Jesus' first words in Mark's Gospel are mysterious. He tells us: "This is the time of fulfillment." What does this mean? It means that when Jesus Christ came onto the scene, it was a turning point in the history of the world. This is because Jesus ushers in the third age of human history.

The first age was the era of creation. During this period, mankind lived in the fullness of communion with God.

It was when Adam and Eve lived in paradise and in unspoiled friendship with God. This ended with original sin and the subsequent fall from grace: evil entered the world.

Then the second age began, the age of the Promise. God promised Adam and Eve that he would send a Savior to free the human family from domination by the devil (Cf. Genesis 3:15).

In this second age God gradually prepared the world, through the education of his chosen people, Israel, for the arrival of Jesus Christ.

With him, the third age began, the "time of fulfillment," fulfillment of the promise of salvation. In this age, the Christian age, God actually entered into time and space in order to rescue it from sin and destruction.

He did so at first through the Incarnation, and he continues to do so through the activity of the Church, which is gradually expanding into every corner of the globe. At the end of this third age, Christ will come again, ushering in the fourth and final age, the age of glory, when evil, death, and sorrow will be banished from his Kingdom forever.

If we see things from the perspective of these four stages of history, it fills us with wisdom, interior peace, and a sense of purpose, because things make sense. But do we look at things this way?

Renewing Our Friendship with Christ (linked to Gospel)

The most exciting aspect of the Christian view of history is that Christ is constantly inviting us to take part in it.

What happened in today's Gospel passage happens to each one of us throughout our lives. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all living their normal lives, working to keep food on the table.

By all external signs, they were indistinguishable from any of their contemporaries. But then one day Jesus Christ walked into their midst and called them each by name.

Jesus didn't see them as average people, generic fishermen. Jesus saw each one in the revealing light of God's love. He knew that he had created them for an active role in his plan to redeem the human race and conquer the forces of sin and evil.

And just as he invited each one of them to join his team and share his mission, so he does with us. Some of us he calls to leave behind our nets, boats, and even our families, so that we can serve the Church full time, as special agents, as priests, religious, and missionaries.

Others he calls to be his ambassadors in the middle of our normal family and work life, redeeming the world from within, like leaven in the dough. But either way, he calls each one of us.

Today he will renew his call when he offers himself to us in the Eucharist.

By reminding us today of the true course of human history, he has motivated us to renew our response to that call in our hearts, to let our friendship with him truly become the most important thing for us, more important than our plans, pleasures, hopes, and comfort, because all those things are just part of the "world in its present form," which is "passing away."

The sign of the cross came down to us from very early Christianity with nothing clear as who started it. However, here are some facts regarding its practice among early Christians.

Tertullian, a Carthegenian, was the first Christian author to write in Latin. His surviving works dated from 196 AD to 212. Regarding the sign of the cross, he wrote: "Wherever we go, in getting out or coming in; when we put on our clothes or our shoes; whether we eat or we prepare to go to bed or whatever we do, we sign ourselves with sign of the cross."

St Ephraem who died sometime in 373 AD, was the only Syrian Doctor of the Church. About the sign of the Cross, St Ephraem wrote: "My son, see to it that whatever you do, your work is marked by the life-giving sign of the Cross. Never forget this, whether you eat or drink, or when you go to sleep; whether at home or when you are in a journey. There is no better behavior to compare with this. make this as a protection in all that you do. And teach this to your children that, they too would learn of it." This is fundamental to early Christians.

St Paul wrote to the Galatians: "But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ". (Gal 6:14) Of course this means Christ's sufferings. But we cross ourselves to remind ourselves of the sufferings of Jesus. There are even some who say that the sign of the cross is hinted in Revelation as "the seal of the living God" (5:2) or "his Father's name written on their forehead" (14:1) or even the mark of salvation in Ezekiel 9:4, as the sign of the Cross is used in baptism, the sacrament of invitation to Christianity.

The sign of the cross, in words and in action, reminds us of the two central realities of our faith: who God is (the Trinity) and what God has done for us (the Cross). These are the core of why Catholics do the sign of the cross.

From the earliest days of the Church, Christians understood that the cross of Christ has great power. Even the sign of the cross is powerful because it is a reminder of the instrument Jesus used to defeat Satan. Tertullian recommended that the faithful mark themselves with the sign of the cross at all times because of its power in bringing Jesus' sacrifice into their daily lives.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem expresses the power of the Cross very well: "Be the Cross our seal made with boldness by our fingers on our brow, and on everything; over the bread we eat, and the cups we drink; in our comings in, and goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we rise up; when we are in the way, and when we are still. … It is the Sign of the faithful, and the dread of devils… for when they see the Cross they are reminded of the Crucified; they are afraid of Him, who bruised the heads of the dragon." (Catechetical Lecture 13)

The sign of the cross is a powerful way of making us mindful of the Trinity and inviting God into our prayer and into our daily lives. It brings the power of Christ's cross to us and can be a powerful help against temptation and an excellent way of reminding us of the great things Jesus has done for us. Pray the sign of the cross often and be mindful of what it means in the life of the Church and in your own life!

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.

Today's readings teach us that the Lord not only calls us to help him in his mission but also appeals to something greater.

In today's First Reading Samuel, with Eli's help, gradually realizes that the Lord is calling him to be his prophet. Samuel's mother was so grateful for having him after entreating the Lord to bless her with a child that she entrusts him to the Lord in the Temple.

Samuel is precious in the Lord's eyes too, and the Lord starts calling him, but Samuel is too young and inexperienced to understand what is going on.

He turns to the priest Eli and, at first, Eli doesn't understand what is going on either. We can imagine him groggily sending Samuel away the first time, then perplexed when the boy returns a second time. His advice to Samuel on the second occasion is good advice for any situation: listen to the Lord and tell him his (or her) servant is listening.

