I refrain from political commentary on this blog.
But I cannot see how this makes the world a better place...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,240117,00.html



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"Eternal Father, we offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

Mother Mary, you make a way where there is no way -
make a way to peace.

Here is the only public voice of reason today:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,240158,00.html

Feast

of the

Holy Innocents

Rachel still weeps

Holy Innocents, Innocentes pro Christo.
Primitiae Deo, et Agno,
not fruits of the harvest, but
fruits of the season’s hope and promise -
First fruits sacrificed on the altars of
the grief-hot hearts of new motherhood, abrupted.
The raging madness of the selfward
still rages on, sees a threat that is no threat,
still sees others as obstacles or objects only,
still spawns erratic fear and blinding obsession,
still boils in the veins, blinding to truth,
still sacrifices the pure, the innocent,
in the self-turned hearts of new motherhood, aborted.

Feast of St. Stephen

"Salvator noster natus est in mundo"
...bringing fire and sword,
to purify and pierce us through...




Stephen, protomartyr
Stephen knows the universe was free –
it cost God nothing. Effortless creative joy.
But each soul was bought at a great price
(which fact God knew from eternity,
but He created us anyway),
and Stephen understands and is
wholly dedicated to Love –
to knowing Love, serving Love,
bringing Love to all.
One of the first seven,
speaking a word worthy of the Word,
an irresistible word of Love.
Stephen, full of grace and power -
a Power that makes him strong,
a Love that has cast out all fear -
stands on the Rock, with the face of an angel,
enraging the powers that stand on sand,
grinding their teeth, hands twitching
to impose silence. Fervid destructive selfwardness.
Outside the Gate,
bracing himself for blows,
he is himself embraced
by the Love that gave him power,
and immolates himself wholly under a cold rain
of stony hate.
Like the pure Heart of his Love,
Stephen’s heart is capable of
transforming darkness to light,
and hate into the profoundest love,
arms outstretched,
forgiving all,
praying for Saul.
This blood mingling with His Blood
as precious seed for a universal Harvest.
Look deeply, you will see
the outrageous price of me.



And if you'd like to take a little contemplative trip back to the fields on the outskirts of Bethlehem on that holy night, click here:
http://wordincarnate.blogspot.com/2006/12/christ-is-born-glorify-him.html

Wishing you a blessed Christmas!

Well, the whirlwind weekend of joyous activity has begun. I leave you with prayers and wishes for a grace-filled Christmas and a peaceful New Year. And this little poem:

Bethlehem is the “House of Bread”

My King was born in a stable,
And that is outrageous enough;
But then He was placed in a manger –
An animals’ feeding trough.

The beasts don’t seem to have minded
That He rested atop their feed;
Nor could they have known
that He’d later announce:
“My Flesh is Food indeed!”

How is it that this child King positions Himself in such a place that I must crouch down to enter its darkness and look down on Him snuggled amidst the winding cloths in the animals' feed?

You are always hidden in the most ordinary ordinariness, among the lowest and the least, reaching through accidents we would deem unworthy. But You elevate every low thing and humble the self-elevated. You share the cave's air with simple beasts, and the shepherds and kings (truly wise men to see beyond appearances!) are not loathe to enter and praise You in the dim light. Their eyes must adjust to the darkness to see the Light of the world...

"For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given."
A baby. No one fears a baby, except the madmen.
A baby, unseen, unknown; hidden. Love incarnate is here so helpless and unthreatening.

Come. Let us adore Him.

San Juan de la Cruz

St. John of the Cross,
be our guide on our ascent of Mount Carmel.
Teach us the Via Negativa,
in which we desire nothing for ourselves
because we are so in love with Love
that nothing else will satisfy
and we will allow nothing else to distract.
Because we know that all is Love's.
And Love, at its summit,
mysteriously crucifies,
is crucified,
embraces crucifixion.
Help us climb to the height
at which we see at last
that beyond the dark, beyond the pain,
there is only Love.

I will be out of town for the weekend visiting family. But I did not want to leave without a reminder to beg Mary our Mother for peace, on her beautiful feast day.

Shadowless
“Ne timeas Maria invenisti enim gratiam apud Deum.” Luke 1:30

The utter Utterance of Adonai
from all eternity
Desired to utter His Word to earth
in profound obscurity.
Down through long ages of prophet and king,
He tended vine and shoot,
In the fullness of time preparing a womb
to bear such glorious fruit.

Her soul like sun-splashed crystal
in the shadowless noon of day,
Her eyes ever on her Master’s hand,
her feet ever in His way.
Her docile heart and God’s own love
beat always as if one;
Such a living flame alone
could bear the heartbeat of the Son.

The Most High sent His messenger
to this humble Nazarene;
All of Heaven held its breath,
looking down upon the scene:
From the house and line of David,
a maiden of unprecedented grace
By her resolute, valiant, radical “yes”
gave to her God a face.