birth to Jesus in the hearts of many.

Born in Haarlem, Netherlands, in 1892, Corrie was the youngest of four children born to a watchmaker. She took care of the house while her elder sister Betsie worked alongside her father in the shop below their home. When Betsie became ill for a time, Corrie was sent to work in the shop. Corrie loved learning the trade and was gifted with financial organizational abilities. So, when Betsie recovered, Corrie was asked to continue working in the shop while Betsie did the housework. This arrangement pleased both Betsie and Corrie.

In the ten Boom Dutch Christian home, Corrie and Betsie listened to their father’s daily reading of Scripture and took it to heart. The family actively served their community, helping those in need and bringing up many foster children. They had a special love for those who were disabled in any way. This prepared them for a time when even greater courage would be required, a faithfulness that required total trust in God.

World War II broke out, and the Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940. Gradually, the Gestapo (or its Dutch counterpart) rounded up the Jewish people, sending them to concentration camps where they were put to death. Corrie, Betsie and their father managed to get ration cards for their Jewish brothers and sisters since food was scarce. At the same time, they began to hide Jews in their home. In 1943-1944, the ten Booms usually had a half dozen Jews in their home on their way to safe houses provided by the Dutch Underground. The ten Booms probably saved around 800 Jews from death during this time.

The home was raided in February,1944, and the ten Booms imprisoned. Mr. ten Boom died soon afterward, but Corrie and Betsie were sent to Ravensbruck Camp in Germany. A Bible they had smuggled in was a source of comfort to them. They prayed with their fellow prisoners, bringing many to Jesus through their kindness and compassion. Betsie died of illness and starvation in May. Due to a clerical error, Corrie was released less than two weeks after Betsie’s death.

Corrie spent the rest of her life telling people of God’s forgiving love and practicing it until she died in 1983. That was not always easy. After giving a talk in a church basement about God’s forgiving love, she saw a former guard from Ravensbruck. Her blood seemed to freeze, she said, and she could see the prison room with this guard’s crop swinging from his belt. He had been cruel. Then he reached out his hand and told her he had become a Christian and believed God had forgiven him but wanted to hear Corrie say it to him. She asked Jesus to help her move her hand to take his; she asked Jesus to supply the feeling she did not have at that moment. Then it came, and she cried out as she took his hand in hers, “Brother, I forgive you!”

Corrie ten Boom is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How does daily prayer help you practice daily acts of selflessness while preparing you for any future trials?

Embrace the Child Jesus | Matthew 11:28-30 #homily #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-23 | During this season of Advent, if you had a vision of Mary and the baby Jesus, and Mary handed you the baby to help raise, would you accept the challenge? Would you make a manger in your heart?

From Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart; ...

Read the full Gospel passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120722.cfm

Rais Bhuiyan - Ornaments of Grace | Malachi 3:1-2

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-23 | Malachi 3:1-2
Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye.

In today’s reading, Malachi was giving the suffering Israelites hope for the future and foretelling the coming of John the Baptist. However, he was warning them as well because they were asking God for justice, not mercy. They wanted to prosper like their neighbors who were not worshiping the one God. But they were not being honest with God. So, asking God for justice in this case might bring them the refiner’s fire or the fuller’s lye so that they would remember to ask for mercy. One person in our world today did not demand justice for wrong done to him; rather, he asked mercy on the sinner and showed God’s merciful love.

When September 11, 2001, rocked the United States, some people wanted what they called justice. In fact, it was really revenge on people who had not even done a crime. This caused many innocent individuals to suffer. One of these was Raisuddin Bhuiyan, known as Rais who was a Bangladeshi American working in Dallas, Texas. After 9/11, Mark Stroman decided to get revenge by killing people he thought were Muslims. On September 15, he killed a Pakistani immigrant. Less than a week later, Stroman came into Rais’s store with a double-barreled shotgun. Assuming he was going to be robbed, Rais began gathering money from the register to give the man. Stroman asked him, “Where are you from?” Before Rais could answer, Stroman shot him in the face. Someone in the store called 911, and Rais rushed to the barbershop next door for help. Then on October 4, Stroman killed an Indian immigrant, before he was finally captured. From prison Stroman sent a letter brimming with hate to a friend, admitting the killings were revenge for 9/11.

Rais went through numerous surgeries. The doctors were able to save his eye but not his vision. Also, he had 35 pellets lodged on the right side of his face. Rais lost his job, his home, his money, and his sense of security. Then, in 2009, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca and experienced a transformation. He realized that Stroman, now on death row, was a man like himself and forgave him. He even went further and worked with the legal system and the Islamic Community to try to save Stroman from execution. While he was unsuccessful in that cause even though working to the end, he certainly made a difference in Mark Stroman’s life. They had been reconciled years earlier, but hours before the execution, Rais and Mark spoke on the phone. Rais said, “I forgive you and do not hate you.” Mark responded, “Thank you… You touched my heart! I would never have expected this.” Rais said, “You touched mine too.”

Rais Bhuiyan started a movement called “World Without Hate” to stop hate crimes by educating people and by working with Amnesty International. Both men faced the refiner’s fire. The love shown by Rais Bhuiyan is like God’s mercy: life-giving forever.

Rais Bhuiyan is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

Have you ever demanded justice from God for what has happened in your life? How is that different from loving mercy?

Louis Braille - Ornaments of Grace | 1 Samuel 1:24-28 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-22 | 1 Samuel 1:24-28
Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah presented him at the temple in Shiloh…Hannah approached Eli and said: “Pardon, my lord! As you live, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.”

Samuel, dedicated to the Lord by his parents as shown in today’s reading, changed the course of Israel’s history by anointing Saul as the first king. Louis Braille, dedicated to the Lord by his parents at Baptism, changed the course of many lives by developing a system of touch reading for the blind.

Born in a small French town, Louis Braille was not unlike children everywhere who try to imitate their parents. He saw his father working as a leatherer. So, the three-year-old picked up an awl to do the same. Unfortunately for little Louis, the awl unexpectedly bounced back from the leather and hit him in the eye. The hole in his eye became infected and extremely painful. In the early 1800’s, there was no effective treatment, and the infection spread to the other eye as well. By the time he was just five, little Louis was completely blind.