Today's readings conclude by saying no word of Samuel's was "without effect" for the rest of his life. That was because Samuel became the Lord's prophet. The Word of God has an effect, whether we accept it or not.

Paul in today's Second Reading reminds us that, in Christ, we are already part of something greater, and what we do or don't do influences more than just ourselves:

Through Baptism we are joined with Christ and our fellow believers in a communion of life and love. Our sins not only have repercussions on ourselves but on everyone with whom we are in communion.

They hurt Our Lord, and they hurt our fellow believers. Is serious enough they can even break that communion.

However, on the flip side, the good we do not only helps Our Lord but others as well. We are members of the Mystical Body of Christ, so what we do is for the good or ill of the entire body.

We are also temples of the Holy Spirit. We bear something precious in us that must be cherished and nurtured.

In today's Gospel two disciples of the prophet John the Baptist, at his encouragement, check out a Rabbi (a.k.a. the Lamb of God) and become not only his disciples, but his friends, and must share the good news.

Two disciples of a prophet go looking for a Rabbi and find not only a Rabbi but a friend and much more. Andrew and the "other disciple," whom we presume to be John the Evangelist, don't start grilling Our Lord when they meet him. Rather, they want to hang out with him. They don't address him as the "Lamb of God" as John the Baptist did, just as "Rabbi," an expression of respect and an acknowledgment that he has something to teach them.

He doesn't try to impose and preconceived notions on them in response; he merely says, "come and see." It is not just learning from him, but living with him. Andrew, as the Gospel recalls, "heard John and followed Jesus." If he hadn't listened to John, he would not have found Jesus either.

In following Jesus, Andrew discovers that he has met the Messiah, and that's not something he can keep to himself, so he shares it with his brother, Simon.

The minute Jesus meets Simon he gives him a nickname—Cephas—and from that friendship a great mission would soon be born. Cephas—Peter—would not undertake that mission alone; he would follow Christ and share in his mission. 

Confession is a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ providing a means for those who fall into sin after Baptism to be restored into God's grace. It involves the admission of one's sins made to a duly approved Priest in order to obtain absolution.

Confession is called the "sacrament of Penance" as:

• the recipient must be truly repentant of his sins,
• be determined to try to avoid this sin in the future, and
• be willing to make reparations as appropriate with any/all injured parties.

Only God can forgive sin. The sacrament of Penance is the way which God has chosen to administer that forgiveness. Jesus exercised the power to forgive sins "that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (Mt 9:6). And Jesus to the Apostles in Jn 20:21-23 reads: "... As the Father has sent Me, so I send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Note that this power bestowed upon the Apostles is different than the power previously given Peter of binding and loosing, which is the broad power in matters of faith and morals; this power is specific to sin. Knowing that the Apostles, mere men, were incapable of handling such a responsibility on their own power, Jesus Christ gave them a special communication with the Holy Spirit (pneuma) for this special work. In all of the Bible, there are only two instances where God breathed on man, the other was when He gave man a living soul in Gen 2:7 - thus emphasizing the importance of the sacrament of Penance. And as this power was bestowed upon the Apostles, it was to be inherited by their successors, continuing His presence throughout time (Mt 28:19-20). Yes, Jesus is the one Mediator, but that does not deny Him from choosing others to assist Him in his work.

The Apostles certainly understood what Jesus Christ had commissioned them to do. Paul, in the name of Jesus, exercised the power of binding and loosing from sin and the effects of sin in the case of the incestuous Corinthian. In 1 Cor 5:3, Paul says: "I have already judged him that hath done so"; and in 2 Cor 2:10, Paul justifies his forgiveness of the repentant man by saying "If I have pardoned anything, I have done it in the person of Christ". Further, in 2 Cor 5:18, Paul writes: "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation". And in 2 Cor 5:20, Paul confirms "So we are ambassadors for Christ."

One Mediator redeemed us, Jesus Christ. The Catholic Priest, in the sacrament of Penance, does not redeem us; he is but an agent of the one Mediator, assigned and empowered by the one Mediator. Confession is but one way of applying the mediation of Christ to men.

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.

Jesus already knew that he was the Father's "beloved son" on whom the Father's "favor rests."

The voice from heaven that announced this, therefore, did so for our benefit, not for his.

Few times in the New Testament does God's voice speak from heaven, and each time it does, it says the same thing, it reiterates that Jesus is the chosen one, the beloved, and we are to heed him.

Among the many lessons hidden in those few words is the one that teaches us what pleases God. Up to this point in his earthly life, Jesus had done nothing extraordinary: no miracles, no great speeches, no massive conversions.

He had spent thirty years living in a hut in Nazareth, helping his foster-dad in the carpentry shop and doing chores and errands for his mother. And yet, the Father's favor rests on him, the Father is well pleased with him. Why? Because Jesus has been doing what God asked him to do, and doing it with love.

We don't need to try and impress God with our shocking sacrifices, brilliant personality, and earth-shaking accomplishments. All he desires from us is a heart centered on him, seeking to do his will.

What God wants from us is our friendship; everything else is secondary. And that friendship happens as we know, love, and follow Jesus Christ by doing and accepting all that he asks of us.

God's will: nothing more, nothing less, nothing else - when we make that our motto, just as it was for Christ, we too fulfill our vocation of being "beloved children" of the Father, on whom his "favor rests."

And when we fulfill our vocation, we find the peace, wisdom, and lasting excitement (God's blessings) that make life worth living in the first place.

Drawing Strength from God's Love

God is easy to please, and we really need to feel his pleasure. We were created to love and to be loved, to know that we are loved and appreciated just for who we are.

This is one of the deepest needs of every human heart: to experience unconditional acceptance. But in the fallen world even the most intimate and natural relationships often don't provide that.

And so, sometimes a parent's love is tainted with subconscious, selfish expectations. When we don't achieve what they want us to achieve, they feel disappointed in themselves, and they express it by showing disappointment in us.

