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“Lord…mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.” Luke 22:29-32

Today marks the first Sunday in Advent and the start of a new liturgical year in the Church. While the world around us is feverishly shopping for gifts, preparing for holiday get-togethers, and focusing on the busyness of the season, the Church gives us Advent. This is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child into the world. It is a time to slow down and contemplate the meaning of God becoming man to save us from sin and death. This is a time when we should be conforming our lives more completely to Christ. We are His instruments in the world. Through our witness, others will come to know His love and mercy.

Let us ask God to give us hearts that are open to all the graces of this holy season. Ask the Holy Spirit to enflame your heart with the love of Christ so that you may shine the light of Christ in a world that has lost sight of God.

O Consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, come upon me and create in my soul a kind of incarnation of the Word, that I may be another humanity for him in which he can renew his whole mystery. Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity

As a reflection, we offer this prayer of soon to be canonized Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen:

Here is my body. Take it. Here is my blood. Take it. Here is my soul, my will, my energy, my strength, my property, my wealth—all that I have. It is yours. Take it! Consecrate it! Offer it with yourself to the heavenly Father…. Consecrate these trials of my life which would go unrewarded unless united with you; transubstantiate me so that like bread which is now your Body, and wine which is now your Blood, I too may be wholly yours…. My station in life, my routine duties, my work, my family—all these are but the species of my life which may remain unchanged; but the substance of my life, my soul, my mind, my will, my heart—transubstantiate them, transform them wholly into your service, so that through me all may know how sweet is the love of Christ. Amen.[1]

We pray that God will transform you and your family into alius christus, another Christ so that the world will come to know Him and love Him through your holy example.

[1] Magnificat, A Prayerful Reading of Sacred Scripture, Fr. Sebastian White, O.P., internet: https://us.magnificat.net/article/ (accessed November 30, 2019).