By: Ivonne J. Hernandez

​The first few days after the birth of a child can be a trying time for the mother. The physical toll from the birth itself is compounded by lack of sleep and the needs of others in her care. The circumstances surrounding the birth of each of my three boys were different, but my favorite memories with each of them were those quiet times in the middle of the night when it was just the two of us. The rhythmic squeak of the rocking chair provided a backdrop as I hummed a lullaby and breathed in the sweet new baby smell of his head. In the middle of the hectic stressful post birth period, time stood still. It was as if God knew that I needed that time, in the silence, to ponder and take in the miracle in my arms.

We find ourselves within the octave of Christmas, an eight-day celebration of the Solemnity of Christmas. It is as if time stands still. As the commotion of the world goes on all around us, the Church invites us to quiet down and ponder on the miracle in front of us, God Incarnate, the Babe in the manger. The baby has been born and St. Joseph sleeps after the long journey. The shepherds and Magi are on their way and the crowds will soon press in, trying to see the King. We are invited to open our eyes to the invisible reality “hidden from the wise and the learned” (Mt 11:26), and to see how much God loves each one of us. Mary is inviting us to sit with her and adore the Babe.

Christmas is not over, it’s only just begun. God knows that we live in a fallen, hectic, sometimes crazy world, and that we need a little extra time to take everything in. If your house has been busy with guests, or if you are just exhausted from all the preparations and celebrations, open your ears to the invitation to be still. Maybe you can wake up a little earlier than the rest of the household and let the silence outside give way to the silence within. Those moments before everyone wakes up can be like those precious moments before the shepherds arrive. Accept the invitation to this intimate moment with Mary and the Babe. Ask Mary to place the Baby in your arms, and to be right there with you to make sure He is safe. Ask her to teach you how to hold and ponder all these things in your heart. (Lk 2:19)​

Merry Christmas!

By: Laura Worhacz

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“Bethlehem had its joys also, joys most sweet and consoling. The shepherds—simple souls—came to adore the infant Savior. Mary rejoiced at seeing their homage and the willing offerings they made to her Jesus.” - St. Peter Julian Eymard (Eymard Library Volume 7, page 69 )

Dearest Eucharistic Family,

Rejoicing with you through the final days of preparation in our Advent season, ready to enter the celebration of Christmas. The joy of this season is like no other since we reflect on the gift of life in the newborn king.  In today’s Gospel Mary magnifies the Lord by her consent to His divine plan for her life. She is a simple soul ready to serve her God. The shepherds came to adore, and our Lady was elated. Her whole life was a ray of JESUS’ humility. God’s love came in a very unexpected way to Mary, yet she remembered God’s promise of mercy.

In an earlier blog, I mentioned my husband’s illness, cancer is now added to his cirrhosis and many other health issues that he is suffering from. Advent for our family this year was not spent traditionally. However, the blessings from our church, extended families, friends, prayer cenacle, and ministries came to pay homage to the precious life of my husband in so many various ways. St. Peter Julian tells us, “Mary rejoices in seeing their homage.” Eucharistically adoring our Lord and moreover, bringing that adoration to our relationships, will keep our Lady’s Magnificat proclaiming “the greatness of the Lord.”  May the Joy of Christmas extend to the deepest recesses of our hearts, instilling a detachment from the things of this world. May the precious gift of life, love, family and friends be yours, and the gift of yourself offered to them bring to you the JOY of Bethlehem.
 
Luke 1:46-56

Mary said:
 
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever."

By: Ivonne J. Hernandez

​If we were traveling through a long tunnel, the halfway point would be the darkest. We can’t see where we came from, and we probably can’t see where we are heading to. In the middle of that darkness, we might be tempted to go back to where we came from, to the old, the familiar, but then we spot it. A sign that says we’ve made it halfway! We’ve come this far, we just need a little encouragement to keep going. We pause, take a breath, and rejoice. We then take one more step in the right direction and we are now closer to the end than to the beginning. We can do this; no point going back now. We are halfway there!
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As I pause and think of the words “we are halfway there”, a song from the 80’s pops in my head and sings “living on a prayer, take my hand…we are living on a prayer.” And just like that, a hit from the 80’s (Bon Jovi), opens my eyes to the universality of this experience. We all know what it feels like to be in a dark place without a sense of direction, sometimes wondering if we are going around in circles. Are we even getting anywhere? Is there even a point in continuing to try? When our sins, our faults, our failings mock us saying, “Well hello there, welcome back my friend, why don’t you just stay here in this familiar place, why continue to fight? Look, you are the same you were two weeks ago, two months ago, two years ago.” And we begin to listen to the lies, and we think that all our efforts have brought us nowhere, but then we go to Mass and hear: “Be strong and do not fear. Behold, our God will come, and he will save us.” (Communion Antiphon 3rd Sunday of Advent) Indeed, He will come and save us. Every time we fall, every time we fail, every time we look away, He will extend His arm and invite us back to Him. If we stay close to the Sacraments, even in the dark halfway points of life, we will see the signs. We will be encouraged and strengthened as we live on a prayer. “When that time comes, I will be your guide, when that time comes, I will gather you in” (Zep 3:20).

Tomorrow is Gaudete Sunday, the midpoint of the penitential season of Advent. We have spent two weeks preparing for Christmas, and we have two more weeks left of waiting. And at this point, Mother Church invites us to pause, take a breath, and REJOICE! “Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). See how far you’ve come with the Lord walking right beside you. See all the graces He has bestowed on you and be confident “that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). Rejoice, and then keep going, because the Light of the World is coming, indeed, “the Lord is near” (Phil 4:4).