Author Topic: Forgive So We Can Live and Let Live (Read 1628285 times)

cassini · « **Reply #135 on:** December 10, 2025, 10:56:34 AM »

Fr Sean again
Stop Being a Dull Christian

The dictionary defines ‘dull’ as foolish, tedious, uninteresting, or lacking in brightness. Sadly dullness all too often describes Christians. I have witnessed this in many parish churches at Sunday Mass where congregations are riddles with dull faces. C.S. Lewis in his book “The Joyful Christian” wrote that “joy is the serious business of Heaven,” and attaining it is the business of the Christian. So Jesus’ Church begins the 3rd week of Advent calling us to be joyful because His constant love puts joy in our hearts. Despite the misery and hardship we might be facing He promises to change it into joy. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers and rejoice with joyful song” Is 35:1-2). God’s word shocks us out of our dullness and dispels our darkness. God makes life come out of death, beauty out of barrenness, and a joyful song out of sorrow. God promises to “Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, and tell those whose hearts are frightened: be strong, fear not! Here is your God … He comes to save you” Is 35:4-5). How could anyone who believes in God’s promises be dull?

Dullness Has no Place in Christianity

A dull Christian is not Christian. Christians should be the most excited and joyful people in the world. Knowing that God has come to save us gives us plenty of reasons to be joyful. Perhaps we aren’t as joyful as we should be because we don’t realize the awesome and wondrous gift of God’s love in sending His Son to save us and the sacrifice He made on our behalf. All too often we think we’re in control and are taking care of ourselves. It’s only when failure, disappointment, betrayal, disease, or death forces us to admit our fragility and helplessness. Like the recovering addict, we’re in constant need of God’s help since we’re never fully recovered from our proneness to sin.

The Illusion of Self-Salvation

All too often we underestimate our sinfulness. We suffer from a fallen nature inherited from Adam and Eve. It’s defective and prone to egotism due to our darkened intellect and weak will. In ignorance and arrogance we think we can save ourselves without God. A self-made man demonstrates the woes of unskilled labour. The illusion of being our own saviour ends in disillusionment and we cry for someone to save us. That “someone” is Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus we aren’t doomed by our sin-stained inheritance. Jesus frees us from a flawed past and gives us a present to enjoy, leading to a bright future in which to hope. How could a believer in Jesus be dull? Every Christian should joyfully and confidently proclaim loudly with Mary, “My soul magnifies the Lord; My spirit finds joy in God my Saviour” (Lk 1:47).

God’s Faithfulness to His Promises

John the Baptizer, Jesus’ cousin, imprisoned for publicly condemning Herod’s adulterous relationship with Herodias, was wondering if Jesus was the Messiah. He sent disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah, God-with-us. Jesus didn’t say He was or He wasn’t. Instead He told them to, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.. And blessed is the one who takes no offence at me” (Mt 11:4-6). Jesus wanted John to see that He was fulfilling what God had promised, namely to, “Strengthen the hands of the feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, He comes with vindication … He comes to save you … He will open the eyes of the blind, clear the ears of the deaf, enable the lame to leap and the tongue of the mute to sing” (Is 35:1-10).

Restoration to Wholeness and Holiness

The transforming effect on all who believed in Jesus was proof of His divine touch restoring physically and spiritually feeble, weak, fearful, lame, blind, and deaf human beings to wholeness. Have you ever been blind - blind to your own faults, your own and others’ innate value, worth, grace and beauty? Jesus came into the world to be the light that dispels the darkness of our ignorance and pride. Have you ever been lame - slow in showing your love and carrying out your responsibilities? Jesus came to found His Church in which He offers you strength especially in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. Have you ever been deaf – deaf to God’s Word, to the truth of your own worth and that of others, to the truth about your behaviour, your reason for being here, the importance of sharing your gifts, the love God and others have for you? Jesus came to help you hear the truth of His unconditional love which sets you free to be the self He created you to be. Have you ever been dead – dead to your own abilities, to the needs of others, to God’s call, to participation in Jesus’ Church where He sustains and nourishes you and gives you hope? Jesus raised you to life in Baptism and enables you to give life to others through sharing your gifts with them. Have you ever had a poor attitude – mean, miserly, jealous and envious, feeling others have more than you? Jesus came to help you see how rich you are and how much you have to give others. Have you ever felt like a leper – rejected, unclean from sin, ashamed of your background, unwanted? Jesus came to cleanse you and unite you with His people through reconciliation with Him and His Church. Jesus came to provide you with everything you lack so that His image and likeness might shine in you. Surely this is a reason to be joyful!

