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2 December 2012  2012-2013 Created by Christopher Carmody: [email protected] and Stephanie Rangel: [email protected] If you’re taking time to read this article then you are already way behind on your Christmas shoppi ng. I mean come on people, didn’t you notice t he sales right after Halloween? These are the years when the consumer doesn’t have to settle for a “Black Friday”...we now have “Black Weekend”! Buy, Buy, Buy!  But I wonder...what if we focus on RECIEVING this season? It sounds pretty good to me! What if we stop focusing on what we’re going to buy and start thinking about what we’re going to get?  Ask for the PERFECT Gift This Season: The Word Made Flesh. Where Do I get one of those? This is it! You are guaranteed to get more than you bargained for with this amazing gift. In fact, the Church dedicates an entire Liturgical Season to the coming of this amazing gift. This ADVENT season we celebrate the anniversary of the Lord’s coming into history and time, BECOMING FLESH, as the INCARNATE God of love.  The Word Made Flesh is fully human, but also fully divine. The Gift is Jesus Christ  We are finally given a human depiction of God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whomever believ es in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God sends His only Son all for the purpose of saving us from our sins. He is so smart, isn’t He? God knows that we have this inherent desire to obtain the best gift possible; the one thing that will really make us happy. So He says, “Ok, I’m going to give the gift above all gifts...me!” Christ Will Come Again: Advent is really a time when we anticipate and make ready ourselves for His final coming, in which justice will reign from th e King- dom of God. We are not simply preparing the way of the Lord in the sense that we celebrate His birth. We also wait in eager anticipation for when He comes again! Even in t he Mass we say, “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection , until You come again.” This is a declaration of hope and expectancy, to understand that Christ promises us that He will come again to unify us, with Him, in all eternity.  You Can Even RECEIVE at Mass! While we are alive we have the opportunity to keep preparing for Christ. We can start doing this by re ceiving Him at Mass during Communion. It’s like celebrating a tiny Advent Season every time we prepare for the Eucharist. We can prepare by going to Confession before hand. Confession purifies the soul and place back in full grace with God. So start this Advent off the right way and get ready to RECEIVE, RECEIVE, RECEIVE ! CHALLENGE Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously.”- Blessed John Paul II in his address on Dec. 18, 2002  

Year of Faith Companion 2012-12-02

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2 December 2012 2012-2013 

Created by Christopher Carmody: [email protected] and Stephanie Rangel: [email protected]

If you’re taking time to read this article then you are already way behind on your

Christmas shopping. I mean come on people, didn’t you notice the sales right after

Halloween? These are the years when the consumer doesn’t have to settle for a

“Black Friday”...we now have “Black Weekend”! Buy, Buy, Buy! 

But I wonder...what if we focus on RECIEVING this season? It sounds pretty good to

me! What if we stop focusing on what we’re going to buy and start thinking about

what we’re going to get?

 Ask for the PERFECT Gift This Season:

The Word Made Flesh. Where Do I get one of those? 

This is it! You are guaranteed to get more than you bargained for with this amazing

gift. In fact, the Church dedicates an entire Liturgical Season to the coming of this

amazing gift. This ADVENT season we celebrate the anniversary of the Lord’s

coming into history and time, BECOMING FLESH, as the INCARNATE God of love. 

The Word Made Flesh is fully human, but also fully divine.

The Gift is Jesus Christ We are finally given a human depiction of God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whomever believ es in

Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God sends His only Son all for the purpose of saving us from our sins. He is so smart, isn’t

He? God knows that we have this inherent desire to obtain the best gift possible; the one thing that will really make us happy. So He

says, “Ok, I’m going to give the gift above all gifts...me!”

Christ Will Come Again: 

Advent is really a time when we anticipate and make ready ourselves for His final coming, in which justice will reign from the King-

dom of God. We are not simply preparing the way of the Lord in the sense that we celebrate His birth. We also wait in eager

anticipation for when He comes again! Even in the Mass we say, “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection ,

until You come again.” This is a declaration of hope and expectancy, to understand that Christ promises us that He will come again

to unify us, with Him, in all eternity. 

 You Can Even RECEIVE at Mass! 

While we are alive we have the opportunity to keep preparing for Christ.

We can start doing this by receiving Him at Mass during Communion. It’s

like celebrating a tiny Advent Season every time we prepare for the

Eucharist.

We can prepare by going to Confession before hand. Confession purifies

the soul and place back in full grace with God.

So start this Advent off the right way and get ready to

RECEIVE, RECEIVE, RECEIVE ! 

CHALLENGE

“Advent is, so to speak, an intense

training that directs us decisively

toward him who already came,

who will come, and who comes

continuously.”- Blessed John Paul II in

his address on Dec. 18, 2002