Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

Source: Wikimedia Commons ) We know our God is a God of unlimited mercy. So long as we have breath in our earthly lungs and turn to Him in true repentance, seeking His forgiveness and mercy, we will receive it. But not a single human being can presume upon God’s mercy, since He is also a God of Justice. Presumption is, as the Baltimore Catechism tells us, “a rash expectation of salvation without making proper use of the necessary means to obtain it.” We ignore God, His graces, promptings and teachings at our eternal peril. In order not to be caught by surprise, we would do well as we end the old year and welcome in the new one, to set aside sufficient time today to silently reflect on how we have lived this past year and ponder whether or not we need to make adjustments in how we will live the rest of our lives - be it seconds, minutes, weeks, months or years.

(Abbey at Genesee Piffard, NY) It's Sunday and time to join an interesting group of Catholic bloggers at RAnn's place - T his That and The Other Thing . Take a look.You will be pleased that you did. Question of the week:   Do you have any spiritual New Year's Resolutions? Yes - to daily pray for the grace to faithfully live out my Lay Dominican vocation. What follows are the three posts I published this week on my blog Monday Musings - He Came and He Will Return Christmas Day Reflection - The Miracle in Our Midst The Mysteries of Christmas and the Eucharist Catholic Online also published two other posts of mine: Thank You For Coming - Merry Christmas! A Christmas Reflection - How Great It Was to See You!

Take a few minutes to view Christmas and the Eucharist through the eyes of an Apostle of the Eucharist - another great gift from the late and beloved Father John A. Hardon, S.J. You can find this saintly priest's reflection here.

(Photography©Michael Seagriff) On Christmas we will join family and friends in our Churches to joyfully celebrate the birth of the Christ-child, our Lord and Savior. Christmas carols will resonate throughout these sacred places and within the hearts of those present. With gusto and joy, united voices will sing the ever present heavenly invitation: “O come let us adore Him – Christ the Lord!”

(Source: Wikimedia Commons ) The Jewish people waited centuries for the coming of the promised Messiah.  When He came their leaders rejected and killed Him. As we approach Christmas Day, ponder this sad reality: many who profess being Catholic today are no better prepared to receive and accept their Lord upon His return than were the Chosen people when He first arrived.

(Source: Visit beatae-memoriae.tumblr.com )

(Source: WikiMedia Commons ) It's Sunday (almost) and time to join an interesting group of Catholic bloggers at RAnn's place - T his That and The Other Thing . Take a look. You will be pleased that you did. But before you go there, let me wish you a very Merry and Blessed Christmas! Christmas would not be complete without my wife baking cookies and storing them in our cars (which serve as her outdoor refrigerators in chilly Central New York) until she can find the time to deliver and/or mail them out to family and friends. She and I enjoy preparing the Christmas dinner for our children and grandchildren. With our children now scattered across the country, this is a tradition that may be difficult to keep in future years. The following three posts are from my blog this week:  Eucharistic Reflection - We Owe The Blessed Sacrament to Bethlehem Pondering Tidbits of Truth - December 19, 2013 Learning From Zechariah - Enter Into His Presence