But God had gifted Louis with a bright mind, a beautiful sense of music, and a caring father. His father taught him to move safely but independently using a cane. He was devout and learned to play the organ. He used this gift in many churches in France. He also won a scholarship to one of the only schools in the world at that time for blind youth. It was in Paris. There he learned a system of reading using raised letters. His father made Louis a set of thick leather letters that he could trace to write home. The young twelve-year-old realized using such a system to produce books was more than cumbersome. Few books for the blind were available. He had become familiar with a system of dots and dashes used by soldiers to communicate silently in the dark, but it was complicated.

After three years, Louis Braille developed a simpler system for the blind, not unlike the system of dots and dashes but far less complicated. Ironically, Louis used an awl to impress the letters, mathematical symbols, and musical notations into paper. It could be accessible to all. He did this because of his caring nature, believing the blind should be able to communicate on an equal footing with those who could see. What an amazing vision for a 15-year-old boy!

By twenty-four, Braille was a full professor at the Institute for the Blind in Paris and remained in that position until his death from tuberculosis at age forty-three. His system was not accepted widely in his day. After his death, however, it took hold and is used to this day, even with the advent of electronic devices. Look on public bathroom signs or elevator panels or public signs of any kind. When you see this code which has been a blessing to countless people, you can remember a man whose loss of sight led him to find a way to help others. Yes, Louis Braille was dedicated to the Lord at his Baptism, and he practiced his faith all his life. It was that faith and using the gifts God gave him that changed for the better the lives of so many.

Louis Braille is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How did Louis use the many gifts God gave him to uplift and encourage others instead of wallowing in self-pity?

Saints Marie-Azelie Guerin Martin and Louis Martin - Ornaments of Grace | Song of Songs 2:8-12

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-21 | Song of Songs 2:8-12
Hark! My lover - here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag…My lover speaks; he says to me, “Arise my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth…”

Louis Martin wanted to be a monk but was turned away because he had not learned Latin. Marie-Azelie Guerin wanted to be a nun but was denied entrance due to respiratory trouble and recurring headaches. God had other plans for the young handsome watchmaker and the pretty lacemaker. Zelie was passing Louis on a bridge one night and heard a holy inner voice telling her that this was the man God wanted her to marry. Zelie’s aunt was able to introduce them in 1858. Both prayerful people, they fell deeply in love, and were married three months later. They lived in Alencon, France.

Zelie became so successful in lacemaking that Louis gave up his trade as a watchmaker and became a partner with his beloved wife in her business. It was unusual in their time for the husband to give up his trade to take on the business of his wife, but they made it work. Together they had nine children, but their love was not without great suffering. Only five daughters lived beyond infancy. The Martins lost two little boys before they saw their first birthday, and two girls died in 1870, one who was five and one who was just seven weeks old.

While the Martin family did not have money worries, they chose to live a simple lifestyle. They helped the poor and prayed together as a family every day. Zelie’s letters reveal what great joy both she and Louis found in their daughters. Still, they also show what sorrow they felt when losing a child. She wrote to her sister-in-law, “When I closed the eyes of my dear little children and buried them, I felt sorrow through and through… People said to me, ‘It would have been better never to have had them.’ I couldn’t stand such language. My children were not lost forever; life is short and full of miseries, and we shall find our little ones again up above.” Zelie and Louis trusted God’s plan always.

The youngest Martin child is probably the best known. She is St. Therese of the Child Jesus, also known as The Little Flower or St. Therese of Lisieux. The latter name applies because when Therese was only four years old, her mother died of breast cancer. Louis then sold the lacemaking business and the home in Alencon and moved the family to Lisieux. He did this so that one of Zelie’s sisters could help care for his girls. He loved Alencon and had many friends there, but he always put the needs of his children first. From Lisieux, one by one, his five daughters chose to enter religious life.

In his final years, Louis developed dementia and was placed in a caring asylum. He saw, in his lucid moments, the humiliation of his disease as a blessing, bringing him closer to the Lord. He never stopped praying and placing his life in God’s loving hands.

In 2015, Pope Francis canonized Zelie and Louis together, saying, “The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie-Azelie Guerin practiced Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters, among whom was Saint Therese of the Child Jesus.”

Sts. Louis Martin and Marie-Azelie Guerin Martin are today’s Ornaments of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How can you, by example, help to teach children about the love of Jesus for them?

Blessed Maria Sagheddu - Ornaments of Grace | Isaiah 7:10-14 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-20 | Isaiah 7:10-14
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered: “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord.” Then he said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men; must you also weary my God? Therefore, the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

Born to shepherds in the Sardinian Region, an island to the west of Italy, Maria Sagheddu recognized the sign given by a loving God as Immanuel, God with us! She learned to trust Him even in difficult times. Unlike Ahaz who was a king and rejected a prophet’s guidance, Maria let Jesus be her king, allowing Him to care for her.

Maria’s father and one brother died in 1919 when she was only five; two more brothers died in childhood. Such grief surely brought little Maria to an early understanding of how quickly life on earth can pass. Though excelling in school, she had to leave after an elementary education to help her mother care for the other children and the home.

Maria’s sister, Giovanni Antonia, just a year younger, was her closest sibling in every way. In 1932, Giovanni died at age 17. After that, Maria’s devotion to the Lord grew. She began to teach religion to children and teens. She also reached out to help elderly people in the area in any way she could. These good works seemed to spur Maria to spend more time in prayer and study.

Soon, she felt called to religious life. With the help of her Jesuit confessor, she entered the Trappist Convent near Rome and received the name Maria Gabriella. Making her vows on the Feast of Christ the King in 1937, she entered wholeheartedly into the Trappist way of life and learned much about the need for ecumenism, a closer relationship among all Christian churches. She suffered from bouts of anxiety, but abandoned herself completely into the hands of God and found relief. The Sisters found her trusting, humble, cheerful, and always ready to do the most tiring jobs happily.