And sometimes a spouse stops allowing room for intimacy with their husband or wife. In their own fear of being rejected, they end up subtly rejecting the one they should cherish and seeking satisfaction in less risky substitutes.

But God's grace can fix even those relationships, because God will never reject us; God will never unconsciously make his appreciation for us depend on our achievements; his love strengthens our love.

God is the perfect Father, and the perfect Friend and Companion; he gives without counting the cost.

This is why he tells us in today's First Reading: "All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk!"

How do we come to him? By obeying his Church's teaching; By spending time alone with him each day in prayer; By regular use of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and confession.

Which one of those three can we improve this week?

As Jesus comes to us in this Mass, let's rest in his friendship, and promise that this week we will try to come closer to him. Nothing would please him more.

A manger is a feeding trough for animals. In the stable or cave where Mary and Joseph stay because the inns are filled, the manger serves as a makeshift crib for Mary's baby, the Redeemer. God's propensity for foreshadowing comes into play here. Not only is Jesus, who is our Life-Giver, laid in a feeding place, but his birthplace is Bethlehem, a town whose name means "House of Bread." It is as though God goes out of his way to underline that he is Bread for the world.

Eating is as essential for life as breathing. Daily we refuel ourselves with food. Omitting meals for any length of time leaves us weak and malfunctioning. No wonder we pray in the Our Father, "Give us this day our daily bread." We look to God for life. When Jesus spends his first hours in a manger, he indicates that he is our bread, our sustenance. Without him, we can't survive. As Jesus' journey on Earth began with wood, so did it end—not with the warm, welcoming wood of the manger, but the rough wood of the cross. This wood too is associated with bread. The body of Jesus nailed to the cross made efficacious his words of the preceding evening when he held bread in his hands and declared, "This is my body." The cross is the wood through which he became our source of eternal life.

As a good parent, God has always provided bread for his children. In Old Testament times when the world faced a famine, God raised up the patriarch Joseph to store enough Egyptian grain to feed the chosen people and other nations. Centuries later, as the Israelites trekked through the desert on the way to the Promised Land, again they faced starvation. Yahweh had compassion on them. Daily during their forty-year sojourn to Canaan he rained down bread from heaven called manna.

Then in New Testament times, when Jesus held the crowd's rapt attention for hours and they grew hungry, he was aware of their need and had compassion. He astounded them by multiplying bread in abundance. The Gospels give us no fewer than six accounts of the picnic of bread and fish Jesus provided. And Jesus continues to feed the hungry through his Church. After he ascended into heaven, one of the first decisions his followers made was to appoint seven deacons to oversee the distribution of food. Today Christians serve meals at soup kitchens and bring them to the homebound, work at hunger centers, and donate food for people in need.

In this century, Jesus continues to nourish people with bread. Whenever we share in the Eucharist, we are fortified and energized for our particular journey on Earth. As really as Jesus slept in the manger on Christmas night, as really as he hung on the cross on Good Friday, Jesus, now risen, comes into us when we partake of this sacrament. As food and drink he unites himself with us, and we become like him. But becoming like him means becoming bread for others.

To be bread for others is to have compassion on them in their hungers. When someone hungers for attention, we are there to listen. When someone hungers for affirmation, we are there to encourage and support. When someone hungers for understanding and sympathy, we are there to give solace. When someone hungers for justice, we are there to set things right.

In the words of Caryll Houselander: "The ultimate miracle of Divine Love is this, that the life of the risen Christ is given us to give to one another, through the daily bread of our human love."

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.

God is a King. The Savior he sends us, Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, comes not to philosophize, but to rule.

Herod trembled because he knew this. The Wise Men rejoiced because they knew this.

Even before Jesus can talk, he teaches us a precious truth about ourselves. In our hearts there dwell two potential responses to the coming of such a King: Herod's or the Magi's.

Herod had spent his life murdering, extorting, and building a personal kingdom ruled by his whims for his personal glory.

Christ enters the scene - a King with authority from on high. Herod immediately feels the threat. If Christ is not destroyed or discredited, it could spell the end of all his labors.

The Magi, on the other hand, do not fear the demands that this new King will make on their personal lives.

Instead, they rejoice to know that God's Savior is finally coming. Instead of hoarding and protecting their treasures, the fruits of their life's labors, they generously offer them to Christ as gestures of honor, respect, and allegiance.

Whenever Christ enters our lives, which he does every day through the voice of conscience, the teachings of his Church, and the designs of Providence, we must choose in whose steps we will follow, Herod's or the Magi's.

Will we tremble, afraid of what Jesus may demand of us?

Or will we rejoice, glad to have such a glorious Lord to follow?

We have both possibilities in our hearts - we are potential Herods, and we also are potential Magi.

Turn Over All Your Keys

What are we holding onto? Which part of our life is still resisting Christ's Kingship? Which room in our soul is still locked, and we haven't given Jesus the key?

Maybe it's our goals. Maybe we are still thinking that our great achievements will give meaning to our life.

They won't - only Christ will.The only achievement that will last is that of fulfilling his will, following his example, and his teachings.

Today, once and for all, let's lay those achievements, those gold medals we covet so much, at the feet of the baby Jesus, just like the Magi offered the gift of gold.

Maybe it's the affections of our heart. Maybe we still think that the perfect relationship will give meaning to our life. It won't.

There is no such thing as the perfect relationship - at least, not without Christ. In fact, he is the one who gives every relationship its lasting beauty and joy.

We need to strive to please him first, and then he will make our relationships pleasing beyond our wildest dreams.

Today, let's lay the affections of our heart at his feet, just as the Magi offered our Lord the sweet smell of their frankincense.

Maybe it's our sufferings. Maybe we are still angry at God for the hurt we have experienced in life.

