V O T I V E L I G H T S
A guide to your prayer life using traditional Catholic prayers and devotions
...For a Child is born to us,
a Son is given us;
upon His shoulder dominion rests.
They name Him Wonder-Counselor,
God-Hero, Father-Forever,
Prince of Peace...
IMMACULATE MARY
Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Dec. 8 (Holyday of Obligation)
From the beginning, it is important to point out one thing in particular: a great number of Catholics today have confused the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Incarnation of her Son Jesus. While in both cases it is true that there was no Original Sin involved at the time of conception, there the similarities end. Our Lady was conceived naturally by her parents, St. Ann and St. Joachim, in answer to years of their prayers for a child. Jesus, on the other hand, was divinely conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit alone, within the virginal womb of Mary. She only had to give her "fiat" in reply to the Archangel Gabriel's Annunciation that God the Father had chosen her to bear the Messiah. As she inquired of the angel, "how can this be, since I am a virgin?" we are thus informed by Scripture that the child she would carry would have no human father. Gabriel's reply--as he also later told St. Joseph--was that Jesus would be the Son of God.
The important point to grasp here is that the Blessed Virgin--in order to be a fit vessel for her Divine Son--HAD to be absolutely pure in every way. Those refuting the Immaculate Conception
have no knowledge, it would seem, of the idea of Original Sin. From the fall of Adam and Eve, to present, and no doubt for the future of the human race, humans have inherited Original Sin. This is a stain on our souls causing our need for personal redemption through the Sacrament of Baptism, which washes away all sin (including any committed by those not baptized in infancy). Without this cleansing our condition is such that we are not part of the Christian family of God, and unable to receive His graces and protection. Even so, following this Sacrament, people generally are vulnerable to temptation, no matter how holy their lives may be. Human nature is such that we fail often throughout our lives in various ways, and need continued conversion.
Seeing our condition, God the Father knew He had to prepare a special, unique way to bring our Savior into the world. In order to come among us as one of us, Jesus would need a Mother who would be unsullied by sin, either committed or as part of our spiritual heritage. She would need to be of the absolutely highest virtue, spotless, with no faults whatsoever. For that reason God had to create Mary to meet His needs. Church dogma--proclaimed formally in 1854--teaches that He deliberately kept the Virgin free from even the slightest imperfection from the moment of her creation. Her soul was preserved, uniquely, by
an act of God, intended to safeguard her against any form of sin throughout her life. No other person born, ever, besides Christ Himself, can claim such an honor.
Imagine the incredible graces received by Mary, both at her creation and as she grew up. As Gabriel proclaimed in his greeting, she was "full of grace"--completely full. No sin was within her crowding out the gifts of God. No sin was in her history, pointing a sinister finger at her and declaring her less-than-worthy of bearing the Redeemer. How would the Son of God have been able to dwell within a Tabernacle that was less than pristine? God cannot co-exist with iniquity; therefore He had to take up residence during His gestation in a mother who was as pure as possible.
Since God has endowed humans with the gift of free will, Mary had the option of turning down God's request to bear and raise the Messiah. In our own way, we all have the ability as well to choose to turn away from the Father's invitation to accept His Life. Each individual is capable of rejecting the Divine offer of Christ to dwell within us, in our hearts. The Blessed Virgin, being free of all fault, was able to look at this request with faith rather than through the bias of sin that raises doubts and skepticism. She was able to see that her co-operation with God's plan for our salvation required her complete, trusting surrender to His wisdom. In that way, she participated in that wisdom, realizing she was part of His plan. Can we--although, granted, not endowed with the simplicity of purity that allows such clear vision--also grasp that each of us are, in our own way, part of God's plan for the world? If each individual soul were to follow Mary's example of trust and faith, we would see a revolution of repentance unparalleled in our time.
True, none of us have the great privilege Mary had of being Immaculate. We can, nonetheless, look up to her as humanity's greatest role model for following her Son. Her example shows us it is possible to submerse ourselves entirely into the will of God. If we fear that our personalities, our own will, would be annihilated in this way, there is really nothing to fear. As Jesus said, those who lose their lives for His sake will find eternal life. By giving up ourselves, through the Blessed Mother, to her Son, we have nothing to lose but the despair of sin--and we gain salvation and unending happiness with them in Heaven.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
CHAPLET OF THE
HOLY INFANT JESUS
This chaplet was given by inspiration by the Holy Spirit to a Carmelite nun, Ven. Marguerite of the Blessed Sacrament. It consists of fifteen red beads and a medal of the Infant Jesus of Prague.
