St. Nicholas The True Gift. By. C.C.

"It is fitting that the feast of St. Nicholas comes at the beginning of Advent and the beginning of the shopper’s season. As the patron saint of shoppers he proclaims, ‘Keep it simple!’ Keep it simple enough to fit in a shoe or a stocking. "One gift that could fit in a…shoe, or in a stocking hanging on the fireplace, is a note that speaks of one of our most precious gifts, the gift of time. Such a St. Nicholas note might read: ‘The gift I give to you is half an hour of quality conversation each night right after the dishes are done.’ Or, ‘The gift I give to you is one Saturday a month to be with you and do whatever you want to do.’ We can appreciate the value of such a gift if we keep in mind that according to a recent survey, the average married couple in America has only 30 minutes a week of communication outside of exchanges that take place at the dinner table, and between parent and child is only 14 minutes. As you can see, the possibilities are almost unlimited for these St.Nicholas shoe gifts. (Fr. Edward Hays)

Today is the feast of our blessed Saint Nicholas. A time for us in Advent to pause, and once again reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas. I have chosen to begin today's reflection with a quote from Father Edward Hays. I feel he does a wonderful job in reminding us about the truest gift we can offer our loved ones; the gift of ourselves! Shopping centres everywhere are crowded, open later, and catering to those who are trying to purchase just the right gift. Amidst this commercialized chaos is the reality of an aching need for love, time, relationship, and for our Lord. Let us not get caught up in the glamorized culture of Christmas, but rather allow us to keep our eyes on the culture of Christ to which we belong. May we recognize the need in our own families, relationships, and our lives for the things that money can not buy. Allow us to examine ourselves and take note of the times we have not acted as a gift to our loves ones. May we use this holiday time to seek forgiveness, healing, and an honest commitment to exercising our hearts. (C.C.)

Glorifying God On A Worldly Platform. By. C.C.

North American sports media has recently been focused on a young man named Tim Tebow. Beyond his talent, Tim's faith has caught the attention of many around the world. Tim proudly shows his devotion to the Lord on the football field by bending a knee and giving thanks. This action referred to as the "T-Bow" now defines the way in which Tim publicly expresses his faithfulness. The T-Bow has caused a media frenzy and also opened up the flood gates of criticism. There is so much to be learned as a Christian through witnessing this silent act of evangelization. St. Francis of Assisi(another one of my favourite Saints) said “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” It is through this simple silent gesture that Tim Tebow has made a rather loud statement. It is an opportunity for us to look inwardly and ask ourselves how we preach the Gospel beyond words, and if we use our worldly positions to glorify the Lord. I am by no means claiming to be a master of this. I too am on this journey of attempting to express my faith beyond the church environment and into my day to day life. As we each continue to grow in our faith we will hopefully find ourselves becoming more confident in who we are in Christ and truly be the light that the Lord calls us to be. While reflecting on Tim Tebow, another young man came to my mind. Philip Rivers is also an NFL football player and one who has been an incredible role model for many. Rivers is also a mighty Catholic! Recently I was fortunate enough to stumble upon something written on him by Fr. Ray Suriani in which he shared many things about Rivers' Catholic faith and the way in which he uses his life in the spotlight as a platform to glorify God and his strong devotion. Rivers has become a wonderful leader for the youth to which he openly shares a commitment to his Catholic identity, chastity, and a passion for faith which exceeds his love of football. One may be wondering why I have chosen to write about two male athletes and speak of their roles in glorifying God. I have done so because these men serve as an example of living as God intended, even while walking through the temptations, demands, and duties of this world. The professional football environment and many other worldly environments are plagued with temptations which can make it even more of a challenge to stay committed to faith. However, it is a true testament of devotion when we hear of people such as Rivers and Tebow who glorify God through what they do. Much can be learned through these two men. Arguably, many of us battle with our daily commitments to faith. Some of you may walk into various environments which do not seem to be very welcoming of our beliefs. It may be a challenge to glorify God when we feel that the very mention of His name will result in shame. However, we must be strong! We must persevere and recognize that our ways of glorifying God exceed our words and are communicated in our dealings with others, and our actions. Lord today I pray for each of us to have the strength, courage, and faith to always do Your will. May we recognize the power of Your love and presence in every place that we find ourselves. Lord let us look towards those who glorify You each day with admiration. Lead us to people who share our faith so that we can work together for Your good. Lord we are called to live in community here on earth and it is often difficult when we are faced with things that are not of You. Give us the strength to persevere through this and not give in to temptation. Give us the courage to make Christ like decisions in our daily dealings. May our words, actions, thoughts, and feelings be guided by Your ways. Lord bless Tim Tebow, Philip Rivers, and many others who use their worldly platform and fame to glorify You. May you forever guard and protect them with the "armor of Christ". Lord show us the ways that we too are called to glorify You..give us the clarity to see how we can each use our worldly platforms as a means of reflecting Your greatness. Amen (C.C.)