Patience Is Required

A woman once described herself to me as “a Christian under construction.” God the Father is the Architect, Jesus is the Builder, and the Holy Spirit supplies the materials. But we must let the Holy Trinity work on us, mould us, fill us and use us. St. James calls us to, “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord” (Jas 5:7). He encourages us to be like the farmer “who waits for the precious fruit of the earth until it receives the rains… You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Much of the joy Christian faith generates is aborted by our impatience and trying to do things our way. God tells us that there is a proper time and place for everything (Eccles 3:2ff). But we expect God to act according to our timetable. If He doesn’t, we become irritated or feel rejected by Him. This impatience deprives us of the joy generated by Jesus’ promises. Someone said, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.” God’s plan for you and me is to be like Jesus. So when we follow Jesus’s way we will be excited and joyful because He makes us more than adequate to every situation, if we let Him.

The Power of Joy

Light a pink candle this week and celebrate the joy the Lord brings you, a joy that suffering and death can’t diminish or extinguish. Let that joy dispel your dullness. Jesus is the promised Messiah. He is here now in His Church, and rest assured that He will come again. He always does what He says, therefore you can totally depend on Him and that in itself is the reason to be joyful. (fr sean)

The Power to Change

If nature can turn coal into diamonds, sand into pearls, and a worm into a butterfly, surely God can turn your life around too! If you let Him.

cassini · « **Reply #136 on:** December 17, 2025, 08:37:09 AM »

Fr Sean again
Are You Holding Jesus in Your Heart?

Jesus is the most important Person in our lives because the kind of relationship we have with Him and His Church determines the state of our eternity. Our face-to-face encounter with Jesus in death is such a crucial meeting that out of His love for us He urges us to, “Keep your eyes open, for you know not the day or the hour” (Mt 25:13) when it takes place. That means we must be prepared for that event every day because we don’t know when it may happen. He warns us to be prepared by being His friends on His conditions, not on ours. Jesus reveals that His friends are those who “… do what I command you” (Jn 15:14). To be Jesus’ friends we must make fidelity to Him and His Church our first priority and in whose company we call God “Our Father - Abba” (Mt 6:9).

God’s Fidelity to Us

God’s call to be His obedient children began with Adam and Eve. However, they rejected Him and became Satan’s children thereby dooming themselves to eternal misery. God, ever-loving, just and merciful, began wresting the fallen man and woman from Satan’s grip by calling Abraham, a man of obedient faith, to form a people through whom He would offer His blessing to all mankind (Gen 12:3). Through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Judges, Prophets, Kings, and Wisdom Literature, God formed a people and entered into many covenants with them through the centuries of formation. He promised them: “I will set up my dwelling among you, and I will not cast you off. I will live in your midst; I will be your God and you shall be my people” (Lev 26:11-12). Through Moses He gave them the Decalogue to be the moral standard against which He would measure His people’s fidelity and fruitfulness. During the days of Isaiah, God promised them a visible Sign of His presence. “It is this: ‘The maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a Son whom she will call Immanuel” (Is 7:14). Approximately seven-hundred years later, God fulfilled His promise through the cooperation of a young sinless virgin named Mary, through whom His Word became flesh in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. God spoke to Mary through the Archangel Gabriel and bade her to, “Rejoice, O highly favoured daughter! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women … You have found favour with God. You shall conceive and bear a Son and give Him the Name Jesus. Great will be His dignity and He will be called Son of the Most High God” (Lk 1:28-32). God has come Himself has come among us!

A Momentous Event

St. Matthew records this momentous event in His Gospel: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the power of the Holy Spirit … The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, have no fear about taking Jesus as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child. She is to have a Son and you are to name Him Jesus because He will save His people from their sins” (Mt 1:18-21). Later, Jesus would announce that, “The time has come and the Kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent and believe the Good News!” (Mt 1:15). Jesus is Immanuel - “God-with-us.” Today the Church is the visible sign that “God is with us”!

The Role of the Church

Is Jesus still with us? Yes, in His Church. He assured her leaders, Peter and the other Apostles and their successors: “Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!” (Mt 28:20). Jesus founded His Church on Peter as the visible sign of His presence when He said to him: “I will entrust to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19), “He who hears you, hears me. He who rejects you, rejects me. And he who rejects me, rejects Him who sent me” (Lk 10:16). Jesus made His Church the visibly structured instrument through which all people can come to know and meet Him in obedient Faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. The first visible meeting with Jesus happens in Baptism when the baptized person starts out on the road to eternal life. “Eternal life is this: to know You, the only true God, and Him whom You have sent, Jesus Christ” (Jn 17:3). It’s in and through Jesus’ Church that people come to personally know and join Jesus as their Lord, Redeemer, Saviour, and Giver of a peace the world can’t give. With this in mind it makes sense to open our hearts to receive Jesus as the most honoured Guest of our soul. What’s necessary to accomplish this are “sinless hands,” a “clean heart,” “rejecting what’s vain,” and “being honest with the neighbour” (Ps 24:4). Such a person will “receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his Saviour” (Ps 24:5).