Maria Gabriella gave thanks to God for allowing her to be at one with Him through her vowed life. Still, she longed for all Christians to grow in understanding of one another and to develop a relationship with one another in Jesus. In January, 1938, during a time of special prayer for Christian unity, Maria offered herself as a spiritual sacrifice so that all might be one. This sacrifice, in God’s plan, was not only to be spiritual but physical as well. By May of the same year, doctors told her she had incurable tuberculosis. After suffering with the disease for over a year, Maria peacefully gave herself to the Lord and died on April 23, 1939. It was Good Shepherd Sunday, and the Gospel proclaimed “… and there will be one fold and one shepherd.”

During her very short life of 25 years, her love for unity had been welcomed by the Anglican Church and other believers as well. After her death, vocations flocked to her religious community. St. Pope John Paul II referred to Maria Gabriella in his encyclical Ut Unum Sint (That They May Be One) as an example to follow: someone who realized it is our duty at all times, everywhere, to pray and work for unity. The Pope beatified her on January 25, 1983.

Today's Ornament of Grace for Tuesday for the Fourth Week of Advent is Bl. Maria Gabriella Sagheddu.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How can you work for greater unity among all Christian faiths?

St. Elisabeth Hesselblad - Ornaments of Grace | Luke 1:5-25 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-19 | from Luke 1:5-25
Then, when Zechariah’s time of priestly service was over, he went home. Afterward, his wife Elizabeth conceived. She went into seclusion for five months, saying: “In these days, the Lord is acting on my behalf; he has seen fit to remove my reproach among men.”

Born in 1870 to Lutheran parents in Sweden, Elisabeth Hesselblad was the fifth of thirteen children. By the time she was sixteen, she had to go to work to help support the family. Emigrating to the United States in 1888, she studied nursing in New York City and provided home health care to many of the poor. Some of those she served were Catholic, and they influenced Elisabeth profoundly.

Elisabeth gave herself to prayer and study, wanting to know and follow the Lord’s plans for her. So, it was with joy on the Feast of the Assumption, 1902, that she embraced the Catholic faith. Later, reflecting on her conversion, she wrote: “In an instant the love of God was poured over me. I understood that I could respond to that love only through sacrifice and a love prepared to suffer for His glory and for the Church. Without hesitation I offered Him my life, and my will to follow Him on the Way of the Cross.”

A short time after her conversion, Elisabeth left for Europe where she made a pilgrimage to Rome. There she visited the house of Bridget of Sweden, then a Carmelite Monastery. She wanted to join the Carmelites in Rome, but her health was not good due to her care for the sick poor in New York City. The Order felt the life would be too difficult for her, but they welcomed her as a guest on probation. Elisabeth fell critically ill there, so she could not join the Carmelites. Still, feeling called to religious life, she asked the Pope to allow her to make vows under the Rule of the Order St. Bridget had founded. She professed her vows to her Jesuit spiritual director in 1906.

Elisabeth, knowing the Order was strong in Sweden prior to the Protestant Reformation, wanted to bring it back to life. She was unsuccessful in that attempt but proposed a new Order dedicated to care of the sick. By the end of 1911, three women had joined her to pray and work. The Order grew, and Elisabeth continued caring for the sick poor. In 1928 the Carmelites left their Monastery in Rome, and Elisabeth’s new Order of Bridgettines moved in, establishing a foundation in Rome.

During World War II, the convent in Rome was a place where she, as Superior, hid twelve Jews fleeing the holocaust. The Germans occupied Italy in 1943, sending many Jews to Auschwitz. This particular family of Jews roamed the countryside for some months but eventually returned to Rome. Friends suggested they take refuge in the Bridgettine Monastery. Elisabeth and her community welcomed them, risking their lives. The Jews were able to hide in the monastery until they could safely leave after the liberation of Italy in 1944, a period of six months. Like nursing the sick, Elisabeth offered her life for all her brothers and sisters.

Elisabeth became quite ill on April 23, 1957. She raised her hands to bless her sisters saying, “Go to heaven with hands full of love and virtues.” She received the sacraments and died early the next morning. Pope Francis canonized her in 2016.

Today's Ornament of Grace is St. Elisabeth Hesselblad.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How can we reach out and provide safety for the poor, the sick, and those whom society has cast aside?

St. Jude the Apostle - Ornaments of Grace | Jeremiah 23:5-6

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-18 | Jeremiah 23:5-6
Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: “The Lord our justice.”

In today’s first reading, we hear the prophet Jeremiah speaking to the Israelites who were scattered and in exile. Not only will their king one day be both wise and good, but he will bring peace. Even more, he promises to share his justice with all the people. While the people were in such pain at the time of this prophet, it’s likely that most could not even fathom, let alone believe, this message. But the message was carried forward by those who could believe and hope – from generation to generation. St. Jude, not to be confused with the Judas who betrayed Jesus, was one who hoped, believed, and spread the news of Jesus around the world.

St. Jude, sometimes called Thaddeus (which means sweetness or gentleness), was the son of Mary of Clopas, a cousin of the Virgin Mary and therefore a relative of Jesus. But it was more than genes that held Jude close to Jesus. He is one of the twelve apostles who left everything to follow Jesus. He was present at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on those gathered in the upper room. From there, he bravely spread the Gospel in Samaria, Syria, Judea, Idumaeia (part of Israel and Jordan today), and Libya (northern Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea). He also brought the Good News to areas today known as Iraq, Kuwait, and Turkey. As with most of the apostles, Jude was martyred.

So, while not much else is known about St. Jude, we do know he was a faithful follower of Jesus even in dire situations. He trusted in God’s promises, and he understood that God poured out on us the justice he promised, promised even long ago in the time of Jeremiah. That justice means our sins are forgiven, that God acts wisely and compassionately for us in all things, and that he will bring us to the land of peace.

The last letter in the New Testament, just before the Book of Revelation, is a short epistle attributed by some scholars to St. Jude. Maybe he is best known as the Saint of Impossible Cases, but that is because he is truly an apostle of faith and hope. Faith in God’s promises is what makes miracles possible, and hope helps us realize that even if things are difficult here on earth, a better home awaits us in heaven.

St. Jude’s letter teaches us this way: “But you, beloved, grow strong in your holy faith through prayer in the Holy Spirit. Persevere in God’s love, and welcome the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which leads to life eternal… There is one who can protect you from a fall and make you stand unblemished and exultant in the presence of his glory…”

St. Jude is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

Why do you think St. Jude or other saints in heaven are happy to intercede for us when we call upon them?