"Are we hesitating to respond to Christ this Advent because we are waiting for just the right moment, those perfect circumstances? Sadly, we may discover that while we were waiting for that illusive moment, we failed to be attentive to the here and now invitations of everyday life, missing opportunities to respond with the generosity of a true follower of Christ." (Priscilla Marck)
As we start our second week of Adevent may we continue to prepare our hearts, souls, and minds to receive Christ. Lord I ask that you continue to guide us with Your light through this Advent season. Help us prepare a place of peace within us where you may dwell. Lord make us spiritually active in this time of waiting, allowing us to respond daily and discover that every moment is "just the right moment". Amen (C.C.)

Prayer To Guide The Youth. By: C.C.

"Young people must truly be the priority of our pastoral work, as they live in a world removed from God." (Pope Benedict XVI)

It is very easy to look around today's society and find so many issues amongst our young people. As an educator I peer into this adolescent world daily and am so shocked as to what is going on. I am only in my mid twenties and already catch myself saying "Things aren't like they used to be". It is difficult to see the immensity of anguish, pain, sin, and temptations that seem to plague today's youth. From fashion, to media, to lack of ethics and familial values, there is an urgent need for change. There is a desperate need for guidance, for restoration, and for GOD. More than ever there seems to be an abundance of broken homes, empty churches, and confusion. Yet, there is still hope! As Pope Benedict expressed "Young people must truly be the priority of our pastoral work". The youth need strong leaders in faith to understand the importance of their roles in the future of the Church and a strong society. They are responsible for creating our future families, work places, and parish communities. Let us not give up on our youth but be open to hearing their pains, sharing faith as needed, and for providing a strong example. I have written a poem that I encourage to be read by those of you who work with the youth....youth ministers, pastors, parents, and teachers.

Prayer To Guide The Youth. By: C.C.

Lord restore their innocence and help them live as new.

Keep them from all worldly harm, help us lead them back to You.

Shelter us from all sin so that we may live out Your plan.

Give us strong guiding ways to do all that we can.

Sometimes we lose our patience but we won't let darkness win

Help us overcome all doubt, and with You conquer sin.

The loss of faith is tragic, may the youth cling to Your word.

Use us as Your instruments so Your truth may be heard.

Make our actions reflect Your ways so that we preach with honesty.

And help us to be examples of true faith and purity.

With You all things are possible, may we always do You will

And when we do all that we can, let us wait for You and be still.

Amen.

Today's Thought. By: C.C.

"Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?" (Saint Gerard Majella)

"To love God as He ought to be loved, we must be detached from all temporal love. We must love nothing but Him, or if we love anything else, we must love it only for His sake. "(Saint Peter Claver)

Lord as we continue to reflect on You as our true source for love, joy, and peace may we constantly be drawn to recognize Your presence throughout our day. Help us break away from all that holds us back from You. Provide us with everything that You know we need. Lord we can not escape the realities of the world around us, but in turning to You we will always find a way to cope, heal, and accept. Assist us Lord in becoming more like your Apostles so that we may do Your will amidst a world that too often forgets Your ways. Lord please give us clarity so that we may recognize the true distinction between our wants and our true needs. Correct us Lord if we desire things of this world that are not motivated by a love for You. Thank you Lord for your constant protection throughout our earthy journey. Keep us safe until the day that we may be home with You. Amen. (C.C.)

"If we find nothing in the world to please us, we should be pleased by this very not finding anything to please us." (St. Philip Neri)

Things of this world are fleeting. There is nothing unchanging that we can grasp or hang on to for stability except to He who is forever constant. At times we find ourselves seeking tirelessly for that "thing" to make us happy. We search high and low for some external item/person to fulfill us internally. One will never be satisfied until they recognize that our only true sense of fulfillment and joy can come from God. St. Philip Neri's quote reminds us that this disatisfied feeling from things on earth should be something pleasing to us. This realization in itself reveals a very profound truth about the need we have for God in our lives. A need that can only be fulfilled by turning toward the Lord and not the things of this world. Lord as we approach our second week of Advent guide us to recognize our need for You in our lives. Help us to see that the things we look for in this world will not sustain us. Lord we ask you to be patient as we continue to seek You daily. Amen. (C.C.)

"What a weakness it is to love Jesus Christ only when He caresses us, and to be cold immediately once He afflicts us. This is not true love. Those who love thus, love themselves too much to love God with all their heart."( St.Margaret Mary Alacoque)

Lord today I pray that You constantly provide us with the strength and knowledge of what it truly means to love so that we are able to give You all of our heart. May we recognize our sufferings and times of affliction as a means of growing into a deeper union with you, and not as a reason to turn away. Let us always turn to You through everything. Lord remind us that it is in giving our hearts to You fully that we will come to know true love. May we recognize the things of this world as fleeting and see Your unchanging, unconditional, and constant love through everything. Help us to view our trials as a "kiss from the cross" as Blessed Mother Teresa did. Help our hearts develop so that we are able to love You even through our greatest trials. Lord we long for the joy that only you can bring into our lives. Make us open, patient, and receptive to everything You give. Today I also pray for those who do not know You Lord. I pray that they are brought comfort in their time of trial. May they recognize the need for You in their lives to help carry the weight of their afflictions. Thank you for all that You have given us. Thank you for standing beside us as we journey through our days. May we do everything out of love for You. Amen (C.C)