Jesus Is Here

We prepare, then, to meet Jesus when we die by walking with Him as faithfully obedient members of His Church while we’re on earth. Through His Church Jesus invites us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Mt 11:28). Submitting to God’s will is never a burden. He’s here through His Spirit laying His healing and life-giving hands on us in each of His Church’s Sacraments. He’s here particularly in the Holy Mass where He empowers us through the ordained priest to “Do this in memory of me!” (Lk 22:19), namely to participate in His sacrifice on our behalf, wherein He saves us from our sins. He’s here to adopt us as His brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of His Father, in Baptism. He’s here offering the grace of repentance and forgiveness to reform our life in Confession. He’s here to nurture our soul in the Holy Eucharist , offering Himself to us as the Bread of Life. He’s here for the sick in Extreme Unction. He’s here to make us His public witnesses in Confirmation. He’s here to unite man and woman in Matrimony assuring them of His unconditional love so that they may be able to love one another unconditionally until death do them part. He’s here conforming men to Himself as His leaders in His Name in Holy Orders so that through them He can give us the gift of Himself. He’s here asking His Father to send us the Holy Spirit with His gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, prayerfulness, fortitude, fear of the Lord (Is 11), and His fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control regardless of what we face in life (Gal 5:22-23). He’s here in His Church’s community to satisfy our need to belong to God and His family sustaining and nurturing our identity as His sons and daughters. So prepare for your death by holding Jesus in your heart NOW as Mary held Him in her arms in a stable at Bethlehem.

Hold Jesus in Your Heart

I wish you a joyful Christmas and may 2026 bring you 20/20 vision to see that Jesus is here in His Church where He calls you and me to worship His Father with Him; where, as the most honoured Guest of our soul, He fills our heart with His Spirit that enables us, like Mary, to make Him visible to the world as its Lord and Saviour. (fr sean)

cassini · « **Reply #137 on:** December 23, 2025, 10:33:13 AM »

Fr Sean again
The Birth of a Child: The Hope of Mankind

In France women who are pregnant are often greeted with, “I congratulate you on your hope?” This is very profound since it reminds us that every child is a sign of God’s hope for humanity. Beginning in the mother’s womb, God creates each child in His image and likeness bearing gifts for the enrichment of humanity and the formation of community. Therefore every baby boy and girl brings with him or her a new expression of God’s image and His giftedness for the benefit of everyone. The presence of God’s image is always a sign of His faith in His creation. When we see God having faith in His creation it is possible for us as His creatures to have faith in ourselves, feel secure, and reach our fullest potential.

We Need Supernatural Faith

When we have faith then we can love and have hope. It’s important to realize that we cannot sustain faith in ourselves by ourselves since we didn’t create ourselves. Faith is a supernatural gift which God alone can give us. Supernatural faith is followed by supernatural love and hope. Sadly, the rejection of supernatural Faith, Hope, and Love today is all too evident in the destruction of the unborn in abortion mills. Every child is a sign of God’s hope for the world. The killing of every child is a rejection of the gifts God wants to share with us and so impoverishes society. This Christmas pray especially for an end to abortion and the rejection of God that fuels it.

God Is With Us

Never before did God’s image appear so perfectly than it did in the birth of the Christ Child. Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us. Mary carried in her womb not only the hope of a Messiah for Israel but also the hope of mankind to be freed from sin. Jesus’ entry into human experience offered God’s gift of salvation to every man and woman who was willing to believe in Him. Salvation isn’t as much about getting rid of sin as it is about knowing how much God loves us. The more we know and realize the depth of God’s love for us the more we will take the steps to eliminate sin from our lives and practice the spiritual gift of the “Fear of the Lord”. It’s like turning on the light in the bathroom, looking in the mirror and seeing a smudge on your face. You immediately wash it off because it tarnishes your beauty. That’s what we do with sin when we see ourselves in the light of God’s love.

Do We See as Jesus Sees?

The Word of God Who became man as the Son of Mary was born in a stable, a shelter for the farm animals, because humans had no room for Him. That was where He encountered His creation. Joseph, Mary’s husband, was her midwife and the animals’ breath provided warmth. Jesus’ presence in His creation as a vulnerable little newborn baby shows us how much faith God has in us despite knowing what we would do to Him later on. He entrusted Himself to us, despite our fallen nature and the violence inherent in it. God came into our world to help us see ourselves through His eyes and understand what His Father created us to be. In this manner Jesus is indeed our Savior. We need to be saved from the way we see and understand ourselves and others. We can’t do that without Jesus for He is the Model of what it means to be fully human and fully alive thereby giving glory to God the Creator.