Beginning with the first three beads following the holy medal, we pray an Our Father on each, in honor of the Holy Family. On each of the next twelve beads, we pray a Hail Mary, to honor the twelve years of Jesus' childhood with His Mother and St. Joseph.
Meditate, while praying the Our Fathers, on the sanctity of that little family. While they may have seemed unobtrusive to many around them, quietly living a holy life, no one could have known that the very future of the world depended on them. Jesus was, of course, not merely a pious child in a hard-working, good family, but the source and hope of all creation. Similarly, the Holy Family was more than just the milieu for His upbringing, or even a good influence on Him and their neighbors. It was the microcosm of God's plan for humanity, the ultimate example of how He wants all families to nurture each other and contribute to the bringing of members into God's kingdom.
In praying the twelve Hail Marys, we should meditate on what Jesus' childhood means for us. Whether we are young or old, we are nonetheless still all God's children. We must be, as He was to Mary and Joseph, subject to God's parental authority. The Blessed Virgin is also always with us as our own Mother, to lead us to Her Divine Son, our Brother. With her and the support of her Holy Spouse, St. Joseph, we ought to devotedly kneel in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament as frequently as possible. Mary and Joseph had the ultimate blessing of dwelling with Jesus daily throughout His youth, but we have Him with us sacramentally. Think of them often, ask their assistance in daily struggles. They were with Jesus to assist in His human needs and upbringing, and will lovingly aid us in all our needs for His sake as well. Bring your troubles, your questions and struggles to the Blessed Sacrament. Gaze at our Lord in His Eucharistic Presence, remembering how the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph watched over the Divine Infant as He peacefully slept. He rests now in the Tabernacle, watching over us.
SAINT OF THE MONTH
EUTHYMIUS of NICOMEDIA
Feast Day: December 24
This saint, although virtually unheard of by contemporary Catholics, was of importance during his own era, in the early Church. During the late Third and early Fourth Centuries, Saint Euthymius was a catalyst for the early Christians. While little is known of him, other than that he was from Asia Minor (likely of Turkish origin), his role was significant in the survival of the faith.
During the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who wanted to destroy the new faith, Christians far and wide were being hunted down and martyred. The Roman Empire had seen this "upstart" sect as a threat to its dominion over the then-known world. Just as they had complied with those in Israel who had wanted, for their own reasons of maintaining control, with the arrest and execution of Jesus Christ, they were anxious to quell any further activity of this movement. Certainly, they had heard of the seemingly (to them) impossible Resurrection of the Messiah. Rome had also become aware that Jesus had a growing number of followers, unafraid of persecution and the prospect of being, themselves, tortured and executed. The fledgling faith, rather than having been quickly put
down by the brutal Crucifixion of its Leader, had been fed by His Blood.
To survive amidst the terror of persecution, there was the necessity of secrecy. Meetings of Christians took place in catacombs, among tombs of the martyred and other members of the new religion. The early Church leaders preached there, the Sacraments were received, the tenets were taught in hushed tones, with vigilance a matter of life and death. The followers of The Way could never tell when a traitor would sell them out, or suspicious authorities would swoop down on them in a raid. Yet to those who recognized what they were taught as being the key to Eternal Life, no risk or suffering was too great. After all, they knew that the ultimate sacrifice had been made by Jesus for their sake. For love of Him Who loved them first to the point of death, martyrdom was seen as the greatest way to give thanks to God for redemption.