But if he has permitted it, it's only because he knows he can transform it. Let's stop rebelling against our King and loving Lord and lay our sufferings at his feet - just as the Magi offered him their myrrh, the spicy ointment used to embalm bodies for burial.

Jesus wants to be our King, so that we can enjoy the adventure of living in and fighting for his Kingdom. Let's let him.

"Joseph with Mary his spouse, went up "to the city of David called Bethlehem" (Lk 2:4).

Bethlehem: the name means house of bread. In this "house", the Lord today wants to encounter all mankind. He knows that we need food to live. Yet he also knows that the nourishments of this world do not satisfy the heart. In Scripture, the original sin of humanity is associated precisely with taking food: "took of the fruit and ate", says the Book of Genesis (cf. 3:6). They took and ate. Mankind became greedy and voracious. In our day, for many people, life's meaning is found in possessing, in having an excess of material objects. An insatiable greed marks all human history, even today, when, paradoxically, a few dine luxuriantly while all too many go without the daily bread needed to survive.

Bethlehem is the turning point that alters the course of history. There God, in the house of bread, is born in a manger. It is as if he wanted to say: "Here I am, as your food". He does not take, but gives us to eat; he does not give us a mere thing, but his very self. In Bethlehem, we discover that God does not take life, but gives it. To us, who from birth are used to taking and eating, Jesus begins to say: "Take and eat. This is my body" (Mt 26:26). The tiny body of the Child of Bethlehem speaks to us of a new way to live our lives: not by devouring and hoarding, but by sharing and giving. God makes himself small so that he can be our food. By feeding on him, the bread of life, we can be reborn in love, and break the spiral of grasping and greed. From the "house of bread", Jesus brings us back home, so that we can become God's family, brothers and sisters to our neighbors. Standing before the manger, we understand that the food of life is not material riches but love, not gluttony but charity, not ostentation but simplicity.

The Lord knows that we need to be fed daily. That is why he offered himself to us every day of his life: from the manger in Bethlehem to the Upper Room in Jerusalem. Today too, on the altar, he becomes bread broken for us; he knocks at our door, to enter and eat with us (cf. Rev 3:20). At Christmas, we on earth receive Jesus, the bread from heaven. It is a bread that never grows stale, but enables us even now to have a foretaste of eternal life.

In Bethlehem, we discover that the life of God can enter into our hearts and dwell there. If we welcome that gift, history changes, starting with each of us. For once Jesus dwells in our heart, the center of life is no longer my ravenous and selfish ego, but the One who is born and lives for love. As we hear the summons to go up to Bethlehem, the house of bread, let us ask ourselves: What is the bread of my life, what is it that I cannot do without? Is it the Lord, or something else? Then, as we enter the stable, sensing in the tender poverty of the newborn Child a new fragrance of life, the odor of simplicity, let us ask ourselves: Do I really need all these material objects and complicated recipes for living? Can I manage without all these unnecessary extras and live a life of greater simplicity? In Bethlehem, beside where Jesus lay, we see people who themselves had made a journey: Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. Jesus is bread for the journey. He does not like long, drawn-out meals, but bids us rise quickly from table in order to serve, like bread broken for others. Let us ask ourselves: At Christmas do I break my bread with those who have none?

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm. 

We hear a lot of talk these days about "human dignity." Some people use that term to promote the idea that everyone should be completely free to do whatever they feel like. But even they don't live like that - if they get kidnapped, they want their kidnappers arrested and put in prison, just as we all do.

Human dignity doesn't mean that everyone should have unlimited freedom. Rather, human dignity means that every single human being has an eternal, everlasting value, just because they exist.

Because of this, we should organize our families, societies, and individual lives in a way that welcomes everyone and gives as many as possible a chance to live their lives to the full. And of course, that means having effective laws that protect the weak, promote justice, and minimize ethical pollution.

But today, in the middle of the Christmas season, as the Church turns our attention to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the Holy Family, it is a good time to remind ourselves where this human dignity comes from and what it implies.

Today's First Reading gives us the answer.

Abraham and Sarah were picked by God to be the ancestors of the ancient Israelites, God's Chosen People.

God's action in their life reveals three key insights into human dignity.

Every Person Has a Unique Mission

One of the key insights about human dignity is the most exciting one. Since each one of us has been created directly by God, with the cooperation of our parents, each one of us has a unique mission to accomplish in the world.

In the Bible God is always talking about mission and purpose. When Abram and Sarai received God's promise to be the ancestors of his Chosen People, God actually changed their names to Abraham and Sarah, as a sign of their God-given mission.

In today's Gospel passage, we see the same thing happening. Simeon and Anna have spent their lives serving God, and now they are the only ones who recognize Jesus, and they start spreading the Good News that the Savior has come - this was their unique mission.

Jesus himself, the model for every one of us, has the mission of redeeming the fallen human race. Every single one of us has a God-given mission - it came with being created. And God has given different sets of talents and gifts to equip each of us for our mission.

This mission is our unique way of knowing and loving God - our friendship with him is not generic, but personal, because God made us personal and unique. And if we follow Christ and fulfill this mission, then we will add something to heaven that no one else can add.

Our fulfillment and eternal happiness come from our finding and fulfilling this unique, God-given mission. And when we are baptized, this mission is plugged into Christ's mission - we become his missionaries.

As Pope Paul VI put it: "In God's plan, every man is born to seek self-fulfillment, for every human life is called to some task by God" (Populorum progressio, #15)

The Family - Protector of Human Dignity

And for every one of us, this journey of discovery begins in the family. In the family we gradually learn the truth about who we are, who God is, who we are called to be, and how to use our gifts and talents responsibly.

This is why the Church is always defending the family, just as God designed it from the very beginning of history. God gives us our dignity as human beings, but the family teaches us to live in accordance with that dignity.

