Advent-A Time of Waiting

Today, November 29th, we begin the Season of Advent leading up to our celebration of Christmas--commemorating the birth of Jesus. In our Catholic churches, and in some homes, we have Advent wreaths and the churches are adorned in purple and the "Gloria"
is normally omitted from the liturgy. Yet, many of us go on our daily lives, other than decorating, partying and shopping, with little preparation for Christmas.

I'd like to note that if you were an Orthodox or Eastern Rite Catholic Christian, this would not be the case. No, if you were either Orthodox or Eastern rite Catholic you would be practicing a period of penance or sacrifice similar to what Latin (Roman) rite Catholics practice during Lent leading to Easter.

Wouldn't it be a good idea if we implemented a voluntary practice similar to our Eastern brethern. Maybe some small sacrifice like attending Mass during the week, eating smaller portions when not partying and accumulating the money saved for a needy cause/person, reflecting daily during Advent on the first two chapters of the Gospel of St. Luke and the Old Testament prophets, praying for someone you know in need, praying and reflecting on the five joyful mysteries of the rosary each day or practicing the virtue of patience; and the one I like to do, daily praying for the unity of the Orthodox and Catholic Church. This latter is of special concern to me as I reflect on the late Pope John Paul II who sought unity so that "...the Church could breath with both lungs".

For you who have access to Catholic radio, I hope you have the opportunity to listen to the weekly "Light of the East" program produced by Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church in Homer Glen, Illinois and hosted by Father Thomas J. Loya; once you have, I believe you'll come to realize the beauty the Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church has to offer us. If you can't listen on a local radio station, you may visit the church's beautiful web site and stream past radio shows at www.byzantinecatholic.com.

Out of the Desert

As with many people, as I reflect in my life I realize how many years I wandered in the desert of life--as our ancestors of Faith wandered in search of The Promised Land.

Though I was baptized and remained a Catholic my entire life; for many years I was what is often referred to as a cafeteria Catholic--one who picked and chose how to practice one's Faith. Throughout those years I received numerous "pricks" from God but for the most part I remained unmoved. God finally hit me with a 2 X 4 in the early 1990's and ever since my relationship with Him and His Church has continued to grow. That is not to say that I haven't experienced moments of darkness but to this point they have passed followed by a greater brightness. God created us, thinking reasoning beings and though we are believers of God and followers of Jesus through a gift of Faith; God wants us to use our reasoning powers as God is the essence of Logic.

There are moments in my life when I experience an overwhelming sense of gratefulness for the love of God, a love I do not deserve. One of these moments occurred two weeks ago while as Mass when all I could respond was quietly saying "Thank You, God". My response must have been evident as the woman kneeling next to me touched me on my arm and asked "Are you okay?" I answered, "Yes I'm okay, I'm just easily moved."

Though I'm still wandering through my journey of life, I am so thankful that I am not alone; I'm out of the desert journeying with God's large community of saints, with God providing life support.

The Manhattan Declaration--A Call of Christian Conscience

A group concerned with the impact of the post-Christian secularism on our society got together and drafted the "Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience" in New York on October 20th. The declaration was released on Friday, November 20th with over 150 Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Church leaders as signatories.

Today the number of signatories is 168. The declaration specifically addresses/defends:

1. The sanctity of human life

2. The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife

3. The rights of conscience and religious liberty

Those who agree with the declaration are encouraged to show their support by logging in to the "manhattandeclaration.org" web-site and indicating this support. At my last check over 182,000 endorsed the declaration.

The declaration is available as a link as well as a summary of the declaration and the list of signatories.

I first heard of the declaration on Catholic radio who announced it was going to be released and saw a report on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). Fox News also reported the release, as did Bill O'Reilly.

I hope you are moved to go the web-site, read the declaration and then hopefully endorse it. I believe our culture is at a cross road and it is imperative that Christians and like-minded people let their voices be heard.