ADVENT - NOT THANKSGIVING - REAL CHRISTMAS SEASON
November 17th, 2007
THANKSGIVING is a great family feast and time to thank God for His many blessings. But it is NOT the beginning of the liturgical Christmas season. In fact the Christmas season for the Church and all devout Catholics does not begin until Christmas Eve. THEN IT CONTINUES THROUGH EPIPHANY, Jan. 6, 2008 this year, unto the Baptism of Christ; then back into Ordinary time for a few weeks - until Lent. Advent ( begins evening of Dec. 1 this year ) and is the time to prepare during 4 weeks for the CHRISTMAS SEASON, the birth of Jesus Christ; the Incarnation. A SPIRITUALLY AWESOME TIME. Let us celebrate THE GREAT CHRISTIAN FEASTS AND SEASONS WITH THE CHURCH in our domestic churches, our families. Follow the Church; not the commercial world and consumerism. Prepare for Christ’s birthday during Advent, day by day FOR 4 WEEKS.
WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING LATELY? Assembling the next issue of THE IMMACULATE HEART MESSENGER, Jan - March 2008 issue). We hope to get it in the mails. There are exciting articles coming.
I think we have another great issue coming out and many have ordered it as Christmas gifts for others this year. Here are some hints of what is in the next issue which should start arriving in homes during the true Christmas season. 1. A CAPTIVATING TRUE LOVE STORY ABOUT FORGIVENESS. We heard from Immaculee who wrote the heart-touching book, “LEFT TO TELL.” She was one of the limited ones who escaped the genocide of hundreds of thousands in Rwanda by hiding with 7 other women; hiding in a pastor’s 3′ X 4″ bathroom for 91 days during which she went through purifications and mystical experiences. It took her 11 years to begin to tell the tragedy in LEFT TO TELL. And she tells of “OUR LADY OF KIBEHO” who warned it was coming. Immaculee says it could have been prevented had they listed to God’s Mother. JUST LIKE MANY THINGS NOW COULD BE PREVENTED BY LISTENING TO OUR LADY OF FATIMA.
When the news first broke: PRIVATE SECRET OF MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA - SHE HAD NO FAITH - I almost shouted at the television screen: ”THAT WAS THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL” - described so well by St. John of the Cross. Well! We got our favorite artist MARK SANISLO to agree to have his portrait of BLESSED TERESA for our cover for the next issue of THE IMMACULATE HEART MESSENGER. One almost expects Mother Teresa to move and speak in this portrait. Then we feature Mother and her great faith - TELLING THE TRUE STORY - and marking her as one of the greatest Saints of the 20th Century.
YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW THIS YET. Besides her famous memoirs, ”Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words”, and ”CALLS” of Fatima - Sister Lucia wrote another little book IN HER OLD AGE, released in Portuguese with Imprimatur only on the day she was buried in Fatima. The Postulator for the causes of the three little shepherds of Fatima sent it to us AND it will be featured in our next issue.
“HOLY HABITS - for NUNS.” Well, I’m the senior priest who says daily Mass at the Shrine of the MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT founded by Mother Angelica. About 45 contemplative POOR CLARE NUNS OF PERPETUAL ADORATION HERE. AND THEY SENT SOME OF THEIR SISTERS TO SEVERAL OTHER MONASTERIES IN RECENT YEARS. I have their permission to publish with pictures - the most convincing article I’ve ever read on the meaning of the Religious Habit. It would take a feminine mind, loyal to Mother Church, to write it. You can read it in the next IMMACULATE HEART MESSENGER. Its title is: VEILED IN MYSTERY: THE HOLY HABIT. And that is only the beginning of WHAT IS IN our next issue. CLICK INTO THE IMMACULATE HEART MESSENGER to learn how to subscribe now to get the next issue for yourself or friends for Christmas. NICE VISITING WITH YOU. - FATHER ROBERT J. FOX