And so today, as we contemplate the Holy Family, let's thank the Lord for the great gift of human life and the immeasurable dignity he has bestowed upon it, let's thank him for the wise and beautiful design of the family, in which that life takes shape and grows to maturity, let's thank him for his personal love for each one of us and promise that we will imitate that love in the way we live out our family lives, and let's ask him to show us all how to live our lives to the full and help as many others as possible do the same.

It sounds like a trick question akin to "Who's buried in Grant's tomb?" Of course Jesus' birth is Christmas Day. But did the Incarnate Word arrive on December 25? I'd say there's a 1-in-365 chance.

While births are significant in scripture, birthdays are not at all. Honestly, we don't know what year Jesus was born, much less the date. Sometime between what we call 7 BCE and 4 CE, the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. John's gospel perceives the incarnation as central to history but the precise date is irrelevant. Details about Jesus' birth, as narrated by Matthew and Luke, are shaped for theological reasons, and they are powerfully significant ones. Their historicity is less certain—and, for these evangelists, utterly beside the point. Mark shows no interest in Jesus until he's a grown man. So anyone looking for the inches and ounces of Jesus' birth will find the gospels unforthcoming.

So why did the church latch onto the 25th of December? That date doesn't become a "thing" until the Roman Emperor Aurelius (270–275) institutes the sol invictus, or festival of the invincible sun. He sets this feast on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year on the Roman calendar. In the anxiety of waning light, the coming victory over darkness is merrily anticipated.

The sol invictus is so popular, and so light-centered, it becomes a no-brainer for Christian leaders to co-opt and consecrate the celebration on their liturgical calendar. Converts are drawn from the Roman world, after all. The recognition of Jesus as "Light of the world" weds happily with the established festival to remind new Christians that "the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and death's shadow" (Luke 1:78–79). By the fourth century Christian calendars include the nativity as a regular feast.

That works well in Rome. In Egypt and Arabia, however, winter solstice occurs on January 6th. A feast proclaiming God manifest among us, Epiphany, dawns for those Christians as well—which they celebrate on their solstice. In this easternmost part of the church, the feast is less about Jesus' arrival and more about how his divinity is revealed: by the testimony of the magi, in his baptism, and through the first miracle at Cana.

Later the West adopts Epiphany, and the East likewise assumes the nativity. With dual origins, Christmas-Epiphany becomes more an extended season with multiple meanings than a single event. For centuries the feast is hardly observed as a birthday party for Jesus, which some parishes throw today complete with cake and balloons. Early Christmas liturgies were pointedly determined to fight heresies. In heavy dogmatic fashion, Christmas honored "the eternal Word made flesh," in contradiction to the suggestion that the human Jesus was a divine mirage.

It would be centuries more before crèches and evergreens lightened the mood and the meaning of Christmas. Yet those strings of lights still remind us that a light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can't touch it.

https://uscatholic.org/articles/201712/was-jesus-born-on-christmas/

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.

On this last Sunday of Advent, as the solemn celebration of Christ's birth approaches, the Church reminds us of that holy day nine months earlier when Jesus was conceived in his Mother's womb.

There are two great mysteries connected with that day. The first is the mystery of God becoming man - the Incarnation.

God has loved us so much that he became one of us, so that he could save us from sin and the meaninglessness that sin brings, and show us the way to a meaningful life, now and forever.

The second mystery is that God didn't - and doesn't - work out that plan of salvation for us all by himself. Instead, he asks for our cooperation.

In today's Gospel, God invites Mary to become the mother of the Savior. It was possible for Mary to reject this invitation. As in the parable of the many townspeople who decline the king's invitation to attend his son's wedding feast.

Mary could have said, "Thanks for the invitation, Lord, but what you're asking is actually very inconvenient for me. I really wish I could do what you want, but I'm just not there yet."

That's how Adam and Eve had responded to God's invitation to take care of the Garden of Eden.

But Mary didn't insult God with an answer like that. She knew God, and knew that his plans are always wise and wonderful.

So she put her life at his service: "I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done unto me according to your word." Mary's "yes" reversed Eve's "no", and made room for Christ's undoing of Adam's fall.

When God disrupts our plans, we should follow Mary's example, making our contribution to God's work of salvation, however small it may be.

Salvation is God's business, but it's a partnership; we have a role to play as well.

Mary's "yes" to God wasn't easy; it involved a total change of her plans. Mary had felt called early on to serve God through consecrated virginity, which meant not having children.

This is the reason behind her comment to the angel: "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" That comment would have made no sense if she were planning on leading a normal married life with St Joseph, her fiancée.

Life as a virgin consecrated to God was what she had envisioned for herself and planned for. But then the angel came along and changed those plans.

God often does the same thing with us. Like a good coach, he pushes us out of our comfort zone so that we can reach our full potential as Christians.

There are three ways especially in which God tends to disrupt our plans. First, when we are really busy and don't' want any interruptions he brings us into contact with someone who needs help.

Second, we suddenly discover that certain popular and fashionable behaviors or activities (which we would like to follow) are actually against Church teaching, that they cause damage to us and to others.

Third, when we are really tired, fed up, or angry, our conscience - like the angel Gabriel in today's Gospel passage - sends us a message saying that we really need to keep working, or to do a little extra work, or to be extra patient with someone, or to hold our tongue.

These are three common ways that God disrupts our personal plans in order to invite us to be partners in his plan of salvation.

Today, last Sunday before Christmas, let's ask God for the grace to respond generously to those disruptions, as Mary did, especially during the Christmas season, so that our part in God's plan of salvation is sure to get done. 

As we approach Christmas, the Church invites us to reflect on Mary and Joseph and their courageous faith. I can think of no better models for us to welcome Our Savior than our Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph. Their example invites us to accept, with openness of spirit, Jesus who is Emmanuel, God-among-us.

