May the new year be filled with Blessings and Peace for all.

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CPPS Parish in Tamil Nadu, India, Hit by Tidal Wave

Visitors to our site already know of the devastating earthquake and tidal wave that has struck India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, and other countries. One of the parishes of the Indian Vicariate was affected by the tidal wave. Fr. Michael Peter's of the Vicariate writes:

"Sadras where our missionaries are working is badly hit by the flood this morning arround 6.40 AM and waters entered the Church and ruined the Church very badly and many died and many huts there in the village were washed away in the flood. Our missionaries, Fr. Irudayaraj and Arockiaraj, escaped from the flood miraculously. The presbytery and their vehicles are damaged. Vehicles are carried away in the waters. But the missionaries are now safe at Thirukazhagu Kunram, about 18 Km from Sadras. We have no further news. I ask you of your prayers."

The above message arrive at the Generalate at about 1300 hrs on 26 December. Indeed, let us keep our brothers and all affected by this massive disaster in our prayers.

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"I learned that he was devoted to the Holy Christ child and he demonstrated this to me when on the eve of the holy Nativity he would never remain at home but would spend that night either in the Vincentian house in the Montecitorio area or in that of San Silvestro in the Quirinale area. The Vincentians would ordinarily give him an invitation to sing one of the other Masses. He showed a tremendous joy when he was given the gift of a Christmas crib by the nuns of Sant’Urbino. He had a setting made for it and had them set it up in the room where he slept."

From the deposition of Vincenzo Severini, companion and helper of St. Gaspar

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It is so much fun being back in a parish. Task today, put out the shepherds in the creche, and finish my Christmas Homily in Spanish.

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After two days, the Blessed Sacrament locked up in the sacristy, the destroyed lock on the tabernacle was replaced. Tuesday Morning at 9:00am Mass, we blessed the Tabernacle, did an act of reparation and placed the Blessed Sacrament inside again. A new latch was placed on the sacristy window.

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Too much sadness in my life at the moment.

Entered the church this morning to discover that the tabernacle had been vandalized.

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As the Spirit of the Lord descended upon Isaiah that he might announce good tidings to the poor and oppressed, so we hear Mary proclaim that God who lifts up the lowly has looked upon her in her lowliness. As the desert cries of Isaiah and John the Baptist announced the coming of the Lord, so the roses blooming in the arid soil of Tepeyac symbolized the blossoming of Christianity in the Americas. Our Lady of Guadalupe claimed justice for the people of Tepeyac, raising up those who were oppressed. Thus she is a "mantle of justice" for all who are oppressed. Do we not hear her say to us, "Is it not I, your mother, who is here? Are you not, fortunately, in my care?" "¿No soy yo, su madre, que estoy aquí? ¿No están, ustedes, afortunadamente, bajo mi cuidado?"

There was once one who was greater than a prophet. It was said that among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Sitting in his prison, his head in his hands, John spoke to God: "I have been taken out of the wilderness, and am bound by these chains and I cannot move, all words have failed me. All I can do is ask the question, `Are you the one who is to come or are we to await another?’" For all who have ever known disappointment and loss, this mother has provided an answer.

All John’s expectations were failing him. He heard that the story was changing and that was a great disappointment to him. God's power was something he had hoped for and depended on all his life. He had preached with all his might the coming of the wrath of God. He thought he saw the picture perfectly. God's winnowing fan is in his hand ready to clear the threshing floor and gather crop into the kingdom; but the refuse he will burn with unquenchable fire. He had given up everything. He wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. He had left everything, and come to this place in the wilderness to wait for the promised one.

But the one whom he had baptized, the one for whom the heavens opened, the one who heard God's voice, had now become very different. Rather than taking his place in the wilderness He was going around eating and drinking at the homes of Pharisees and sinners, and they were saying, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Rather than gathering a select band of chosen disciples in a community in the wilderness, he had gathered around him a strange mixture of fishermen, artisans, and tax collectors and zealot party members. He even associated with women and counted some as his friends.

Rather than condemning sinners, he would gather them together, feed them, and call them "blessed." He would tell them to "rejoice," say that they were the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world." Where was the wrath? When was he going to wield the winnowing fan? When was the wheat going to be separated from the chaff? When was he going to call down unquenchable fire? Is this the one who is to come or are we to look for another?

Jesus answers slowly, and not even very directly. There is no wrath, no threshing floor, no winnowing fan. Wheat is still mixed up with chaff. And all he says is "trust what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. No trumpets, no angels coming on the clouds, just words from the vision of the prophet Isaiah. No wrath, no winnowing fan, wheat is still mixed with chaff, and light still mingles with the darkness.