Perception and Reality

Our biggest problem always comes from the way we see things. Perception is reality for us unless we have the truth against which we can analyze it. Looking at life through our own eyes gives us a partial picture at best and a distorted picture at worst of what is real, true, good and beautiful. Our vision is limited and flawed. We are more blind than sighted due to our selfishness, sinfulness and pettiness. Experience attests to this. Have you ever made a judgment about someone only to change your opinion later on because of new information? Your initial judgment was wrong because what you saw through your eyes was flawed. On the other hand when we see things through Jesus’ eyes they look completely different. Jesus sees things through His eyes of freedom, justice, love, and peace. When we see ourselves through Jesus’ eyes we see ourselves and the world differently. Seeing through the eyes of freedom, justice, love and peace translates into a spirit of forgiveness, compassion, mercy, love, peace, faith, hope, friendship. Think of what would happen if we stopped and said, “Today I will look at myself and others through Jesus’ eyes.” Our world would change drastically. We would transform our world because we would be transformed ourselves. Why? Because, as the American comedian, Flip Wilson, used to say, “What you see is what you get. What you give is what you keep; and what you do is what you is” We are constantly working to bring about what we see, we receive what we give, and what we do is how we affect others consciously or unconsciously.

God Places Himself in Our Hands

This Christmas as you view the Bethlehem scene depicted in the crib try to get a sense of what it would be like to be there on the day of Jesus’ birth. On that night, in the words of Isaiah, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone” (Is 9:1). Note the simplicity and calmness of the scene where that “Light” shone. Look at the supernatural faith in the eyes of everyone present, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels and the Magi. The world received in that newborn baby a new supernatural hope in that manger. Men and women could now know how much God loved them. Here is God placing Himself completely in the hands of human beings. Coming into the world as a helpless baby, Jesus set the tone and gave us the example of total trust in God. Later on this Christ Child began His adult ministry inviting people to place themselves completely in His hands so that He could cleanse them from their sins through God’s grace of repentance and His gift of forgiveness. His invitation extended to everyone when He said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:28-30)

Sing with the Angels

Christmas is marvelous and I hope you marvel at the enormity of the love evident in so humble a scene. The smile of the baby Jesus as the Light of the world glowed in that lowly stable in the little town of Bethlehem. May your heart become a manger where the Christ Child is born and smiles as He hears you sing with the angels: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will” (Lk 2:14). (fr sean)

Prayer at the Crib

Lord Jesus, You left Your throne and glory in Heaven and came to earth to become a little baby, born in a stable and lay in a manger with no pillow for Your Sacred Head. The only heating on that cold winter’s night to help Mary keep You warm was the breath of the animals. The people in the Inn had no room for You. You came to bring us joy, to lead us through the darkness of pain, failure, and even death itself. You are our light leading us through life. You give us life that never ends. I want to welcome You into my heart as Mary and Joseph welcomed You on that first Christmas night. I love you, Lord Jesus and I know that You love me. I make this prayer to our Heavenly Father through You by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Infant Jesus, bless my family and the families of all whom I meet. Amen.
Holy Mary, Virgin and Mother of Jesus, Pray for my mother. Amen
St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for my father. Amen.

The True Meaning of "The Twelve Days of Christmas": Unlocking the Secret Code
Caroline Perkins December 22, 2024

It’s a common claim among Catholics that the English Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a secret code for Catholic teachings used when Catholicism was illegal in England.

Since Catholicism was illegal in England from the 16th to the 19th centuries, tradition holds that the song was a mini-Catechism to help teach the Catholic Faith secretly to Catholic children.

Here’s what the different gifts traditionally symbolize:

Partridge in a Pear Tree = Jesus Christ
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope, and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = The Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The Pentateuch, the first Five Books of the Old Testament
6 Geese A-laying = The six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
8 Maids A-milking = The eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = The nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = The ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = The eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed

Note that some versions of the theory have slightly different interpretations of the code.

“The 'True Love' one hears in the song is not a smitten boy or girlfriend but Jesus Christ, because truly Love was born on Christmas Day. The partridge in the pear tree also represents Him because that bird is willing to sacrifice its life if necessary to protect its young by feigning injury to draw away predators.”

