New Year and All . . .

in less than 16 hours it will be a New Year. I'm not really all that fond of resolutions, mostly because historically I am really good at making lists of things I know would be great for me to change about myself or my environment, and then not being able to follow through with those changes because of any number of factors, not the least of which is lack of will power.

So this year I have decided that instead of resolutions I am going to write out a few wishes for the new year:

I wish faithfulness to God's plan for our lives for myself, my husband and my children.

I wish that all of us would be more attentive to our overall health; body, mind and spirit.

I wish that care for the environment were something that everyone took more seriously.

I wish that all the people I loved could achieve at least one of their wildest dreams.

Pax

The Naughty List, Jack

The Naughty List, Jack

Lights Please:

And Joseph went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her child,

and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling

clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.

The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news

of great joy that will be for all the people.

For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

and suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying

"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had hear and seen,

just as it had been told to them.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Living Will

Last night, my kids and I were sitting in the living room and I said to them, 'I never want to live in a vegetativestate, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.'


So, they got up unplugged my Computer and poured out all my wine.

h/t to my friend Diane via email

It is all about the Birth of Mary, People

This is the one term of Catholic Church doctrine that is misinterpreted by so many people. Miss-used might be a better way to say it. I get really tired when I hear people makings jokes about the Immaculate Conception, when they are really trying to reference the Virgin Birth. I don't mind you making fun of my faith tradition, I just wish you would bother to take the time to get to know a little about it before you go spouting off your big mouth.

This quote below is a wonderful explanation as to why Mary had to be conceived without sin in order to be prepared to be the Theotokos (God bearer). God makes sense if you just take the time to think logically about how this was all set about.

Anyway, Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Had Infinite Purity chosen any other port of entrance into humanity but that of human purity,

it would have created a tremendous difficulty, namely,

how could He be sinless if He was born of sin-laden humanity?

- Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

(On the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Pax

50 is Really Young

in Bishop Years.

Fr Paul Etienne, Bishop elect of the Diocese of Cheyene WY will be the youngest American Bishop when he is installed next week.

Shhhhhh!

I finally found the perfect Christmas gift for my friends at Korrektiv, but don't tell them. I would hate to spoil the surprise.



Pax