St. Paul - Ornaments of Grace | Philippians 4:4-7 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-17 | Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again: Rejoice! Everyone should see how unselfish you are. The Lord is near. Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of prayer and in petitions full of gratitude. Then God’s own peace, which is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus.

By the third Sunday of Advent, we are often in the throes of Christmas pain. Pain? Well, maybe there are last-minute gifts we have not yet found. We might be disappointed because people we were hoping to join us on the Feast itself will not be able to come. Perhaps we think we should be saints because we have worked hard to listen to the Holy Spirit this Advent season. Maybe someone we love is sick or we are thinking of those who have died and will not be part of our usual festivities this year. Yes, pain. Then out comes the priest to say Mass in his pink, happy vestments. A pretty party-pink candle is being lit, and we might feel just a little more blue. When the lector reads today’s second reading, we ask “How? How can I rejoice always? Really??”

St. Paul, who is generally considered the author of the words of today’s reading, suffered greatly. Yet he knew the great peace and joy that comes to those who live for the Lord. Saul, born between 5 BC and 5 AD, was raised in a well-educated, pious Jewish family in Tarsus. Tarsus was one of the largest trade centers on the Mediterranean Sea in Asia Minor. He felt it his duty to persecute and kill Christians, including St. Stephen, you might recall. He felt this way since the new followers of Jesus seemed to have deserted the faith he had been taught to live and die for. But around 36 AD, he was on the road to Damascus when he experienced a vision of Jesus. Jesus said to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul asked, “Who are you?” Then he heard, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” The encounter left Saul blind for three days, so he had to be led into Damascus. There, he spent his time in prayer and penance. Jesus sent Ananias to restore Saul’s sight, and Saul – now Paul – was baptized.

St. Paul then spent the rest of his life preaching the Good News of Jesus. During this time, he had to keep journeying long distances. Robbers threatened travelers. Paul was beaten with rods. Three times he was shipwrecked and spent a night and day in the sea. He was thrown into jail. His message was often rejected. Sometimes those who did accept the message of faith lost their interest and fell away. Even some of his close friends deserted him. So, when he tells us to rejoice in the Lord always, to dismiss anxiety from our minds, and to pray with grateful hearts, St. Paul is not speaking as someone who had no reason to be anxious or sad or upset. Rather, he is speaking to us as someone who has chosen to put all his trust in the Lord. He is speaking as someone who, by putting his life in the hands of the Lord, knows a peace that is beyond human understanding. He holds out this truth to us, and we can choose joy and peace no matter what difficulties we face daily. Yes, light the joyful pink candle!

St. Paul is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

Have you ever experienced great peace in the midst of suffering? How do you explain that?

St. Vincent Ferrer - Ornaments of Grace | Matthew 17:9a, 10-13 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-16 | Matthew 17:9a, 10-13
…The disciples put this question to him: “Why do the scribes claim that Elijah must come first?” In reply, he said: “Elijah is indeed coming, and he will restore everything. I assure you, though, that Elijah has already come, but they did not recognize him and did as they pleased with him. The Son of Man will suffer at their hands in the same way.” The disciples then realized that he had been speaking to them about John the Baptizer.

St. Vincent Ferrer, OP
Today’s Gospel picks up just after the Transfiguration where Peter, James, and John saw Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah and being transfigured. Jesus showed these disciples that he valued the law and the prophets. Now Jesus explains to them that John the Baptist is the new Elijah preparing the way for the Messiah. Jesus also shows that true prophets must suffer as John suffered and warns the disciples of His own suffering to come.

St. Vincent Ferrer was a follower of Jesus and lived much like John the Baptist in preparing people of his time to recognize Jesus as Savior through true repentance. Like John, Vincent got an early start in knowing the Lord. Finishing his classical studies at 8 years of age, he began to learn theology and philosophy at 14. By 18, Ferrer had decided to enter the Dominican Order where, in the novitiate, he suffered great temptations to leave. Through penance, he conquered these desires, was professed, and, by age 29, was ordained a priest. He then earned a doctorate in theology and taught at the university level. He served as spiritual director for one of the three men claiming to be Pope at the time. Soon, Vincent set out to evangelize Western Europe.

Though mild-mannered and kind, Vincent was an eloquent, fiery speaker like John the Baptist before him. He converted many over twenty-plus years. Vincent practiced penance, showing by his life the beliefs he promoted, offering his suffering so that others could desire eternal life.

Vincent did not eat grasshoppers or wear animal skin as John the Baptist had, but he wore very poor clothing and lived simply. Fasting constantly, he would rise at 2:00 a.m. to pray. Every day he celebrated Mass, preached for hours, tended the sick, and carefully prepared his homily for the next day before retiring. In Jesus’ name, he worked miracles.

While Vincent is known for converting many Jewish people to Catholicism, he would not consider that his goal. One source said that he led mobs to seize a synagogue and make it into a church, but another reliable source relates that the Jewish converts made their synagogue into a church. No one is perfect, and we do not know the whole truth. Another reliable source explains that Vincent stopped riots against Jews and, with his eloquence, talked people bent on persecuting the Jews to be at peace with them. Since he was mild-mannered by nature, it is hard to imagine he used his voice for anything other than good.

What we know for sure is that Vincent, called by God as all of us are, used his gifts and his life to prepare the way for Jesus, our Savior, to come into their hearts. Was he imperfect? Yes. Is that hopeful for us all? Yes.

St. Vincent Ferrer, OP is today’s, Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

This Advent, how can we, like St. John the Baptist or St. Vincent Ferrer, use our gifts to prepare our own heart and the hearts of others to receive the Savior?

Image of Hope | Luke 10:21-24 #homily

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-16 | Fr. Michael encourages us to embrace this time of preparation and to keep the image of the baby Jesus as our image of hope in a time of seemingly endless darkness.

from Luke 10:21-24
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. ...

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120523.cfm

St. Catherine Labouré - Ornaments of Grace | Isaiah 48:17-19 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-15 | Isaiah 41:17-19
I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go.

Named Zoe Laboure at her birth in the Burgundy region of France in 1806, she was usually called Catherine, her Baptismal name. She was the 9th of 11 children. When she was only nine years old, her mother died. After the funeral, she went to a statue of Our Lady, kissed it and said, “Now you will be my mother.”