Furthermore, different traditions were–and still are in some cases–associated with each of the 12 days of Christmas as shared by English Heritage.
This includes the celebration of popular feast days like Saint Stephen, Saint John, and of course, Childermas.
This catchy tune can remind Catholics today to slow down and embrace the fullness of the Christmas season.
Yes, as Catholics, the Nativity of Our Lord marks the beginning of the liturgical season. So, while secular society takes down the decor and moves on, we are called to continue the celebration!

cassini · « **Reply #138 on:** December 27, 2025, 10:52:17 AM »

Fr Sean again

Traditional Family: God's Instrument

As 2025 ends and 2026 begins, the Catholic Church calls us to reflect on the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In choosing a family as His instrument through which He entered the world God blessed the traditional family of a man and a woman, married for life, as the proper environment for procreating and raising children. The family is the basic cell of society and it is the domestic church. The health of society and the growth depend on the wellbeing of their family units. Virtuous family life makes for a virtuous society and a holy Church. How? Beginnings are crucial. A good start is half the battle. Family is where man and woman have the opportunity to complement one another the most and where children learn what it means to be created by God. It’s where they’re prepared for a productive adulthood. A productive adulthood is due in large part to a stable and God-centred upbringing that’s provided by a healthy family.

Modelling Masculinity and Femininity

The apple falls close to the tree. Children need their father and mother, the first and most important man and woman in their lives, committed to each other in marriage, to give them the best possible training in how to be truly men and women. Sons need their father to show them what it means to be a man. When the old cock crows the young cock learns. Daughters need their father to show them how to properly relate to a man. The father’s relationship with his wife shows the children how a man treats a woman. He forms the image of man in his children’s minds. He guides his daughters in their interaction with other males. The mother teaches her children what it means to be a woman, to be truly feminine. She shows them how a woman treats a man through her relationship with her husband. She teaches her sons how a woman expects to be treated by males. She shows her daughters what to accept and what not to accept from men. The relationship of father and mother is the training ground wherein boys and girls learn how to treat their femininity and masculinity as gifts from God to be treated with dignity and respect and used to complement one another. A dysfunctional school produces dysfunctional graduates who create dysfunctional relationships and a dysfunctional society.

The Purpose of Marriage

God created marriage to be a permanent bond between a man and a woman for the primary purpose of procreating children. God revealed that in marriage, “a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife. The two become one flesh” (Gn 2:24). The Holy Spirit revealed in Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 that, “God sets a father in honour over his children; a mother’s authority He confirms over her sons.” The father and mother are irreplaceable as the nurturers, teachers and guides of their children. A husband and wife need each other’s love and support to raise their children well. A father alone can’t make up for the absence of the mother. A mother can’t be a father. Since procreation requires the fusion of a sperm and an ovum, it follows that both father and mother are necessary to fully nurture and sustain that new person from conception to young adulthood. That requires supernatural Faith, Hope, and Love, divine virtues that only God can enable us to practice and without which our natural faith, hope and love will fail.

St. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us that in order to be a true school of life the members must, “…clothe yourselves with heartfelt mercy, with kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you” (Col 3:12-13). The family is the school where these virtues are taught and practised in imitation of the Holy Family. Seeing the parents exemplify these virtues lets the children realize their value for a happy life.

Traditional Family

God created the traditional family of husband and wife in marriage as the proper environment for raising children to be His lovingly obedient children and good stewards of the earth. He blessed it again when He chose Mary to be the Mother of His Son supported and protected by her husband Joseph. Joseph is the model for all husbands and fathers. His role is to love his wife and children by protecting and providing for their wellbeing. Joseph protected Jesus when His life was threatened by Herod so heeding the warning of God’s messenger to “Rise, take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt” (Mt 2:13-15) he did so immediately. Mary is the model for all married women and mothers. The role of the woman is to love her husband and children through being receptive to new life, nurturing, being the formator of her family. It was the married relationship of Mary and Joseph that provided the protection, nurturing, formatting, and security for Jesus during His childhood and adolescence. The Child Jesus is the model for all children in showing loving obedience to His Mother and foster father. While Jesus had His own mission, He nevertheless honoured the authority of His mother and foster father as His guardians and teachers. “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them … and Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace before God and man” (Lk 2:21-22). If Jesus, who was God, and was without sin, needed parents, committed to each other in marriage, surely every boy and girl needs the same. Let us pray and support traditional family life as the God-given training ground for the development of children’s mental, emotional, spiritual, moral, social, and economic well-being. As the basic cell of society and the Church the support for stable and holy family life is essential for the development of society and the growth of the Church.

Church Family

Jesus highlighted the importance of family by founding His Church on Peter. The Church members constitute God’s family on earth. So even if our personal family dies God provides us with a family. In this family we continue to be nurtured and guided by God our Father, Jesus our Brother and Saviour, the Holy Spirit our Sanctifier, Guide and, supported by Mary our Mother and all the saints.