Hope, Peace, community, justice, forgiveness and oneness of heart will come about because of a God who can do what is impossible — raise the dead to life — will also raise us up. My hope is no longer in myself, or in my hopes, dreams or expectations. My hope is in the Christ whom we put on as a garment of salvation.

The first light of this gift of Jesus is still only coming into view, and so with John, the one who is more than a prophet but who now takes his place with all the little ones in the reign of God, we leave the prisons we have built with our expectations and enter again the wilderness of this Advent.

With the prophets of old, those who came before John, and now those who come after, the prophets of this time and place, the prophets of hope who fill these pews, we see what threatens us, we too need to intercede to heaven, We gather again in this wilderness knowing that the world still waits for the body of Christ to be revealed. We gather with songs in the darkness, and light a wreath proclaiming the unending light. We pray that the light will come to full glory in the darkness of Easter night. We move again in reverence around this table and pray again the words that our Savior taught us.

As the desert vision of Isaiah set our hopes afire and John the Baptist struggles in darkness, we too bring our hopes and dreams, our doubts and expectations to witness the roses blooming in the arid soil of Tepeyac and even in the doubts and darkness of our own lives. Our Lady of Guadalupe claimed justice for the people of Tepeyac, raising up those who were oppressed. Thus she is a "mantle of justice" for all who are oppressed. "Is it not I, your mother, who is here? Are you not, fortunately, in my care?" O Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros.

Así como el espíritu del Señor descendió sobre Isaías que el iba a anunciar buenas noticias al pobre y oprimido, también oímos a Maria proclamar que Dios realza al humilde que ha visto por ella en su soledad. Así como el desierto llora y Juan Bautista anuncia la venida del Señor, entonces las rosas florecen en el árido suelo del Tepeyac simbolizando el florecimiento del Cristianismo en las Américas. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe reclamo justicia para la gente del Tepeyac levantando aquellos que estaban oprimidos. Así, ella es un manto de justicia para todo aquel que es oprimido. Que no la escuchamos decir, No soy yo tu madre que esta aquí? No están ustedes, afortunadamente bajo mi cuidado?

Hubo una vez alguien que fue más grande que un profeta. Se dijo que entre aquellos nacidos de mujeres, nadie más a sobresalido como Juan el Bautista. Sentado en su prisión, su cabeza en sus manos, Juan habló con Dios: “He sido sacado del desierto, y he sido atado a estas cadenas y no me puedo mover, todas las palabras me han fallado. Todo lo que tengo que hacer es preguntar, Eres tu el que viene o debemos de esperar a otro?” Para todo aquel que conoce decepción y perdida, esta madre ha proveído una respuesta.

Todas las expectativas de Juan le han fallado. El escucho que la historia había cambiado y eso lo decepcionó. El poder de Dios es algo que el ha creído y dependido en su vida, el ha predicado con todas sus fuerzas la venida de Dios. El creyó que tenia la imagen perfecta, el abaníco de Dios está en su mano listo para limpiar el suelo y recolectar el trigo en el Reino; pero al recházo lo quemára con fuego. El lo ha dado todo. El vistió ropas de cabello de camello con un cinturón de cuero amarrado a la cintura, y su comida fue langosta y miel salvaje. El dejó todo eso y vino a este lugar en el desierto, para esperar el que fue prometido.

Pero aquel que ha bautizado, aquel por el que el cielo se abrió, aquel que escucho la voz de Dios, se ha vuelto ahora diferente. En vez de tomar su lugar en el desierto, el andaba por todas partes comiendo y bebiendo en las casas de los Fariseos y pecadores, y ellos decían, “Mirar, un glotón y bebedor, un amigo de los recolectores de impuestos y pecadores.” En vez de juntar una banda selecta de Discípulos en una comunidad en el desierto, el a reunido una extraña mezcla de pescadores, artesanos y recolectores de impuestos, y miembros del partido Zelote. El también se asoció con mujeres y contó algunas como sus amigas.

En vez de condenar a los pecadores, los reunió, alimentó y los llamó “benditos.” Les dijo que se regocijáran pues ellos eran la sal de la Tierra y la luz del mundo, ¿Dónde estaba la fúria? Cuando el iba a usar su abaníco? Cuando iba a ser el trigo separado de la paja? Cuando iba el a mandar ese fuego que purifica? Es este aquel que viene, o somos nosotros los que tenemos que buscar por otro?

