THE HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH

    
The birth of the Child in the night of Bethlehem gave rise to the Family. Hence, the Sunday during the Octave of Christmas is the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. This is the Holy Family, because shaped by birth of Him whom even His adversary was constrained one day to call "the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24). The Holy Family, because the sanctity of Him who was born became the source of a singular sanctification, both that of the Virgin Mother and that of her Spouse, who in the eyes of mankind, as lawful consort, was considered to be the father of the child born during the census of Bethlehem.

     This Family is at the same time a human family. The Church, therefore, addresses every human family through the Holy Family in the Christmas season. Sanctity impresses a unique, exceptional, irrepealable, supernatural character upon this Family. In fact, the Holy Family was truly poor. It was without a roof over its head at the moment when Jesus was born and was forced into exile.      When the danger was over, it remained a Family living modestly, in poverty, through the labour of its hands.

     Its circumstances were similar to those of so many other human families. It is the place where our solidarity meets up with every family, with every union of man and woman, in which a new human being is born. It takes upon itself those profound, beautiful and generally difficult problems which married and family life brings.

      ~ Pope John Paul II

Merry Christmas from St. Joseph Parish

Just in time for Christmas, we are excited to announce that St. Joseph parish has subscribed to a dynamic new online platform called FORMED. Every parishioner will have 24/7 access to the best Catholic content on any device, including your computer, smartphone and tablet (with internet access). With FORMED you’ll find video programs that explain the Catholic faith, explore the deepest meaning of marriage, receive Bible studies on a variety of topics and includes inspiring audio talks. And you’ll find presenters like Dr. Tim Gray, Dr. Edward Sri, Dr. Mary Healey, Chris Stefanick, Dr. Scott Hahn and a lot more. They’re all part of our parish subscription. It truly is the Catholic faith - on demand.

     To log on to Formed you will uses a temporary login name and password until Formed.org is setup for Canada. Once Canada is setup, we will provide information in the bulletin on how to sign up.

    

Here is how to log in:

1.       Go to https://formed.org

2.       Click the “Login” button on the top right hand corner of the home page.

3.       For username enter “international@formed.org”

4.       For password enter “formed” (case sensitive)

    More information about formed will be in our special Christmas bulletin to be handed out at our Christmas Masses. You are welcome to take extra copies to pass to friends and family who have questions about the faith and may benefit from this wonderful resource.

LIVE MORE SIMPLY ……….

Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise. (Luke 3.11)

     It is a cliché but also a truth that Christmas is a time for giving. For months in advance, it seems retailers bombard us with messages to buy more and more, playing on our guilt by equating consuming with caring. On the other hand, though, Christmas does tend to bring out our most generous selves. Charitable donations and volunteering increase during this season, and many people genuinely seek out opportunities to give to loved ones and strangers alike.

     In today's gospel reading, John the Baptist instructs his hearers on how to "bear good fruit" — in other words, how to translate faith into action. His advice seems simple and straightforward: share what you have with those who have not. How hard can this be?

     John's words, however, actually propose a radical transformation in how we live our lives. Experts tell us that the world produces enough food to feed every person on the planet, yet vast numbers of people around the globe are hungry. When many of us consume far more than we need, others are deprived of the basic necessities.

     Often we may feel that major ethical issues such as hunger, poverty and environmental degradation are so vast and widespread that there is very little that one person, one family or one community can do to make a difference. The temptation is, therefore, to throw up our hands in despair and do nothing.

     A number of well-loved Christmas carols and stories describe a visitor to the Nativity, perhaps a shepherd, regretting that they have no gift worthy of presentation to the Christ child. Invariably it is the gift of themselves — their goodwill, their humility, their love — that constitutes the best gift. Each of us can start somewhere — perhaps with giving away that extra coat to someone who lives in a shelter, for instance. More importantly, we can examine our understanding of needs versus wants. How much is "enough" for us?

     Along with the gifts we exchange this Christmas, perhaps we can offer God the gift of our willingness to   explore ways to "live more simply so that others may simply live."

     0 God the giver of all gifts, forgive us for the ways in which we take more than we need. Help us to bear good fruit by more generously sharing what we have with others, both locally and globally.

        ~   FROM:  Word Made Flesh – Daily Reflections December 13,2015

MARY, CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception, as solemnly defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854, teaches that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.

     This means that Mary, through the merits of her Son and Savior, Jesus Christ, received a special grace so that she might become the spiritual mother of all who come to believe in her divine Son cf. Gen. 3:20; Jn. 19:26–27; Rev. 12:17). Mary’s Immaculate Conception should be seen as the way God wanted all of us to come into the world: in the state of sanctifying grace and free from original sin, just like Adam and Eve.

     Scripture, not coincidentally, first teaches the doctrine of Mary’s Immaculate Conception in the Book of Genesis. Just after the sin of our first parents, God promised to send a Savior. Speaking to the serpent, God said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). The serpent is Satan (cf. Jn. 8:44; Rev. 12:9), and the “seed of the woman” who would be sent to crush the devil is Jesus Christ. Therefore, the “woman” is Mary, His mother. It is significant that Jesus addresses His mother in the Gospels as “woman” (e.g., Jn. 2:4; 19:26–27). Mary shares in the victory of her Son over Satan, which includes His victory over sin and death. Because she is sinless and pure, there is indeed “enmity” (Gen. 3:15) or “complete opposition” between Mary and Satan.

     At the Annunciation, Saint Gabriel the Archangel greets Mary with the words, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Lk. 1:28). The phrase “full of grace” is a translation of the Greek word kecharitōménē. This word conveys a sense of completion and perfection that was already present at the time of the Annunciation. Mary’s holiness was not only as complete as possible, but it extended over the whole of her life, from conception onward.

   ~ Taken from Faith facts: Answers to Catholic Questions, Vol 1.