Importance of Family Prayer

Fr. Patrick Peyton, the “Rosary priest,” emphasized that “The family that prays together stays together” because it keeps the members connected to God who strengthens the spiritual and emotional bonds of the family members. Make a pledge that you will pray daily for and with your family throughout this New Year: Loving God, may my family be rich in Your love and strong in their faith in Jesus. May our home be a place of peace, compassion and gentleness in imitation of the Holy Family. May my family be gracious to those who visit us and generous to those in need. Heavenly Father, hear my prayer, through Jesus Christ Your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen (fr sean)

cassini · « **Reply #139 on:** December 31, 2025, 10:13:49 AM »

Fr Sean again
A New Year to Be Wise or Foolish

My grandfather once said to me, “Boy, learn from the owl how to be wise!” Then he taught me the following ditty: “A wise old owl sat in an oak./ The more he heard the less he spoke;/ The less he spoke the more he heard./ Now that old owl was a wise old bird!” I still remember what he taught me; not that I have always put it into practice. Taking time to listen is an essential characteristic of wisdom. As a species, we refer to ourselves as “homo sapiens” – wise men. Judging by the mess the world is in that label is debatable!

What is wisdom? It’s the quality of having good judgment. Good judgment means that in our decisions we gain more than we lose, especially in the long term. Reason says that gaining is all about deepening our relationship with God. In the Bible wisdom is the divine gift which God gives His people (Is 11:2). It isn’t the same as knowledge. Wise people are necessarily knowledgeable, but knowledge in itself doesn’t guarantee wisdom. A wise person discerns right from wrong, what lasts from what’s temporary, what’s holy from what’s evil. Wisdom is always reasonable and defends the dignity and sanctity of the human person, from conception to natural death. The wise person always keeps the big picture in mind without disregarding the importance of detail. From a religious perspective a wise person is one who deepens his or her knowledge of God and bases decisions on that knowledge. The wise person has faith in God. The Holy Spirit revealed that, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov 9:10). Wisdom isn’t simply about collecting information but rather about accepting God’s authority over us and becoming holy like Him.

Wisdom in the Old Testament

Wisdom literature forms a whole segment of the Old Testament. Wisdom was considered more precious than gold and was referred to in the feminine gender. Wisdom “sings her own praises, before her own people she proclaims her glory; in the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, in the presence of His hosts she declares her worth. From the mouth of the Most High I came forth, and mist-like covered the earth” (Sir 24:1-3). Is wisdom considered feminine because women are wiser than me? Perhaps it is because the heart is an active player in wisdom. Listening must involve the heart in wise decision-making. But wisdom calls for the head and the heart to complement one another. Perhaps wisdom is referred to as feminine because the Hebrew word for wisdom is “chokmah,” which is feminine gender? The Holy Spirit reveals that wisdom is the fear of the Lord, “and avoiding evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). This “fear of the Lord” is the fear of losing faith in God who is all-wise and our only hope of salvation and happiness.

Knowledge Isn’t Wisdom

In today’s world, knowledge has expanded but wisdom has shrunk, judging by the prevalence of atheism, the displacement of God by technology and science, the disrespect for and the destruction of human life, and the persecution of the Catholic Church by enemies from both outside and inside of her structure. True discernment of right from wrong, the holy from the unholy, the lasting from the temporary can only be done through the power of God’s Spirit of wisdom, which is a divine gift. The Holy Spirit reveals that in becoming God’s children, “The spirit we have received is not the world’s spirit but God’s Spirit, helping us to recognize the gifts He has given us” (1 Cor 2:12-13). The Holy Spirit teaches us through Jesus’ Church that out of love, “… God destined us for adoption to Himself through Jesus Christ. …that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of Him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to His call, what are the riches of glory in His heritage among the holy ones” (Eph 1:3-18). It is this “spirit of wisdom and revelation” that enlightens the eyes of our hearts to see the consequences of our choices and how they affect others as well as ourselves, especially in the long term. The world’s spirit, dragged down by egotism, Satan’s lies and false promises, lacks the wisdom necessary for enlightened discernment. That is why Jesus, Lord of history and the universe, couldn’t find a welcoming place in which to be born. “He was in the world, and the world came to be through Him, but the world did not know Him. He came to what was His own, but His own people did not accept Him” (Jn 1:1-18). The world, in the darkness of its fallen state, killed its only hope of salvation by crucifying Jesus on a cross. But, while it ignored His Wisdom, it couldn’t kill Him because Jesus founded His Church through which His Wisdom would faithfully enlighten people to embrace Him as their Way, Truth, and Life until the end of time.