The Gospel tell us about two annunciation. one is Annunciation to Joseph and the other is Annunciation to Mary. These two "Annunciations" are amazing announcements of the Incarnation delivered by heavenly messengers. They also involve the amazing responses, one spoken and the other unspoken, which express the obedient faith of Mary and Joseph to God's will and plan for our salvation.

The angel appeared to Mary when she was awake and the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. In both Annunciations, the angel said: "Do not be afraid." In the case of Mary, she was troubled by the greeting of the angel, not knowing what it meant. In the case of Joseph, he was in turmoil because of Mary's pregnancy, having decided "to divorce her quietly" since he was "unwilling to expose her to shame." They were both afraid and confused, but God's revelation, which they accepted with obedient faith, filled them with peace. It was the revelation of the Incarnation, that the Son conceived by Mary is of the Holy Spirit.

The angel told Mary: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Holy Spirit will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." The angel told Joseph: "It is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her." The angel told both Mary and Joseph that the child should be named "Jesus," a name which means "God saves."

Mary is our exemplar and model of faith in her response to the message of the angel: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Though we have no spoken words of Saint Joseph at the Annunciation to him, the Gospel tells us that "when Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home." Both Mary and Joseph responded positively to the word of God. Saint John Paul II wrote that "Joseph is the first to share in the faith of the Mother of God,… the first to be placed by God on the path of Mary's pilgrimage of faith." We are called to walk that pilgrimage of faith, to walk with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem in these final days of Advent.

I invite you in your prayer during these final days of Advent to contemplate the mystery we prepare to celebrate, maybe even having a little spiritual conversation with Mary and Joseph. Ask them to help you to live the true spirit of Christmas, to be close to their Son. I encourage you to find some quiet time for prayer during these noisy and busy days before Christmas. There is an aura of silence around Saint Joseph. Yet, that silence speaks eloquently to us of the interior life of Joseph, who, like Mary, is a model of humility and prayer. If we desire to experience the true joy of Christmas, we can learn from Mary and Joseph the secret of silence and reflection on the great mystery of the Incarnation.

Mary and Joseph teach us that the true gift of Christmas is Jesus. The best gifts we can give to others at Christmas are not expensive presents. The best gift we can share is the love, joy, and peace of the Lord. We do so by our prayers for others, kind words and gestures, forgiveness, a welcoming home, and joyful witness. Material gifts have value too, when they are expressions of love and generosity. And let us not forget the poor in our gift-giving at Christmas! It is a wonderful custom in our diocese to take up a special collection for Catholic Charities at all our Christmas Masses, an opportunity to support the charitable works of the Church in our diocese, to share with our brothers and sisters in need.

I encourage you to prepare for Christmas by contemplating Mary and Joseph: "Mary, the woman full of grace who had the courage to entrust herself totally to the Word of God; and Joseph, the faithful and just man who chose to believe the Lord rather than listen to the voices of doubt and human pride. With them, let us walk together toward Bethlehem" (Pope Francis).

May this final week of Advent be a prayerful time of joyful preparation for Christmas! Through the intercession of Mary and Joseph, may we be free of all worldliness and ready to welcome anew our Savior!

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm. 

1. With the coming of the "fourth wave" of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rapid resurgence of confirmed infections, the SAR Government has tightened its measures on group gatherings with effect from 02 Dec 2020, in order to minimize the risk of community transmission.To cope with the tightened Government measures, Cardinal John Tong has announced new pastoral measures with effect from 02 Dec 2020, until further notice.  The relevant Pastoral Guidelines can be found here.
   
   
2. The parish is facing a shortage of manpower at the moment, especially Acolytes and Eucharistic Ministers. We encourage all parishioners to consider volunteering for the Church's ministries. If you are interested, please download the Volunteering Form from the website here or pick one up at the back of the church next to parish bulletin.
   
   
3. Our church is open from 7:00 am to 7:00 PM.  Adoration is on 9:00-10:00 AM on Monday – Saturday; 10:00 am - 12:00 noon on Sunday.  
   

My dear brothers and sisters, today is "Gaudete [gow-DEH-tay] Sunday." The word "gaudete" is Latin for "rejoice," and in the Latin version of today's Mass, it's the very first word.

The third Sunday of Advent has been "Gaudete Sunday" ever since the time of Pope St Gregory the Great, in the sixth century [original Catholic Encyclopedia]. It's the reason for the rose-colored vestments and Advent candle.

One thing that can inhibit our experience of Christian joy is wrong expectations. The joy that comes from Christ goes deeper than passing emotions.

It is a joy that comes from knowing that Christ is always with us, guiding us, and loving us, even amidst life's trials. If we are expecting Christ to bring us heaven on earth, we simply won't be able recognize his action in our lives, because that's not what he came to do.

Something like that happened in today's Gospel passage.

The priests, Levites, and Pharisees who come out to investigate John the Baptist are the same leaders from Jerusalem who later rejected Christ and arranged his execution.

When they hear rumors that John the Baptist is attracting huge crowds and preaching to them about the Messiah, they get suspicious.

Since he didn't come from their inner circle, they assumed that he couldn't be a true messenger of God. And so when he answers their questions, they pay no attention to what he says. And as a result, they were not ready to welcome Christ later on.

They were expecting a political Messiah, not a Messiah who would redeem the world from sin.

They listened to John's message only through the filter of their personal agendas, and they missed the point.

Their own preconceived notions impeded their acceptance of God's word spoken through John. They heard the prophecy, but it didn't help them at all. 

Advent and the coming of the savior are now here, and that is cause for the greatest celebration on earth. The savior is coming! Jesus Christ is coming! Help and salvation are on the way! All our real hopes and all our true wishes shall now be fulfilled in the coming of the boy king. We are so blessed this season to think and pray about this one event that changed human history forever. It should be on our minds always because every human being now has a path to heaven. With the coming of the savior, the gateway is now open. As we celebrate this holy season, we are reminded of models that lead us in the ways of patience and virtue and how to celebrate Advent properly.

