Pearl Harbor Day

The attack sank four US battleships and destroyed 188 US planes. More than 2,200 sailors, Marines and soldiers were killed.
US Navy, File/AP

Lord, lead their souls to heaven, bless all those involved and bless all families involved. Bless our troops, our leaders, and our nation. Amen

Here's a pic from a month or so ago of my sweet niece Natalie and her beau Chris. Chris will be going into the Air Force in February. God bless him...

Peace

Advent Pic - The Visitation

From Photobucket...

The Visitation is the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Saint Elizabeth as recorded in the Gospel of Luke 1:39-56. It is also the term for a Christian feast day commemorating this visit, celebrated on 31 May in the West (2 July in calendars of the 1263-1969 period) and 30 March in the East. (Wikipedia)

I like the thought of Our Lady with Saint Elizabeth. Both were with child (Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist). Because I am so close with my own family, I can relate to the bond between the two of them. I don't know if The Visitation is normally associated with Advent, but as a similar picture was on the cover of The Magnificat this month, I figure it's ok to use. Imagine the significance of that meeting. So much of their religious lives were concerned with the coming of the Messiah, and these two humble women were to play major roles in an epic turning point of all time! The sharing, waiting, and responsibility of the very moment in time that is The Visitation is remarkable...Advent. Praise the Triune God in his power and majesty regarding his work in these two astounding women - the work of his hands.

Peace

Advent 101

Why is Advent Important

Preparation for Christmas is an important theme for Advent, but more is involved. Advent gives us a vision of our lives as Christians and shows us the possibilities of life.

The vision of life that Advent gives us is twofold; it looks back to the first coming of Christ at Bethlehem, and it looks to the future when Christ will come again. In the interval between these two events we find meaning for our life as a Christian.

First we celebrate Christ-become-human. We view his life and experience his presence as a human being in our history. Christ came to show us what life can and should be. He gave us true and valid principles by which we can live true and valid lives. But Jesus knew that the human heart could not live in isolation. He formed the Church around the concept of a people held together by love. In that community we discover unlimited possibilities and meaning. Alone we can do nothing. Together we find real meaning.

When Christ left this earth, he did not abandon us. He remains with us in his Spirit, the Church, the sacraments, the Scriptures and each other. He lives in community with us and keeps his vision of life before us.

When Christ comes again, his presence will no longer be hidden behind the signs and symbols of the liturgy or the words of the Scriptures. His presence among us will be revealed in all its fullness, a presence that will never end, a presence that will perfect and complete our community.

This is the "greater significance" of Advent. In these few short weeks we take in the sweeping panorama of time - from Christ's birth to his Second Coming. The season of Advent brings us the magnificent vision of life and hope for the future given to us by Christ.

Advent is our time to become more involved, more caught up in the meaning and the possibilities of life as a Christian community. Thus we are preparing not only for Christmas but also for Christ's Second Coming. This means that when he comes again, we will be awake and watchful. He will not find us asleep.


© Liguori Publications Excerpt from Advent - A Quality Storecupboard The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer

Advent is upon us!

Hey my good peeps! I've been away for a couple, three months because dial up was so slow. I have since learned to reduce the size of photos, making them load faster (They don't need to be ENORMOUS like I usually use). I have so much catching up to do.

Here's a pic taken by my cousin Philip's wife Mandy. It's my Christmas card photo!