Fourth Week of Advent

Reading from Today's Mass

The Gospel According to Luke 1:39-45 

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

I'm sorry I missed posting on this blog last weekend. I wasn't feeling all that great and the only blog I posted to was my science fiction one, basically, because I already had it typed up in TextEdit and all I had to do was upload it.

I missed giving a great post to honor Our Lady since the third week of Advent is generally when we do that as Catholics, so I am going to combine this weeks to honor Our Lady and the great anticipation of the coming of Our Lord and Savior. The reading is selected as perfect for thinking about Our Blessed Mother, for it is in this particular scripture that she received the title "Mother of God."

Here are some thoughts about giving this Christmas: God gave us the awesome gift of His Son. Mary gave her obedience by consenting to the will of the Father. And, of course, Jesus gave us the gift of His life on the cross to redeem us.

It is during this final week of Advent that I start feeling the blahs, especially if, as is true this year, I don't have one single card sent out or given. I don't do much on the present front, as I believe Our Lord is the best gift for us all, and also because I just can't afford it. That makes me feel bad. I do try to give whatever I can to the Salvation Army bell-ringers and bless them and their work as well. I try and give a little extra anywhere I can, but I know it is not good enough in these trying times when so many are in need. I encourage any who are reading this to please give of themselves. If you're like me and you can't give a lot of money, give of your time and volunteer.

I am an Extraordinary Minister of Communion at my church and I deliver Jesus to the elderly and sick. They love to see me coming. I'm going to be doing it on Christmas as well, for two of my communicants who have asked me to. I enjoy spending time with people and praying with them and for them. I would recommend this ministry to any Catholics who wish they could do more. It doesn't take much of your time and it is so very rewarding in the smiles and love you get back from beautiful souls who are just happy to have someone to talk to and pray with. I feel blessed a hundred times over every Sunday.

If you aren't Catholic or even if you're not Christian, just spend some time visiting people in nursing homes. They hardly ever get visitors, so you're visit would mean the world to them.

Emmanuel is coming to us! Joy to the World!