We have one model, in particular, that shows us the proper way to celebrate this holy season, someone we are called to admire and imitate, it's no surprise that it is our Blessed Mother, Mary the mother of Jesus. We all know the story. Mary was a teenage girl living on the fringes of the empire. God revealed His plans for salvation to this one young girl – a nobody in the middle of nowhere – and exclaims to her that she has been chosen above all the others. This makes no sense to us because we live for worldly success, money, rewards, promotion, and fame. But not God. God reveals just how different His ways are from our ways when he chooses this one girl named Mary. And look at how she responds! When the angel Gabriel tells her that she will bear a son, Jesus, who will be the savior of all the world, she responds with a faith that many of us don't have, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." She doesn't hesitate even when she experiences the call of God, and that's our model for this Advent season. We need to stop hesitating, surrender fear and worry, and embrace God with every ounce of strength we have left.

And how do we do that? How do we stop hesitating? Well, first, let's act like Mary – our model of faith – and let's say the words that she said: "Be it done unto me according to thy word." Say those words in your heart right now and ask God for the grace given to Mary. Ask God to grant all your prayers that you have said for family and friends. Tell Jesus, "I want to know you." Tell Jesus, "I want to serve you. I want to change the world for you." These words echo the sentiments of our mother, and she encourages us: Pray constantly. We will never be true Christians until we pray and pray whenever we can.

Mary is our model in patience. Advent is the season of waiting and certainly the season of patience. And we wait, don't we? We have so many things to wait for. The wife who's waiting for her husband's return from his deployment, that woman is in Advent. The man or woman who has Leukemia or suffering from nephrotic cancer, that person is in Advent. The priest who sits in the confessional on Saturday, waiting for someone – anyone – to come back and be reconciled to God, he is in Advent – we are all waiting on the Lord. Where is Advent in our lives? It is all around, but now, we have a reason to rejoice and a reason to hope! Our mother Mary is waiting on the good news to come to fruition, and it does. The savior is born, the King is coming!

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm. 

My dear brothers and sisters, all of us have experienced pessimistic moments. Sometimes we experience pessimism because no matter what we do we can't seem to avoid suffering; painful things just keep happening to us and those we love.

Sometimes we experience discouragement because we can't seem to avoid sin; we just keep falling into the same patterns of greed, lust, impatience, and laziness. Sometimes we experience cynicism when we look at society and see so much that is wrong, so much injustice, degradation, and violence.

Today, as we start the Second week of Advent, God has something to say about pessimism, discouragement, and cynicism.

He is saying: pessimism, discouragement, cynicism will all come knocking at your door, but don't let them in! Do not let yourself be afraid, because I am your Lord and Savior, and I have not forgotten about you!

This is the message of the Gospel, where we hear St John the Baptist's voice ring out with hope in the wilderness of pessimism: the Lord is coming!

From the first reading we listen to Isaiah, who preaches comfort to God's sinful people, reminding them that he is like a shepherd who gathers the lambs of his flock (us) in his arms.

In the Second Reading, St. Peter told us, even if it seems that God is absent, has forgotten about us, or is powerless to help us, we know that he is simply waiting for the right moment to send in his grace.

Because for God, a thousand years are like a day, St Peter reminds us, and a day is like a thousand years; what seems like a long wait for us is in reality just the blink of an eye.

Advent is our yearly reminder that God has not forgotten about us, no matter how we may feel. In fact, he never stops thinking of us, and he is leading us with care to our everlasting reward.

God has not forgotten about us, and he never will; this is the source of our comfort and courage amidst life's trials. And he wants to come with fresh blessings for each one of us this Christmas.

According to the prophet Isaiah, there are two things we can do to get ready to receive those blessings: to fill in every valley and to make low every mountain. The valleys stand for our sins of omission, the things we should be doing but aren't.

For example, if we aren't spending quality time with our family, we need to fill in that valley. If we aren't spending at least a few minutes each day in prayer with God, we need to fill in that valley. If we aren't going regularly to confession to rejuvenate our souls with God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness, we need to fill in that valley.

The mountains are the selfish and sinful habits that we have built up; the sins of commission. If we like to gossip and spread criticism, we need to tear down that mountain. If we are leading a double life, indulging in hidden sins or lies that are poisoning our souls, we need to lay low that mountain. If we are arrogantly treating our colleagues, teammates, or family members like lower class people, we need to topple that mountain.

The mountains and valleys inhibit God's grace from traveling into our hearts; they are roadblocks that keep out God's mercy, peace, and wisdom.

Advent is the season to smooth out and clear up the roads to our hearts. Christ wants to help us do that, as he will prove again during Eucharist. Everytime we receive him in Holy Communion, let's promise that we'll give him that chance.

The Advent season helps us to prepare for Christmas where we recall in faith Christ's coming among us. It is also a time in which we look at our present lives and reflect on the second coming of Christ in our own lives and at the end of the ages.

It is a season of joyous expectation in light of the Feast of Christmas. However, it is also a time of preparation in which we are invited to renew our Christian faith. We can become more attentive to the gift of our faith and to explore the implications of what it means to believe in the person of Christ and above all to become more grateful for the presence of God's love which is fully manifest in the person of Christ.

One important gift of faith which we can receive in Advent and Christmas is a profound sense of gratitude for his presence and thus the need to prepare our hearts for the power of such an event in our lives today. This Christian attitude and disposition to gratitude is most vividly reflected in the role of Mary- the Mother of our Lord.

In the early Church we know that there was a progressive discovery through faith to see the fullness of Mary's role in God's plan of salvation history. Scripture records her role in God's plan of salvation from the outset as the Mother of our Lord. In the first two chapters of Matthew's Gospel he records the infancy of Christ but what is most interesting is that Mary is only named and speaks no words. The birth of our Lord is recorded almost exclusively from the viewpoint and experience of Joseph. In contrast, Luke's gospel portrays Mary in a much more prominent role.

