I'm sorry that I don't know the artist of this picture, or I would happily give him/her the credit. It always reminds me of Dr. Leonard of Arizona, who calls his medical practice "Morning Star" after the Blessed Virgin, and who gave out this picture as a memento when he married.

We reflect on the spiritual beauty that must have been present in the Virgin Mary, especially as she bore God Himself in her womb for nine months. We, of course, do not worship her as we do God, but we ask her to intercede with Her Divine Son to make us more like Him every day. Think of the holiness ("the sanctity so amiable" noted below) that must have radiated from her when God Himself was living within her.

"Reflect, therefore, dear reader, upon her sanctity so amiable, and so much esteemed, even by the angels -- upon the graces she had in this life, and the glory with which God has crowned her in Heaven. Keep before your mind's eye this great prodigy, as the Apostle and Evangelist, St. John, calls her -- that is to say, this peerless woman, clothed with the sun, having the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars around her head, and then say if it is not worth your while in order to merit her love, to renounce the riches, honors and pleasures of this world by becoming truly devoted to her. Make a compact with yourself never more to think of persons or things that may cause you to fall into sin."

~ Rev. Hilary Maurice Vigo, "The Immaculate Conception: the History, Trials, and Triumphs of the Work of God at Lourdes," 1878.

(This image of Fra Angelico's Annunciation was found on Wikimedia)

Today we commemorate the Translation of the House of Loreto - the small humble dwelling where the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ took place in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Bonaventure wrote:

"Now, when the fullness of that time had come, wherein the Most High Trinity, in exceeding love, had decreed to save mankind by the Incarnation of the Word; the Divine mercy, and the instant prayers of the blessed spirits, pressed for the accomplishment of this redemption. The Blessed Virgin Mary having returned to Nazareth, the Almighty called unto Him the Archangel Gabriel, and thus spake unto him: 'Go thou unto our well-beloved daughter Mary, that is espoused unto Joseph, and that is dear unto us above all our creatures; and say unto her, that the Son of God hath been taken with her beauty, and chosen her that she be His Mother. Pray for her that she accept Him joyously, for that through her have I decreed to save all mankind, and no longer remember the injuries done unto Me.'"

Let us pray for each other that we "accept Him joyously" when He comes to us spiritually this Christmas.

Father Alfred Delp, SJ, was martyred by the Nazis in 1945. In his sermons and writings, he often referred to the spiritual significance of Advent, preparing for Our Lord's coming into our hearts.

"First in wartime Munich and later, from his Berlin prison cell, he preached the timeless spiritual message that we are truly human only when our lives are centered on God....He described the season of Advent as a journey into the holy place of encounter with the living God."

These words are taken from the introduction to Advent of the Heart: Seasonal Sermons and Prison Writings of Fr. Alfred Delp, SJ. 

Let us contemplate these simple thoughts today:

We are truly human only when our lives are centered on God.

Advent is a journey into the holy place of encounter with the living God.

(The grotto at Lourdes, where this happened)

"A beautiful lady" had appeared repeatedly to 14-year-old St. Bernadette, when finally, on March 25th, 1858, when the girl saw the Lady in the Grotto again at Lourdes, she begged her to tell her who she was. After she had asked three times, "The Apparition seemed to become still brighter with beatific splendor, and to be wrapped up, as it were, in its own felicity," writes Fr. Hilary Maurice Vigo in his 1878 book, The Immaculate Conception: The History, Trials and Triumphs of the Work of God at Lourdes. And after the teenager had asked a fourth time, "The Lady had her hands fervently joined, while her face shone with the splendor of infinite beatitude. There was humility in that brightness....Next she extended her arms and inclined them towards the ground, as if to show to the world her virginal hands full of benedictions; and then elevating them towards the eternal mansions whence, on that day, the Divine messenger of the Annunciation had descended, she joined them again with fervor, and looking on Heaven with sentiments of unspeakable gratitude pronounced these words: 'I am the Immaculate Conception.' Having spoken thus, she disappeared."

What strikes me most about this passage is not Our Lady's beauty and gracefulness, although that is evident. It's not Bernadette's persistence, though that is interesting too. 

