December 12, 2024

As we progress through Advent, with all the preparations for Christmas (Dec. 25), the FIRE committee would like to focus on Mary is the Icon of Christ as our theme for this month. Mary is honored as an image of Christ, reflecting His life, virtues, and salvific work. Her spiritual life, prayer, and devotion to God are seen as a model for the faithful, and her role as the Mother of God is understood as a reflection of Christ’s own humanity and divinity. Through her iconography and liturgical veneration, the Catholic Church honors Mary as a vital part of the mystery of Christ, the Incarnate Logos.

This is no better displayed than in her miraculous image on the agave thread tilma of St. Juan Diego (Dec. 9), under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12). There is so much to learn about her 1531 apparition which resulted in 9 to 10 million native Indians coming into the Catholic Church within 10 years of her appearance while millions left the Church in Europe during the Reformation. A great little book explaining its significance is found in Our Lady of Guadalupe by Fr. José Luis Guerrero. He offers a new translation of the original document on the event as well as an interesting commentary. Thousands of Americans will be completing Raymond Cardinal Burke’s nine-month novena to her as Patroness of the Americas, on her feast day as well as a consecration seen here.

The next CMA ZOOM Prayer Group will meet December 14 at 2:00 PM EST. Come join us!

The Thomistic Institute’s Aquinas 101 brief video for this month is Moderate Realismby Fr. Gregory Maria Pine, OP. 

St. John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Dec. 4) composed this beautiful transformative prayer to recite after receiving Holy Communion: 

God, my God, inextinguishable and invisible fire, You make Your angels flaming fire. Out of Your inexpressible love, You have given me Your divine Flesh as food, and through this communion of Your immaculate Body and precious Blood You receive me as a partaker of Your divinity. Permeate all my body and soul, all my bones and sinews. Consume my sins in fire. Enlighten my soul and illumine my mind. Sanctify my body and make Your abode in me together with Your blessed Father and all-holy Spirit, that I may always abide in You, through the intercession of Your immaculate Mother and all Your saints. Amen

St. Francis Xavier (Dec. 3) lived from 1506 to 1552 and was one of the original seven founders of the Jesuits. He also was the first Jesuit missionary, bringing Christ to India and the Spice Islands, and setting an example for the rest of the order. He is the patron saint of the Propagation of the Faith and missions.

Advent is a time of quiet preparation and penance as we await the celebration of the Birth of Our Lord and anticipate His Second Coming. The Mass readings throughout the month are a reminder to always be ready to meet Our Lord. “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor thehour” (Mt 25:13).

Additional resources for this month include The Wonder of Guadalupe by Francis Johnston, Guadalupe Mysteries: Deciphering the Code by Grzegorz Gorny and Janusz Rosikon, and the movie Guadalupe: A Living Image.

Wishing all of you in our CMA family a very Merry Christmas!