St James tell us, "Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (4:4). As I listen to the endless stream of mindless blather on television, I am reminded of this powerful verse. People talk about Christmas in earthly terms. They mention Santa Claus, gifts, and trees. They want a new IPad, car, or jewelry. Their passions lie with the world. The celebration of the birth of the greatest man who ever lived does not even register with many of them. It is numbing and I am saddened. Being a lover of the world means that you want to stay in this world. You are worried about leaving the things in this world behind. I am not suggesting that we should not enjoy our time on earth. In fact, we should spend it with a higher purpose. But remember that it is temporary and the greater prize is to come in the next life. The anticipation of spending eternal life with our Lord is so exciting. It is this feeling that builds excitement in me during the time of Advent. We have been patient. We have prepared ourselves the last four weeks specifically. We are ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We walk the journey with Joseph and Mary. We feel their joy when Jesus arrives. We join the other visitors to the manger to worship the King of Kings. I want to close this post with a thank you to all that come to this site. I hope that I have remained true to God's purpose. I ask that you continue to pray for me and this ministry. I want to bring people closer to our God. I want people to develop a deeper relationship with God. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
The spiritual climax of the Gospel of John, as Father John Waiss points out, occurs at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus utters his parting words: “Woman, behold, your son!” and “Behold your mother!” (John 19:26-27). While these words were addressed to the Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, the Church has long understood this moment as a universal adoption. To truly image Christ, we must share in His parentage; if we embrace God as our spiritual Father but reject Mary as our mother, we treat Christ as a half-brother rather than our "firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29). As Origen noted as early as the third century, the profound depths of the Gospel are only accessible to those who, like John, rest their heads on Jesus’ breast and receive Mary into their own homes. This maternal role is deeply rooted in biblical typology, positioning Mary as the fulfillment of the great mothers of the Old Covenant. She is the New Eve , the mother of all the living according ...
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