The Opposite of Wisdom Is Foolishness

It’s bad enough to be a fool but it’s worse to be one and not know it. Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom. The world views God’s wisdom to be foolishness and considers its own foolishness to be wisdom. Look at how many scoff at the Church’s teaching thinking that they know better what is worthwhile! Is it any wonder then that evil thrives, as witnessed in the stupidity, insanity, anti-God, anti-human and irrational mentality that is evidenced in those who advocate that women can be men and men can be women, that two men or two women can marry each other, that people have a right to have themselves euthanized, that the baby in the womb is not a person? They prefer Satan’s lies to Jesus’ Wisdom which He hands on to each generation through His Church.

Don’t Be a Fool

As we begin a New Year, may we re-examine whose wisdom we’re following in our daily decisions: that of the world or that of Jesus? Because Jesus is God He is all-wise and all-knowing and present in His Church. Sadly, there are many who identify as Christian but are led by worldly beliefs rather than by Divine Revelation. They exhibit their foolishness, their lack of divine wisdom, by refusing to honour God and give Him His due through infidelity to their Baptismal vows, not raising their children in accord with the teaching of Jesus and His Church which they promised to do at their children’s Baptism, and non-attendance at Sunday Mass. They act like there is no God. The Holy Spirit tells us that, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Ps 14:1). The man or woman who rejects God also rejects His wisdom, therefore having to rely on his or her own human wisdom, which in the eyes of God is foolishness. Godless people are fools. Satan loves fools because they are easily duped by him whom Jesus described as “The father of lies” (Jn 8:44; 2 Tim 2:26; 1 Peter 5:8). With this in mind let us resolve this year to be wise by making the wisdom of Jesus Christ the foundation of our lives so that in all our decisions we will gain more than we lose. He gives us freedom, justice, love and peace both individually and communally. The other alternative is the world’s wisdom which is foolishness, making false promises, and only offers us eternal death and the eternal pain of having deprived ourselves of God’s eternal love. The choice is ours. It should be obvious to all as to what is the best choice, but it obviously isn’t! One choice is wise; the other is foolish. Which will it be? Will you and I be wise, unwise, or otherwise? (fr sean)

cassini · « **Reply #140 on:** January 07, 2026, 12:07:38 PM »

Fr Sean again
Baptism: Foundation for Human Dignity and Holiness

As creatures our value and self-worth are determined by our Creator. By creating us in His image and likeness God gave us a value, a dignity, self-respect and a capacity for holiness that we could neither give ourselves nor receive from anyone else. These are key elements in order to be fully human and fully alive. They are essential for maturity and for being responsible and productive individuals. How does God provide us with a sense of dignity, self-respect, and a spirit of holiness? He does it through what I call them the “Triple A” of mental and spiritual health, namely acknowledging our existence, affirming His love for us and giving us gifts, and showing His affection for us by treating us justly and mercifully. Acknowledgement, affirmation and affection on a human level are usually embodied in handshakes, smiles, nods, being listened to, encouragement, and friendly gestures. To be acknowledged, affirmed, and receive affection for who we are, not just for what we accomplish, is essential for valuing and ourselves and others. When we have this experience, instead of feeling that our life is worthless, we see the worth in our life.

The Antidote to Worthlessness

There’s nothing worse than feeling worthless and feeling that nobody cares about us. These negative feelings or images of ourselves are due to a lack of feeling acknowledged, affirmed, and affection. But sometimes these feelings come about through our own fault when we shut out those who believe in us and encourage us to develop and deploy the gifts they see in us. When we shut others out we also shut God out because our relationship with Him is no better or worse than the one we have with others. A slogan back in the 60s noted that “God doesn’t make junk.” If we think we’re junk we become deaf to the acknowledgment, affirmation, and affection bestowed on us by God and others. Thus we deprive ourselves of the God-given authority for our dignity, self-respect and basic human rights.

The Need for Others

Acknowledging, affirming and showing affection reflects faith in the person’s capability of being what God created him or her to be – namely His image and likeness in thought, word and action. We don’t come into the world acknowledging, affirming and being affectionate toward ourselves. The psychologist, Erick Erickson, noted in his theory of psychosocial stages of human development that maturity is achieved through resolving positive polarities in favour of negative ones as one grows through life. The first polarity faced by us at birth is that of trust vs. mistrust as we enter this new world. To resolve this polarity in favour of trust we need the first people in our life to show us we can trust them by loving us. If we don’t experience that love we will become distrustful of the new world we’ve entered. Acknowledgment of our existence, affirmation that we are loved and affection shown towards us initially become realities for us through the attitude of first persons in our lives.