Her father’s sister who lived a few miles away cared for Catherine and her sister after their mother’s death for a few years. While at her aunt’s, Catherine had a dream of a priest who asked her to serve the sick. Later, she would recognize the priest as St. Vincent de Paul who had been canonized many years earlier. At the age of 12, Catherine returned to work on the family farm. She often went to the parish church and spent time in deep prayer. When she grew older, her father became concerned that she might have a calling to religious life. So, he sent her to work for his brother in Paris. Her uncle had a place that provided meals to poor laborers. There, Catherine became acutely aware of the suffering of the poor and wanted to help them. This reinforced her call to religious life. At the age of 24, Catherine entered the religious Order founded by St. Vincent de Paul, the Sisters of Charity, noted for their care for the sick and suffering.

When she was in the novitiate, Catherine was awakened in the night by the voice of a child who said “God wishes to charge you with a mission. You will be contradicted, but do not fear; you will have the grace to do what is necessary. Tell your spiritual director all that passes within you. Times are evil in France and in the world.” Catherine went to the chapel where she found the Blessed Mother with whom she conversed. Four months later, the Blessed Mother again appeared to Catherine as she knelt at the altar. Mary seemed to be standing on a globe with the message, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Mary asked Catherine to take the image to her spiritual director and tell him to put it on medallions so that all those who wore the blessed medal and who prayed its words in faith would receive great graces. Catherine did as she was told. But, always humble, she never revealed who she was to anyone except her spiritual director until she was on her deathbed. The Miraculous Medal was adopted by millions of Catholics and is worn by many today.

As for Catherine, she took her vows and went to work in a hospice nursing the sick and elderly poor. She also worked on the hospice farm, caring for poultry and cleaning the stables. She was loved for her devotion to the infirm, for her prayer, and for her humility. She died at that hospice farm when she was 70. The Lord and his Mother certainly taught Catherine what was for her good and led her on the way she was to go. She walked the path they showed her right into eternal life, bringing many with her.

St. Catherine Laboure is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How might saying the words on the Miraculous Medal, remind you to have confidence in your heavenly Mother during difficult times?

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

St. Ambrose - Ornaments of Grace | Isaiah 40:9-11 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-14 | Isaiah 40:9-11
Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!

St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in the 4th century, was a noted theologian and doctor of the church, who still influences Christianity today. He is recognized as a saint not just in the Roman Catholic Church but in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran denominations, and the Eastern Orthodox faith. He did not fail to cry out, as today’s reading directs, that God is with all people.

The fourth century was a time of social, religious, and civil upheaval. Paganism was still the belief of the majority. The Church was struggling to listen to how the Holy Spirit might help to clarify its doctrines, unify it, and bring people to hear the Good News of salvation. Ambrose was particularly well-suited for this challenge. Born into a well-educated and pious Roman Christian family, Ambrose studied literature, law, and public speaking. He became a public servant and quickly rose to become the popular Governor of Aemilia-Liguria in northern Italy. When a heretical Bishop died in Milan, Ambrose went into the Church there to quell what he thought might become a riot between those supporting the former heretical Bishop and those wanting to elect a Bishop who held true beliefs. Instead, he found himself hearing, “Ambrose, Bishop!” This cry became a thunderous acclamation by all present. He appealed to both sides because while he believed the truth, he also showed understanding and charity toward those who held heretical beliefs. Though he was not a priest, not trained in theology, and not even baptized, he listened to the call of the Holy Spirit. Within a week, he was baptized, confirmed, and ordained. He gave his money to the poor, adopted a disciplined lifestyle, and studied theology in earnest. Soon he was named Bishop of Milan.

As Bishop, Ambrose presided at Mass regularly. He constantly preached the Good News and untiringly reasoned with those who could not understand true doctrine. At the same time, he wrote hymns to uplift the people and personally served the poor. The Emperor, however, embraced heresy and demanded that two churches in Milan be handed over for use by the heretics. Ambrose refused. When the emperor’s forces came and surrounded one of the basilicas while Ambrose was praying the Liturgy of the Hours, he told the emperor: “If you demand my person, I am ready to submit: carry me to prison or to death, I will not resist; but I will never betray the church of Christ. I will not call upon the people to help me; I will die at the foot of the altar rather than desert it.” The emperor withdrew.

Truly, St. Ambrose can teach us how to courageously defend the truth with charity for all concerned. He was unafraid to cry out to all, “Here is your God!”

St. Ambrose is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

Do you know anyone who, like St. Ambrose, not only gave up a former lifestyle, but totally embraced a new calling in the spirit of service?

St. Monica - Ornaments of Grace | Isaiah 40:25-31 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-13 | Today's Ornament of Grace for Wednesday of the second week of Advent is St. Monica.

Isaiah 40:25-31
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 the young 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.

Monica, patron saint of mothers, was born in present-day Algeria, western North Africa. Her parents, small landowners, gave her in marriage early in life to Patricius, a Roman pagan with authority in their city. He had an abusive mother who caused Monica a great deal of sorrow. But she drew strength from prayer and accepted her mother-in-law. Her husband also led a wild life of infidelity and extreme sensual pleasures. While all this would cause most of us to “faint and grow weary,” Monica remained faithful to prayer, daily Mass, and good works, renewing her strength day by day.

Monica counseled women who complained of difficulties at home, saying, “If you can master your tongue, not only do you run less risk of being beaten, but perhaps you may even, one day, make your husband better.” Her gentle kindness soon brought her mother-in-law around. And, after thirty years of Monica loving her husband into wholeness, he converted.

Monica and Patricius had three children who survived infancy, two boys and a girl. One of her sons and her daughter became religious. The other son became well-known later as St. Augustine of Hippo. His road to sanctity was not an easy one for his mother, as he would admit in his famous book, Confessions.

Augustine was a lazy boy, so Monica sent him to Carthage to study when he was 17. HIs father died while he was there, and Monica watched Augustine’s progress carefully. He excelled in school and became a teacher. Monica was proud of her son for that. Sadly, though, he was converted to Manicheanism which saw the world dualistically, with the material part being dark or bad and the spiritual as light or good. Such dualism did not leave room for the goodness of all creation. As we know, creation is a gift from God that we are to treasure. To heighten Monica’s distress, Augustine chose to live with a mistress for around ten years.