It is the bliss that the blessed in Heaven, especially Our Lady, enjoy. She becomes bright with the glory and joy of Heaven, wrapped up in her own happiness. Sometimes we get a little flash of spiritual joy, a tiny taste of Heaven, but it soon is swept away by all that is going on around us, especially the struggles and sorrows of this life. Imagine experiencing "infinite beatitude" - unlimited joy that beams from every part of your being in visible brilliant rays. 

If we follow Our Lord in this life, and keep His Commandments, we will experience "infinite beatitude" too. So I hope, so may it be. Amen.

I know I've mentioned this concept before, but I need to hear it again. :) St. John of the Cross says that most of our sufferings stem from our attachment to the goods of this earth. Stop and think about it: on what occasion were you most recently upset? Angry? Frustrated? Furious even? Desperately sad? Think about whether it can be traced to being too attached to something or someone - even if that something was just "my own way." (*guilty)

Now, if we are detached from earthly things, and leave all in God's Hands, trusting Him to dispose everything the way He sees fit, then we are like the one described below:

"Wherefore, not having his heart placed on the things of this earth, he participates not of their instability. Poverty, humiliations, mortifications and sufferings, while they spare him not, do not conquer, debase, or deject him. Dear reader, have you seriously reflected on this? Would you not, by devoutly meditating on these truths, have been spared the greater part of your tribulations?"

~ Rev. Hilary Maurice Vigo, The Immaculate Conception: The History, Trials and Triumphs of the Work of God at Lourdes, 1878.

(The Basilica at Lourdes, France)

Imagine what the world would be like today if Jesus Christ had never come and walked among us. When He came 2000+ years ago, the world was bad enough...filled with the seven deadly sins, cruel people conquering and preying on other people...everyone out for himself, for what he could get. Slavery, little respect for women, tyrannical governments squeezing the people...And worst of all, there was no forgiveness for those who made mistakes.

If you were like Mary Magdalen and fell from grace, perhaps through weakness of temperament, poor upbringing, or any other excuse, there was no going back. You were not welcomed among religious people ever again. They more or less pushed you along the road to Hell because you were shunned and banned. But then St. John the Baptist came and preached repentance and penance. Tell God you're sorry, and do penance for your sins. What a novel idea! We haven't heard that since - oh, well, I don't know, perhaps Ninive! the people thought.

But then Our Lord came, of whom the Baptist was the precursor, and He said to those who truly repented and came to Him for help, "Go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee." What?! Forgiveness of sin??!! This was unheard of among the Pharisees. How could anyone forgive SIN?

Ah, but only God can forgive sin. And Jesus is God. How thankful we should be that He came and brought us this wonderful message...imagine what the world would have been like without it.

"'Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen; the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, to the poor the Gospel is preached.' Above all His miracles and cures, the Christ considers as His greatest achievement the preaching of the Glad Tidings to the poor. And indeed this does surpass His benefits to mankind as the sun eclipses all the planets in brilliancy. What would this world be without the gentle, refining influence of Christianity? It is impossible to overestimate the benefits of the preaching of Jesus Christ...By it He changed, as it were, overnight, a drab, hopeless world, filled with gloom and despair, to a bright, cheerful, lovable abode."

~ Fr. David P. McAstocker, SJ, "A Friend of Mine," imprimatur 1930.

For those of you who don't know my mother, let me tell you that I grew up in a house full of books, and that Mom shared her love of books with me. One book which we often took out to read excerpts from, was a beautiful green one with gold decorations published in the late 19th century. It was called Immortelles of Catholic Columbian Literature compiled from the works of American Catholic Women Writers by the Ursulines of New York. We just called it colloquially, "Immortelles." :) I now have my own copy of "Immortelles", and I was moved to open it today.

I found a lovely excerpt from the writings of one Martha Murray, an Irish-American, that I'd like to share with you this evening:

"How honestly St. Francis de Sales says, 'I love these three little virtues: gentleness of heart, firmness of mind, and simplicity of life.' And the more we meditate upon these three virtues, the more we too love them and grow to realize that they represent the germ of sanctification in every child of earth. In cultivating them we are simply living a pure, upright life, whose end will be eternal happiness, for, 'How can a child perish who remains in the Arms of a Father who is Almighty?'"