God is the Initiator

In the Old Testament God acknowledged, affirmed, and was affectionate towards His people in many ways, especially through His covenants calling them to be His people. He bestowed these gifts on His people especially when He promised to send them a Messiah who would acknowledge their existence, affirm His love for them, and display His affection towards them. He promised, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my Chosen One with whom I am pleased … He shall bring forth justice to the nations … open the eyes of the blind, bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness” (Is 42:1-7). His servant – Jesus Christ - would fulfil these promises in a calm, peaceful and gentle manner, in His birth, passion, crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension when He promised His apostles, “I will not leave you orphaned. I will come back to you” (Jn 14:18).

Saved from Being Orphans

What did Jesus do to save us from being orphaned? He made it possible for us to be adopted by His heavenly Father. Adoption is a visible sign that the adoptee’s existence is freely acknowledged, affirmed that he or she is loved, and feels the affection from the adoptive parents. Jesus began the adoption process when He humbly came to John at the River Jordan and asked to be baptized, even though His soul was sinless. John protested because he recognized Jesus as the “Lamb of God” and wanted to be baptized by Him instead. Jesus responded, “Give in for now. We must do this if we would fulfil all of God’s demands” (Mt 4:15). God’s demands were to save mankind through adopting them as His children giving them a new dignity and a new holiness. Baptism became the event wherein God acknowledges, affirms and displays His affection towards Jesus acknowledging and affirming Him as His Son “in whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). “After Jesus was baptized, He came directly out of the water … the sky opened … the Spirit of God descended like a dove and hovered over Him … a voice from the heavens said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on Him’” (Mt 3:16-17). Jesus perfected John’s baptism of repentance by making the water a visible sign of the Holy Spirit cleansing the person of sin and bestowing a new identity on the baptized person as God’s adopted child.

What Baptism Signifies

God the Father used John’s baptism as the visible sign of His specific acknowledgment of Jesus as His Son whom He favoured with all His power and blessings. In turn, Jesus made Baptism with water and the Holy Spirit the visible sign of God’s personal acknowledgment, affirmation and affection for every person who chooses to embrace Him as Lord and Redeemer. He gave this sign to His Church to be the Sacrament of Initiation into His family thereby freeing us from being orphaned and doomed to loneliness in this world. In Baptism Jesus, through His Church, brings us to His Father for adoption as His children through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Sign that God Acknowledges, Affirms, and Shows us His Affection

Baptism into Christ’s Church is the first public sign of God’s personal acknowledgment, affirmation, and affection towards those who receive it. In this Sacrament God adopts the child or adult the child or adult as His son or daughter and an adopted brother or sister of Jesus. It’s a public sign in which the person is given a new dignity and the wherewithal to be holy, which provides the necessary awareness and strength to resist evil . In Baptism God restores the person to His likeness that was lost through Original Sin thus making the person a new creation cleansed from all sin. God bestows His favour on every baptized person by giving him or her a new identity, a new power, a new destiny, and a new family, the Church. In Baptism God empowers people to call themselves His children. As God’s children through Baptism He gives us the capacity for supernatural Faith, Hope, and Love. That means we have the capacity to be Godly people, holy people who follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Jesus has provided His Church with other signs assuring us, after Baptism, of His continued presence to us in our struggle to be God’s lovingly obedient children through whom He calls the world to salvation. Each Sacrament is an instance of God acknowledging our existence as His children, His affirmation of His love for us, and His affection towards us. He provides us with the Holy Eucharist to nourish our souls; Confirmation to strengthen our resolve to be His public witnesses; Reconciliation to forgive our infidelities and give us another chance to be just in our relationships; Matrimony to raise Christian families; Holy Orders to provide spiritual leadership in Jesus’ Name; and Anointing of the Sick to assure us of His help in our suffering. Through these signs, celebrated in His Church, Jesus guarantees the continuity and visibility of His presence among and in us as His adopted brothers and sisters called to holiness and to treat each other with dignity and respect.

What the Church’s Sacraments Signify

God clearly demonstrates His love for us in these holy signs wherein He accomplishes what they signify. “Even while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). We demonstrate our reciprocal acknowledgment, affirmation and affection towards Jesus in how we live our life. We show that we acknowledge Jesus’ existence, affirm our love for Him and express our affection towards Him through our prayer, worship, and service to those in need. In Jesus’ Name we promote and uphold justice, seek the good calmly, and gently do our best to open the eyes of the mentally, emotionally and spiritually blind, showing people how to be free from what imprisons them and keeps them in darkness, namely sin. Thus we proclaim Baptism as the foundation for our God-given dignity and holiness that makes us lights in a dark world. (fr sean)

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