Monica, however, never gave up on her son, praying for him with tears every day for many years. Monica followed her son to Rome, but she found he had gone to Milan from there. So, she followed him to Milan. There, she asked St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, to speak with Augustine. Ambrose was an instrument of grace for Augustine. At 28, Augustine opened his heart to God.

After this, Monica and Augustine enjoyed six wonderful months together in the Italian Lombardy region, both striving for holiness. Then, Monica and Augustine headed back to Africa, stopping in the Roman seaport city of Ostia on the way. There, Monica died in peace, knowing that her wayward son, all her children, as well as her husband and mother-in-law were now in God’s hands. Monica never gave up, and she drew upon strength from God to walk with those who needed her by them. Surely, she sailed right into heaven!

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

During the Advent Season, who can you pray and sacrifice for who is struggling with the faith?

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Ornaments of Grace | Zechariah 2:14-17

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-12 | Today's Ornament of Grace for Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent is Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Zechariah 2:14-17
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

Today is surely a day to sing and rejoice – and maybe even dance! This is a time for celebration, for we know that the Lord does dwell with us. Realizing this, even in a very small way, should bring us deep joy and true excitement.

Before the Incarnation, God’s Chosen Ones waited in expectation while the prophets offered them hope. One choice for today’s reading is from Zechariah. It explains that God is about to do something totally unexpected and wonderful for all nations. People then did not have the gift of knowing how Jesus came to live with us. Today we may know it in our minds, but we might need someone to help us open our hearts to such a wonder. Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast we celebrate, might just be the perfect someone to help us because she loves us so much.

This is a true, familiar story to many. Briefly, Juan Diego, an indigenous man in what is now Mexico, had a vision of Our Lady on this day in 1531. She directed Juan Diego to tell the bishop to build a church at the site of her appearance so that all would know that she, the Mother of God, was their mother too. The bishop needed to be sure of the apparition, so he asked Juan for a sign from heaven as proof. When Juan asked Mary for the sign, she told him to gather roses from a rocky, wintry hillside. He did so. Then he went to the bishop, opened his cloak, and the roses fell out. Greater still was the image of Our Lady imprinted on Juan Diego’s cloak.

If you have the good fortune to have a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, you see her eyes are cast down in humility. Juan Diego would easily have recognized her beautiful dark skin and hair as one of his own people. She is looking lovingly at her beloved child. Around her waist is a band indigenous women wore when pregnant. On her loose cloak or mantle are stars. These 46 stars represent the constellations visible over Mexico on Dec 12, 1531. While we cannot see the sun because Our Lady’s image blocks it from our view, it is surely present, as the rays emanate from behind her. She stands on the moon. The picture might remind us of a passage from the Book of Revelation: “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child…”.

The best news is that Our Lady of Guadalupe promised all who come to her that she would hear and answer them, for she is our mother and loves us as her children.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

What in the story or in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe draws you to prayer?

#guadalupejubileo #ourladyofguadalupe #catholic #hearttoheart #frmichael

St. Katharine Drexel - Ornaments of Grace | Isaiah 29:18-19

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-11 | from Isaiah 29:18-19
On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1858, Katharine Mary Drexel’s mother died five weeks after giving birth, leaving Katharine and her older sister. Her father, an extremely successful investment banker, remarried when Katharine was around two. A third sister came along soon. The girls were tutored at home but traveled extensively as well. Katharine and her sisters learned kindness early as the Drexel family distributed food, clothing, and money for shelter to the poor three times a week from their own home. If widows or others in need were too proud to come to their home for assistance, Katharine’s father and stepmother would quietly seek them out and offer them help.

As a young, wealthy woman, Katharine made her social debut in 1878, but she knew money could not buy happiness or safety from sorrow. She had seen her kind stepmother fight and succumb to cancer. A book she had read about the plight of Native Americans greatly affected her. She wanted to do something to help them. When her family visited the West in 1884, she saw firsthand the suffering of Native Americans and was determined to take action. She and her sisters donated money to various missions. After their father’s death in 1885, they contributed to the St. Francis Mission on a reservation in South Dakota. Katharine asked her spiritual director about possibly joining a contemplative community of nuns, but he advised her to wait and pray. In the meantime, she had many young men interested in marrying her.

In 1887, the three sisters had a private audience with Pope Leo XIII while visiting Rome. They asked the Pope to send missionaries to help the Native Americans. The Pope asked Katharine to become a missionary herself. So, upon returning to Philadelphia, she asked her spiritual director for guidance. He then encouraged her to become a religious.

She decided to give herself and her inheritance totally to God in service of the Native Americans and African Americans. She and thirteen volunteers began the Blessed Sacrament Sisters. Their desire for social justice was not easily received and, when building their Motherhouse, dynamite was planted nearby to frighten the Sisters. Still, Katharine was undeterred.

Requests for help started pouring in from all over the country. In response to these requests, Mother Katharine Drexel established 145 missions, 50 schools for African Americans, and 12 for Native Americans. Her desire to help the poor rejoice in the Lord continued until she died at the age of 97. Her Order’s work continues today.

Katharine Drexel is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How can you use what you have been given to bring hope to those in need?

John Robert Lewis - Ornaments of Grace | Luke 3:3-6 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-10 | Luke 3:3-6
...as it is written in the words of Isaiah the Prophet: “A herald’s voice in the desert, crying, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, clear him a straight path. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be leveled. The windings shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth, and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.’”

Isaiah, like all the prophets, certainly suffered for wanting people to prepare a way for the Lord. He preached truth in spite of the powerful wanting to silence or ignore his message. John Robert Lewis, like the prophet, wanted everyone to experience the salvation of God. So, he worked toward that goal his whole life, even when persecuted for the truth.

Born in rural Alabama in 1940, John Lewis attended a Rosenwald School, one of many state-of-the-art schools built across the South for African-American students by Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald, then President of Sears Roebuck. John, in recalling his school days, said he had a great teacher who encouraged him to read. He followed his teacher’s advice and read as many books as he could find. When he was sixteen, he and his siblings went to nearby Troy, Alabama, to get a public library card. They were told the library was only for Whites and were turned away. In the next few years, as he went to town more, he realized how segregated Troy was. In 1955, he heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the radio. He followed the Montgomery bus boycott, later meeting Rosa Parks who, by refusing to move to the back of the bus, played a significant role in that boycott.

