Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of telephone service.

Deacon William Ditewig on a Dream Filled with Hope

“When I was a young man, I was strongly influenced . . . by the visions and dreams of the bishops of the Second Vatican Council.  Some of those men were young and were seeing visions; others were old and dreaming dreams. Now I'm an old man, and I've seen some of those early visions become reality, but so much more still remains a dream.

“What do I see in my dream?”

In a recent commentary Deacon William Ditewig reflected on a dream – a dream that initially is filled with despair, but ends up being, thanks to the openness Catholics at Midnight Mass, a dream filled with hope.

To access Deacon Ditewig’s complete post, please visit:

Deacons Today: Dalmatics and Beyond: An Old Man's Advent Dream for Christmas (16 DEC 11)

Kristen Walker on Five Pro-life Male Celebrities

In a recent Live Action commentary, Kristen Walker wrote about five male celebrities whose careers she feels good about supporting "because they believe in and profess the sanctity of life."

Kristen Walker: 5 Male Celebrities I Support, And Why (16 DEC 11)

Reflection Starter from Earl Nightingale

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." - Earl Nightingale

Boston Globe: Fifty Best Natural World Photos

Throughout the year, the Boston Globe runs a variety of photos related to animals and environment. The Globe recently shared fifty photos deemed the best from the ones it ran in 2011.

To access these photos, please visit:

Boston Globe: The Big Picture: 50 best photos from The Natural World (16 DEC 11)

Guard Contingent Cleans Up Property to Be Used For Vets Housing

As part of a contingent form the 143rd Civil Engineer Squadron, Rhode Island Air National Guard (based in Quonset Point), recently assisted with the clean up of a property on Pierce Street in Westerly, one of the steps that are designed to turn the property into apartments for homeless, disabled veterans. This volunteer effort is an Operation Stand Down Rhode Island initiative.

Media reports:

Westerly Sun: Guard prepares way for veteran housing (18 DEC 11)

The Day: Disabled, homeless veterans closer to a home in Westerly (18 DEC 11)

WPRI-TV: Debris cleared at veterans' home site (17 DEC 11)

Background information:

Operation Stand Down RI

"Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus"

As our Advent Sunday celebration continues, I offer a presentation of Lauran Delancy's "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" by the Bells Angels, Saint Matthew's Lutheran Church, Wauwatosa, WI:

On Tim Tebow

In what is anticipated to be an exciting football match-up, the New England Patriots are scheduled to play the Denver Broncos this afternoon.

Tim Tebow, quarterback on the Denver Broncos, has recently gotten a bit of press because of his displays of his Christian faith (e.g., kneeling in prayer).

Here are some reflections related to Tim and the effects of the example he is setting.

Ignatius Inside Scoop: "We don't know how to trust goodness." Or, what hath Tim Tebow wrought? (10 DEC 11)

Wall Street Journal: Life & Culture: Tim Tebow: God's Quarterback (10 DEC 11)

The Sun Chronicle: Taking a knee (17 DEC 11)

Boston Herald Column: Joe Fitzgerald: Tebow’s faith sets divine example (17 DEC 11)

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today the Church celebrates the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The assigned readings are 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16; Romans 16:25-27; and Luke 1:26-38. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 89 (Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29).

The Gospel reading is as follows:

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"

And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God."

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: 4th Sunday of Advent (December 18, 2011)

Msgr. Charles Pope: To See What the End Shall Be – A Meditation on the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (17 DEC 11)

The Deacon's Bench: Homily for December 18, 2011: 4th Sunday of Advent (14 DEC 11)

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Mystery of the Incarnation

Dr. Scott Hahn: The Mystery Kept Secret (December 18th, 2011 - Fourth Sunday in Advent)

The Lectionary: Christians: Forever sing the goodness of the Lord (15 DEC 11)

Observing the Octave Before Christmas

During the Octave before Christmas (beginning 17 December), one tradition of the Church is the reading of what are known as the “O Antiphons” before the Magnificat during Evening Prayer (part of the Divine office, also known as the Liturgy of the Hours). Each of these antiphons refers to one of the titles of the Messiah, and each one also refers to Isaiah’s prophecy related to the coming of the Messiah.

On a somewhat related note, in the Philippines, there is a pre-Christmas Novena of Masses, Simbang Gabi, during which large numbers of the faithful participate in an early morning Mass daily . This tradition is spreading, with many of the parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and elsewhere in the United States taking part this year.

For more information about the O Antiphons, please visit:

Catholic Education Resource Center: What are the "O Antiphons"?

For more information about the Simbang Gabi, please visit:

Catholic San Francisco: The origin and meaning of the Simbang Gabi novena (14 DEC 11)

Whispers in the Loggia: Before Dawn, The Countdown Begins.... (17 DEC 11)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways You remind us of the real meaning of Christmas, of the many ways You remind us that "Jesus is the reason for the season."

Fr. Longenecker on the Serious Business of the Christian Faith

“One of the charges against religious people by the atheists is that we believe in a sugar daddy in the sky who will take us to heaven when we die. In other words, for all our talk of self sacrifice and helping others and doing good--in fact it's simply self interest. We're investing in a great big life insurance plan. We pay in the good works and faith and love and all that good stuff and we get happiness and heaven and forgiveness and a chance to see Grandma and Grandpa and all our loved ones again.”

In a recent commentary, Father Dwight Longenecker (parish priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Greenville, SC) reflected on the Christian message as a message of hope, but not with a guarantee of salvation (“You might just get into heaven, but there's a high mountain before you, and there's many a chance to slip and fall into the pit.”).

To access Fr. Longenecker’s complete post, please visit:

Standing on My Head: Gentle Jesus Meek and Mild? (16 DEC 11)