Jesús responde lentamente, sin hacerlo directamente. No hay fúria, no hay suelo sucio, no hay abaníco. El trigo es mezclado con la paja y el dice: “Confía en lo que oyes y vez. El ciego recibe su vista, aquel que sufre al andar, camina, los leprosos son aceados, el sordo escucha, los muertos resucitan, y los pobres reciviran buenas noticias.” Sin trompetas, sin ángeles que vengan de las nubes, solo palabras de la visión del profeta Isaías. Sin furia, sin abanico, el trigo todavía es mezclado con paja, y la luz todavía se mezcla con obscuridad.

Esperanza, paz, comunidad, justicia, perdón, e individualidad del corazón vendrá por que viene un Dios que puede hacer lo imposible --- traer los muertos a la vida --- también los resucitará. Mi esperanza no está más conmigo, ni en mis sueños o en mis expectativas. Mi esperanza está en Cristo a quien traemos como amuleto de salvación.

La primera luz del regalo de Jesús esta por llegar a ser vista, asi que con Juan, él que es mas que profeta, pero que ahora toma su lugar con toda la gente humilde en el reino de Dios, dejamos las prisiones que hemos construido con nuestras expectativas y entramos una vez mas al desierto de este Adviento.

Con los profetas antiguos, que vinieron antes que Juan, y ahora esos que vienen después, los Profetas de su tiempo y lugar, los profetas de esperanza que llenan estas bancas de la Iglesia, vemos lo que nos amenaza, necesitamos también de la intervención del cielo. Recolectamos otra vez del desierto sabiendo que el mundo todavía espera por el cuerpo de Cristo por ser revelado. Recolectamos cantando en la oscuridad, y encendemos una corona proclamando la luz infinita. Rezamos que la luz venga con su infinita gloria en la oscuridad de la noche de Pascua. Nos movemos una vez mas en reverencia alrededor de este Altár y rezamos con las palabras que nuestro salvador nos enseño.

Como la visión en el desierto de Isaías, pone nuestras esperanzas en el fuego y Juan el Bautista luchá en la oscuridad, nosotros también traemos nuestras esperanzas y sueños, nuestras dudas y expectativas a presenciar el florecimiento de las rosas en el suelo árido del Tepeyác aún en la duda y en la oscuridad de nuestras propias vidas. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe reclamó justicia por la gente del Tepeyác, levantando a aquellos que fueron oprimidos. Así, ella es un manto de justicia para todos aquellos que son hoy oprimidos. “No soy yo, su madre, quien esta aquí? No están ustedes, afortunadamente, a mi cuidado?”

O Madre de Dios, Ruega por nosotros.

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...sitting here by the fire, puppy at my side, trying to think of words for a funeral tomorrow, a 14 year old boy who committed suicide. sigh.....

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In spirit and in truth: it means that what we use for liturgy should have a certain dignity. My predessors had different gifts. Liturgy was not something they paid a lot of attention to.

Some of the things that have disappeared recently:

1. fake lectionary, we have real books now.
2. fake trees, statues stand there now.
3. fake altar candles
3. fake advent wreath
4. fake advent candles

Blue banners and vestments, with a horrid pink trim, remain in the closets. One regular commenter here will probably criticize the fact that I have a simple violet chasuble with elegant violet and gold overstole. Vestments are a future project. I spent a great deal of money on those vestments several years ago and they are still in beautiful condition.

The Church now has a crucifix. The processional crucifix which is used every Sunday had its stand fixed and it now stands in the sanctuary during liturgy.

In the closets we had some old chalices and ciboria badly in need of refinishing. They all left last Sunday to be refinished. A parishioner is donating the work.

So, progress is being made, and we are not spending a great deal of money yet. I am still in the process of wrestling the budget to the ground. Pray that we get it balanced by Saturday. That, at least, is the current goal.

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"I want to remind you of the meaning of blue in Advent. Blue is the color of Advent, not purple-even though it was used instead of blue, for many generations. Purple is penitential and belongs to Lent. The deep blue of Advent reminds us of the night sky and the contrasting light shining in the darkness."
-Fr. George Wertin

You can find pictures of his "church" here.

On the other hand we have this educated opinion:

Several people have written to us inquiring whether blue is an approved color for liturgical vestments in Advent. It is not.

You can find their documentation here.

I went looking for resources today because of the experience of an irate parishioner, angry that the sanctuary was no longer Blue.

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