Lewis graduated from the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee, and was ordained a Baptist minister. From there he attended Fisk University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in religion and philosophy. Both were historically Black Colleges. While studying, Lewis became an activist for Civil Rights. He managed, with other students, to desegregate lunch counters in downtown Nashville. Lewis was arrested and jailed often, but he strictly adhered to nonviolence. During this period, John said it was essential to cause “good trouble, necessary trouble” in order to bring about racial justice.

In 1961, Lewis was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders, a group of both whites and blacks trying to desegregate bus seating in the South. He and others were brutally beaten. John was even imprisoned for his actions. Still, he persisted. In 1964, he launched a campaign to engage college students throughout the country to register voters in Mississippi. In 1965, John organized the Selma Voting Rights Campaign along with the Selma to Montgomery marches to bring national recognition to the cause. On March 7, 1965, now called “Bloody Sunday,” Lewis and Hosea Williams led more than 600 marchers over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. When the group stopped to pray, they were attacked by State Troopers who beat them mercilessly. Lewis suffered a skull fracture but was blessed to escape with his life.

John Lewis knew that laws needed to be just, and so he began a political career. Elected to Congress in 1986, he served the cause of justice until his death in 2020 at the age of 80. During that time he tirelessly taught us how to make rough ways smooth and crooked ways straight in a nonviolent way. This was John’s way of preparing for meeting his Savior and for bringing others along with him.

John Robert Lewis is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

What are some ways you can work for the justice and good of all people?

#healing #catholic #gospel #advent #frmichael #hearttoheart #peace #justice

Dont Skip Over Advent | Matthew 18:12-14 #homily

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-09 | During this season of preparation, Fr. Michael reminds us not to skip the preparation and jump straight to Christmas. Use this time to strengthen yourself in faith and in relationship with God and those most important in your life.

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from Matthew 18:12-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
"What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120622.cfm

St. Juan Diego - Ornaments of Grace | Isaiah 41:13 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-09 | from Isaiah 41:13
For I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I will help you.”

Juan Diego, whose feast we celebrate today, belonged to the Aztec people. Born in what is today part of Mexico City, Mexico, in 1474, Juan was baptized when he was around 50 years old by one of the first Franciscan missionaries to the area. He was a devout convert. The first Catholic saint indigenous to the Americas, Pope St. John Paul II canonized Juan Diego at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City July 31, 2002. It seems fitting that his feast follows right after that of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception because Juan was a missionary of Mary. He cooperated as she did in God’s saving plan. This is something we are all called to do.

Mary first appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill, just outside of Mexico City, as he was on his way to Mass. Mary spoke to Juan in his native tongue and asked him to go to the Bishop and instruct him to build a shrine to her there. She wanted any of her children in need to have a place where they could go and know that she was close to them. Juan Diego did as he was told. The Bishop said he needed some time to think about the request and sent Juan away. On his way home, the Blessed Mother again appeared to Juan, and he told her he had failed to convince the Bishop. He also said that he was a simple man. He politely suggested that she might be successful if she sent someone more important to talk to the Bishop. But, according to tradition, Mary replied, “Listen, least of my sons. You must try to understand that I have many messengers and servants whom I could charge with the delivery of my message… But it is altogether necessary that you, yourself, should undertake this entreaty and that through your own mediation and assistance, my purpose should be accomplished.”

Juan obeyed the Blessed Virgin and returned to the Bishop the next day, but the Bishop asked for a sign. Mary said she would provide a sign the day after that. Unfortunately, Juan’s uncle became mortally ill and wanted a priest to hear his confession and minister to him. So, Juan avoided Tepeyac Hill so that he would not be delayed on his way to get a priest. But on a different route, the Virgin appeared to Juan, and chided him as a mother might, assuring him that his uncle was better. She told him to pick roses from the rocky hillside, flowers that could not have normally grown there. He put them in his tilma or cloak and Our Lady arranged them. Then Juan went to see the Bishop, opened his tilma and the beautiful roses fell to the floor while an image of Mary appeared on the tilma. The Bishop believed and did as instructed. When Juan returned home, he found his uncle cured. His uncle said Mary had appeared to him as well and told Juan to tell the Bishop that she wanted to be known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. Juan Diego, trusting and obedient, did as he was asked.

Since he loved the Virgin Mary so much, Juan, who was by that time a widower, asked to live in a little hut next to the Church. There he lived until he died seventeen years after the apparitions. There he cared for pilgrims who came to honor their Blessed Mother. Today visitors can see the tilma with the image of Our Lady on it. Many miracles occurred. More importantly, many came to believe in Jesus because of St. Juan Diego’s willingness to be a missionary for Mary.

St. Juan Diego is today’s Ornament of Grace.

How can you realize your call to be a missionary even within your own home, place of work, city or parish?

The Immaculate Conception - Ornaments of Grace | Luke 1:26-28 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-08 | from Luke 1:26-28
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Upon arriving, the angel said to her: “Rejoice, O highly favored daughter! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”

Even though this lovely feast finds its way into the Advent season, it celebrates Mary’s own sinless conception in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. It is celebrated nine months before what we call Mary’s birthday on September 8. The faithful observed this feast since the 7th century and Pope Clement XI declared it a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics in 1708. But the feast began being formally observed adding the words “Immaculate” when Pope Pius IX declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1854. Mary herself confirmed this truth when she appeared to Bernadette at Lourdes just four years later and said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it this way: To become the mother of Jesus, (Quote) “Mary was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” (End quote) So, Mary remained free of sin all her life, from the moment she was conceived until her death. The story of the Annunciation in Luke’s Gospel helps us understand how completely Mary loved the Word of God. She said in reply to Angel Gabriel, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.” And, it is this response that can guide all of us who were not conceived sinless. We have the freedom to choose to do whatever God asks of us, just as Mary did. While we may not always be sinless in this life, Jesus came through Mary to bring us God’s loving salvation. As we grow in God’s life, becoming purified through suffering, through joy, through our entire journey here, we can be immaculate someday too, rejoicing forever along with Mary in heaven.