And thus, it is through this inspired narrative that we see the outline of her vocation from God, the Annunciation – the greeting and the message from the angel Gabriel. The stirrings of Mary's heart and her initial response in faith is that of a question "How can this be?" … then "Let it be done unto me according to your Word." The progress of her belief in God's promises and her confidence to say "Let it be done according to your Word" is truly inspiring for each Christian who has struggled to answer their vocation call.

Then through prayer and the reflection upon God's grace at work in her life we see the ultimate response of gratitude: "Mary treasured all of these things and pondered them in her heart."

From the beginning she was fixed on the mystery of this newborn child, that she was attentive to this experience as the mystery of God's salvation, and that her "fiat," her yes, progressively unfolded in her life and that thus her memory played an important role in the faith of the Church.

In the Advent season the Church's memory becomes reflected through the memory of Mary.To identify with Mary in faith during this season of Advent is to be open to receive what she received.

The first gift was that of a profound sense of gratitude for the warmth of God's love given to her in Christ. His birth, his coming into this world was to reveal the fullness of God's love and Mary was the first to believe in this love and to experience it in her life.

The second gift that Mary received was the grace of being ready and attentive, of being open to God and the power of this event in her life. This coming of Christ would disrupt her plans, it would challenge her life, the relationships of family and friends, yet through her yes, she would begin to see how God had chosen to reveal the Incarnate vision of His Son through her life. This is the grace that each of us receives to respond in truth and freedom to our vocation and calling in life. We are called to model our response of Mary in accepting and choosing our life's vocation.

As Advent unfolds it is our hope that the gifts Mary received may be part of our own preparation and reflection of the coming of Christ in our lives: a gratitude for our faith and an openness to live our vocations in Christ with greater fidelity.

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

The parish is facing a shortage of manpower at the moment.

We encourage all parishioners to consider volunteering for the Church's ministries.

If you are interested, please fill this application form, including signing the "Personal Information Collection & Privacy Policy Statements" and pass it to the parish secretary Esther. 

1. The parish is facing a shortage of manpower at the moment, especially Acolytes and Eucharistic Ministers. We encourage all parishioners to consider volunteering for the Church's ministries. If you are interested, please get the form next to parish bulletin at the back of the church.
2. Weekly meditation has resumed. Every Tuesday, from 7 - 7:45 PM, a group meets in the sanctuary to practice the Silence, Stillness, and Simplicity of Christian meditation. We belong to the World Community for Christian Meditation, which teaches meditation as a form of prayer to be close to Jesus. If you have any question, please contact Vivian Lee, WhatsApp or Tel: 6100-0880.
3. Resumption of Sacramental CCD Classes - CCD classes will resume on December 6, 2020 | 10:00 - 11:00 AM for children in Sacramental classes (birth years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2013). There is still time to register.
4. There will be a Youth Group Meeting on 11 December 2020 (Friday) from 7:30 - 8:30 PM at the Parish Hall. All teenagers are welcome.For further information, please contact either Fr. Paulus or Fr. David.

God knows the limitations of our human nature very well - after all, he created it. We can only focus our attention - really focus it - on one or two things at a time; we can't keep everything in mind all at once. But on the other hand, we can't focus our attention on the same thing all the time either; we need variety, otherwise we become depressed.

These limitations of our human nature are one reason God inspired the Church to divide the year into liturgical seasons.

The mystery of our salvation includes the whole Bible, the whole life of Christ, and the whole history of the Church.

But we can't possibly keep all those things in mind all the time.

So we focus on different aspects of them at different times of the year (which has the added benefit of giving variety to our spiritual lives): in Lent we focus on the reality of sin and mercy and the need for repentance; during Easter we focus on the power of God and the Resurrection; during Ordinary Time we focus on the everyday life and teachings of Christ and the wisdom they impart for our everyday lives; and now, during Advent, we focus on God's faithfulness.

St Paul puts it briefly in today's Second Reading: "God is faithful." God didn't abandon the human race after original sin. He promised to send a Savior, and he fulfilled his promise on the very first Christmas.

And God has also promised that this Savior, Jesus Christ, will come again to bring our earthly exile to its completion, just as in Old Testament times God brought his Chosen People out of their exile in Babylon, as today's First Reading reminded us.

God is faithful; he will fulfill his promises - that's one of the key themes for Advent.

In today's First Reading, Isaiah says twice, "Lord, you are our Father." By reminding us today that God always fulfills his promises, the Church wants to put that same prayer in our hearts.

God is our Father; he is always looking after us, protecting us, and loving us. And unlike earthly fathers, God's fatherly love has no limits, no imperfections, no blind spots.

Advent is meant to be a time when we renew our awareness of God's perfect Fatherhood in our lives, letting his love for us renew our spirits.

The best way to do that is to spend more time with God in prayer during this Advent season. But that will be impossible unless something else happens first.

Prayer is a funny thing: even though we usually don't see God with our physical eyes or hear him with our physical ears, when we turn our attention to him, he really is present, and we know it. As we become aware of this presence, we also, almost automatically, become aware of our own sinfulness, because God is truth, and his light shines into all the hidden corners of our heart.

If in those corners we have been hiding some un-repented and un-confessed sins, or harboring some sinful habits, as soon as we sincerely try to pray, they will come into view and distract us.

So, if we want to spend more time in prayer this Advent, filling our hearts with the Father's goodness and wisdom, the first thing we need to do is clean out those dark corners by taking a trip to the confessional.

Today, as we begin this sacred season, let's promise that we will let him clean up our dark corners, so that we can enjoy his presence as we prepare for the great commemoration of Christmas Day.