Such courageous living was not, however, automatic. Families were frequently divided by some members being unwilling to embrace Christianity along with spouses, children, siblings. Reactions to these situations included pressure to abandon their new beliefs, violence, even betrayal and killing. The faithful needed strong support from within their own ranks to encourage
them. St. Euthymius was a leader (NOTE: It is not known if he was a priest or layperson) of the Asia Minor church who was inspired to bolster the steadfastness of his companions. While we cannot know with any certainty what form his actions took along those lines, we can be certain prayer was involved. That is because, in order to exhort others to maintain their belief in God's redemptive power, in His ultimate victory over evil being extended to them, no one is able to act alone. The Holy Spirit has to be involved, inspiring and guiding a leader with the right words that will edify people, with the necessary decisions to bring them closer to God. Only by a life rooted in prayer and a vibrant, grace-filled relationship with the Lord can a leader achieve God's plan to shepherd others.
Apparently Euthymius was such a person, chosen by the Heavenly Father to bring more disciples into His Kingdom. Acting with spiritual gifts of leadership, compassion and wisdom, he enabled early Catholics to hang onto the true faith handed on to them no matter what the threats, even with the eventual cruel deaths imposed by Diocletian. In fact, it was inevitable that he, himself, would join the ranks of those captured by the authorities. We do not have information as to how or where he was arrested and killed, or by what method
Euthymius was tortured. We only know that his heart had to be molded into the likeness of the Sacred Heart, in order to follow Him to the point of death. He knew, as Christ taught, that those who lose their lives for Him would find Eternal Life.
In our own time, Catholics and other Christians are still being persecuted throughout the world. In many nations they are even being martyred--something we may not even consider a possibility in this age, in the comfort of what we believe is religious freedom. But since the Church is, by definition, universal, what happens to our brothers and sisters anywhere affects us all. We have seen, additionally, in recent years, a renewal of harrassment of the Catholic Church in our own land by those opposed to our beliefs, especially in pro-life issues. Are we following the example given by martyrs such as Euthymius, supporting each other in maintaining traditional practices of the Church? Or do we cower before the current "emperor" of secular humanism, backing down from what we know is right and going along with modern society's so-called standards?
Let us pray along with St. Euthymius and the rest of the Church Triumphant for a renewal in our time of courage in the face of the world's pressures against our beliefs. Lord, hear our prayer and strengthen us to stand with You, at the foot of Your Cross, leaning on it for support. We know we can count on You, Our Redeemer, to keep Your Church Militant standing against the winds of evil that continually attempt to destroy it. Thank You, Lord, for St. Euthymius and for those You give us to guide and protect us. Amen.
INTERCESSIONS
For all people to realize the TRUE meaning of Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and to observe it as a holy season without greed and commercialization;
For our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and all his intentions;
For true peace on earth among all people, as the angels sang on the first Christmas;
For an end to all war everywhere and freedom for all nations;
For all military personnel overseas and their families;
For President Bush and his family;
For all those who must work at Christmas, especially police, fire, paramedical and hospital personnel, and their families;
For those who cannot afford any Christmas celebration;
For the elderly who are neglected/abused or alone;
For abused/neglected or abandoned children;
For women about to give birth in this holy season, their infants and other family members;
For an end to abortion, and for all its victims;
For the unemployed and those with inadequate employment;
For the homeless, transients and those in unfit housing;
For refugees, exiles and those fleeing war or natural disasters;
For an end to violence in all homes and on streets;
For all animals and the environment, recalling Christ's birth in a stable among animals;
For all those working in agriculture, recalling that the first people to worship the Infant King were humble shepherds;
For the sick and disabled, especially the terminally ill;
For the lonely, that they will be lead to pray and allow God to turn their condition into solitude with Him;
For those who have left our Church, that they will hear God calling them to reunion in this season;
For those who have no faith, that they will discover Christ as the Three Wise Men did, in the Infant King;
For those who are suicidal, that they will realize how close Our Lord is to them;
For business leaders, that they will be lead by the Holy Spirit to make decisions based on ethics, wisdom and compassion, rather than on greed and lust for power;
For an end to the nonsensically "politically correct" attitudes pervading Western society, that dictate that Christian expressions of Christmas are not to be tolerated, despite the fact that IT IS THE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION OF JESUS CHRIST!
For all these intentions let us beg the intercession of Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially at this time of year, remembering her gift to the world of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ; her most chaste Spouse St. Joseph; and of all the angels, who were there at the stable in Bethlehem, the first to proclaim the Good News of our Redeemer's coming into this world. Amen.
...A shoot shall sprout
from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him; a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and His delight shall be the fear of the Lord...