So, let us hurry to offer ourselves completely to the Lord. Let us make room in our hearts, bodies, and spirits for the Lord who wants to dwell within us. Yes, we may suffer occasional backaches from carrying the Lord. We may feel a little sick when we are called to humanly unpleasant and tiring tasks for the sake of preparing the way. But we can say as Mary did, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.” Jesus can then be born again in our lives and touch the lives of those around us with his miraculous healing power of love. As we share in Mary’s gift of bringing Jesus into our world, so she will share the joy of her Immaculate Heart with us in heaven.

The Immaculate Conception is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS
Can you name a specific time when you abandoned yourself to the will of God, saying “Let it be done to me as you say…”?

Florence Nightingale - Ornaments of Grace | Matthew 7:24-25 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-07 | Today's Ornament of Grace for Thursday of the First Week of Advent is Florence Nightingale.

from Matthew 7:24-25
“Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock. When the rainy season set in, the torrent came and the winds blew and buffeted his house. It did not collapse; it had been solidly set on rock. Anyone who hears my words but does not put them into practice is like the foolish man who built his house on sandy ground. The rains fell, the torrents came, the winds blew and lashed against his house. It collapsed under all this and was completely ruined.”

We know that Jesus is the rock of our salvation, the one on whom our lives must rest if we are not to be carried away by the inevitable winds and storms of life. One person who understood and lived this truth well was Florence Nightingale who said, “How little can be done under the spirit of fear.”

Born in Florence, Italy, in 1810, and named after her birth city, Florence lived a brilliant, unselfish life, dying in 1910 at the age of 90. Florence’s father, a wealthy British gentleman, educated his two daughters in history, mathematics, philosophy, various languages, and classical literature. The family also traveled extensively. Florence loved learning and mastered each subject. Both her parents influenced her with a liberal humanitarian view of life. Florence’s education and her outlook proved valuable, especially after Florence received what she believed was her first call from God in 1837. She heard God calling her to devote her life to the service of others. An attractive young woman, Florence was courted by several affluent men. But she felt marriage would interfere with her desire to pursue a nursing career. So, she studied medical science.

When the Crimean War broke out, a friend who was the Secretary of War asked Florence, 38 volunteer nurses whom she had trained, and 15 Catholic Sisters to go to handle the masses of wounded and dying soldiers in a location across the Bosphorus Strait from modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. There she found inadequate supplies, food, and sanitation, along with an uncooperative staff. She and her volunteers got supplies sent from Britain, established the protocols of cleanliness, wound dressing, adequate meals, and comfort for the soldiers. There she earned the name “Lady of the Lamp.” This was because after a full day of working in the wards, she would carry a lamp to find her way among the wounded at night, offering help and encouragement as needed.

Suffering from fever and severe joint pain for at least 25 years, Nightingale continued serving whenever she could. After the war, she raised funds to educate nurses. By the 1860’s, she provided the first nursing staffs to care for the poor in London’s workhouses. She wrote a book outlining good nursing practices. The American Union Forces asked her for advice on setting up and running field hospitals during the Civil War. In the 1870’s, she mentored America’s first nurse, Linda Richards, who then had the ability to set up the first nursing schools in the United States. Florence continued writing, mentoring, and unselfishly caring for all she could until her death.

She did not build her life’s work on sand. No, she built the house of her life on God, her rock.

Florence Nightingale is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS
How is trusting in God in all life’s circumstances like building a house on rock?

St. Maria Goretti - Ornaments of Grace | Isaiah 25:8-9 #advent

Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry 2023-12-06 | Today's Ornament of Grace for Wednesday of the First week of Advent is St. Maria Goretti.

Isaiah 25:8-9
He will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken. On that day it will be said: “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”

St. Maria Goretti died a martyr’s death as an eleven-year-old in July, 1902. Her family was very poor but devout and close. When Maria was six, her father moved the family from the east side of Italy to the west in an attempt to find a better life. Sadly, just three years later, when Maria was nine, her father contracted malaria from a mosquito bite and died. Her mother was forced to move in with another family as she and Maria’s brothers and sisters, except for the baby, worked in the fields. Maria cleaned the house, cared for the clothes, cooked the meals and watched over her baby sister each day. She also had to cook and clean for the neighbors with whom they shared living quarters. The neighbors, a man and his 20-year-old son Alessandro, helped in the fields.

Alessandro began saying impure things to Maria, and she would try to keep away from him. When he started to make sexual advances and she told him it was wrong and would be a sin, he threatened to kill her. Still, she held onto her virginity. One day, when Alessandro knew the family would be in the fields where he should also have been working, he saw Maria sitting on the front steps doing some sewing. He tried to rape her and said he would stab her with his awl if she refused. Still, she was able to stop him from doing so at the cost of her life. She screamed, “No! It is a sin! God does not want it!” Alessandro stabbed her fourteen times. Maria’s baby sister, awakened with the commotion, began to cry, and her mother came to see what was wrong. She found Maria on the floor bleeding. The family rushed her to the hospital, but the surgeon could not do enough to keep her alive. He asked Maria to remember him when she got to heaven, and she said she would. Even more astounding, the next day as she lay dying from her wounds, Maria said, “I forgive Alessandro Serenelli.” She also expressed the desire that he, too, should go to heaven. Alessandro, unrepentant at the time, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The judge took into consideration that his father was an alcoholic and that mental illness plagued his family.

During his prison sentence, Alessandro saw Maria in a dream. They were in a garden and she handed him some lilies which immediately burned in his hands. Even more, though, she also expressed forgiveness and love. This filled Alessandro with sorrow for his crime, and his life changed forever. He became a holy man, even becoming a lay brother and serving his Franciscan brothers until his death at age 81.

While Maria has worked countless miracles, she stands out as one who knew the Lord would wipe away her tears. That knowledge gave her the power to forgive her attacker, to love him into holiness of life. Both Alessandro and her mother were present when Maria was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950. Today she continues her work of loving forgiveness to those who ask for her intercession.

St. Maria Goretti is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

Can you forgive someone who caused you physical, emotional, or spiritual pain? How do you show forgiveness?