The First Gift of Christmas

The First Gift of Christmas

            In the famous Christmas movie, The Polar Express, the boy receives a bell from Santa Claus which is called “the first gift of Christmas.”  Then he is told that only those who believe in Santa Claus can hear the ringing of this bell.

            What longing in the human heart was the author of The Polar Express trying to convey?  It is the desire to have something beautiful to believe in-- beyond what we see around us.

"O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light,
sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell
 in darkness and the shadow of death."

            Around us there is so much desolation.  There are wars between nations and the war against the preborn.  Consider, for example that since 1973 the equivalent of 17.5% of our national United States population has died in the war against the preborn.  Additionally many of the elderly or disabled have fallen victim to euthanasia.  There is violence in our schools and communities.  Poverty, substance abuse, pornography, suicide, bankruptcy, and homelessness have become rampant.  Our freedom of speech and freedom of worship are being severely eroded.  Multitudes have embraced the lie that our sexuality—the gift of being created male or female in the image and likeness of God has no meaning.  This has reached the point where people are being persecuted and ostracized for stating the obvious fact that sodomy and other distortions of sexual expression are intrinsically disordered and morally destructive. Even the meaning of terms like equality and freedom has changed.  Instead of referring to the individual dignity of each person, equality is now falsely used to justify aberrant behavior and freedom is used to justify licentiousness.

            Yet despite all this desolation the longing for the beautiful remains in each of our hearts.  We desire that Someone Beautiful would come to heal our grief and restore what we have shattered.  Many centuries before Christ’s birth it was prophesied that when He came He would bring good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to captives, and set prisoners free (cf. Isaiah 61:1)  In the synagogue at Nazareth Jesus applied these words of Isaiah to Himself: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).  And now He is here, the Father’s Eternal Gift, the Radiant Dawn from on High, the true and everlasting First Gift of Christmas, Jesus Christ, the Lord.

            He is coming for you—His beloved one.  No matter what you have done or failed to do—you are still His beloved one.  He sees your true identity, the real you!  You were created as a unique, irreplaceable male or female immortal person in His own image and likeness.  The greatest gift you could give Him this Christmas is to open your heart to His overflowing Love for you.

            Today will you open your heart to Jesus Christ, the True First Gift of Christmas, or will you allow the hole in your heart to be forever unfilled?

 

Wishing you and your loved ones

The Everlasting First Gift of Christmas,

Sister Mary Rose Reddy, DMML

Spiritual Warfare is Necessary Against Suicide

The tragedy of suicide has multiple causes but what should not be overlooked is that in some cases evil spirits have negatively influenced the victims' thought patterns.  This was brought out in a very good article that I read today: "Why are so many pastors committing suicide?"

We need to take the offense against suicide by uniting ourselves with Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother and the Holy Angels.  Together with the armies of Heaven we can resist negative thought patterns and help others to do so.  Through our prayers and love we can also reach out to help the souls who may be suffering in Purgatory because of the terrible mistake of suicide.  And united with Jesus Christ and His all Powerful Spirit we can aid with our love the grieving families and friends of those who are suffering the loss of a loved one to suicide.

A Prayer of Thanks for Your Infinite Mercy Toward Those Who've died by suicide

A Prayer of Thanks for Your Infinite Mercy Toward Those Who Have Died by Suicide

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the immeasurable gift of every person You have ever created.

We know that each of us is a beautiful irreplaceable unique image of Your perfect Beauty.

Today we offer You thanks for having created the people whose suicides we are grieving.

Thank you for the gift of their lives.

Thank you for all their heartbeats, the breaths they took, the joy and love they brought into our lives.

Thank you for their immortal souls created in Your image and likeness.

Thank you for the Gift of Your Son Jesus Who offered His Life on the Holy Cross for us.

Thank you for allowing Your Beloved Son to experience the terrible anguish that led Him to cry out to You, “My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) so that no soul would be beyond the hope of redemption.

Thank you for hearing your Son’s prayer form the Holy Cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).