Immaculate Conception – Advent Week 2 – Joyful Witness – Christmas Rush

Vincentian Day of Prayer and Fast – Tuesday December 9, 2014

Dear Vincentian Family: We celebrate today the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Pray the Rosary for everyone we serve and serve with. The Rosary is both prayer and meditation. Any time you feel under attack, get out your Rosary and things will get better. Pray for all of our clergy and our loving Pope Francis who is often under attack. He is doing so much good in the world, pray for him daily. When you pray today reflect on each word and be attentive. Our work needs prayer every day. Amen

Immaculate Conception – The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the saving work of God in preserving the Blessed Virgin Mary from the stain of original sin. Because of His foreknowledge that Mary would consent to bear Christ, God kept Mary free from original sin from the moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne. Mary had the sanctifying grace of God as the chosen one to give birth to Jesus, our Lord. This is a special day for families to pray the Rosary, including our Vincentian Family. Mary intercedes for us in our work and brings us so much closer to Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us in our weakness and bring us to holiness in our Lord Jesus.

Advent Week 2 – On Sunday we lit the second candle and celebrated with hope as we prepare and wait for Jesus to come again. We become a joyful witness to our friends in need, our friends and families. We use our talents given to us by God and encounter Jesus each day in each person. We pray for our discernment and follow God’s will for us and draw close to all in need. We bring His love to prisoners, addicted and others living on the edge. God is all loving and forgiving and we must be, too.   Make each day of advent special. Make an advent calendar and pray each day as you light the advent wreath. Famvin has a daily Advent calendar to help you reflect. Ask God for forgiveness and forgive others. It is the greatest expression of love.

Joyful Witness – “Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.” – St. John Chrysostom. “Shoots shall come out from the stump of Jesse” “We remember Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore. We remember our hope for the second coming of Jesus”. The prophet begins to see that God has prepared His people and now there is someone special that is to come to help them in their desperation and save them. Isaiah sees that the promise will come from the root of Jesse who is the carrier of the promise. This is a joyful witness to all of us. Yes, I love God. He is my source of life and my Savior. He keeps me alive day and night. Without Christ in our lives, we are nothing. With Him we can do all things and He strengthens us and leads us. Liven in His peace with joy and share it with others. The real joy of Christmas is when we make a place for God in all our hearts.

Christmas Rush – Slow down. Make each moment count. I sometimes like to park my car a distance from the entrance to a mall at Christmas and slowly walk, praying as I go for all the shoppers. We truly have to slow down. We are bombarded with messages to make us spend more. Don’t let them do it to you. We are celebrating Christ’s birth and we must prepare for His second coming. Turn every moment to Our Lord. You can see Him in the trees which are shaped like the Trinity and in the ornaments. I’ve told you before how I always place a light in the window to show there is room for Jesus. I know you have many things as well. Keep Christ in Christmas and slow down to enjoy the blessings,

Peace for all. Blessings,

Lynn

Lynn L’Heureux is Special needs co-coordinator & Advisor of the Society of St Vincent de Paul Calgary Alberta Canada.

Her newsletter is translated into 3 languages, hopefully soon to be 4. They have a group which brings the prayer into China and it is translated into Mandarin and other Chinese dialects.