Calendar

Leader's School
Thur June 6, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA
RE classroom #8

Ultreya-Tulsa
Fri June 7, 7:00pm
St. Mary's, Tulsa

Ultreya-BA
Fri June 21, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA

Leader's School
Thur July 11, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA
RE classroom #8

Ultreya-Tulsa
Fri July 5, 7:00pm
St. Mary's, Tulsa

Ultreya-BA
Fri July 19, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA

Men's Weekend #31
Sept 26-29, 2002
St. John's, McAlester

Women's Weekend #31
Oct 10-13, 2002
St. John's, McAlester

SPIRITUALITY 101
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION- 118
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

During the persecution by the Emperor Decius, there was a gardener living in a town of Asia Minor, a known Christian, who name was Conon. Conon was known for his great joy as he worked in his garden and as he sold fruits of his labor in the local market. Many came to his garden to watch him work and sing glory to his God. They would stop by his market place and listen to his songs of praise to God. When cited before the pagan judge and asked his name and state of life and residence, he said: "I belong to Nazareth in Galilee; I am a brother of Jesus Christ, Whom I have served from my infancy, and Whom I know to be God and Lord over all things." He was immediately martyred for his profession of divine kinship, "I am a brother of Jesus Christ." As he died, all were amazed that he continued to be joyous and continued to sing praise to the risen Christ.

When we were baptized, we also became brothers and sisters to Christ, and sons and daughters of God the Father. This is cause for joy. We should realize that there are no sad saints in heaven, neither are there sad saints on earth. Each of us may sing, "Joy to the world, the Lord has come!"

DEVOTION - Growth in love- 3rd stage
DEVOTIONALS- MEDITATION-SACRAMENTALS-THE ROSARY-45

The Mysteries of the Rosary-3
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES:
THE NATIVITY: Luke 2:1-7

"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her first-born son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes an laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ marks the most joyous occasion in the history of man, after that of creation. Man was created in the image and likeness of God, to be God's glory in this world. Man was not created for heaven, but to live in perfect happiness here on earth in the garden of paradise. In that paradise, man knew God and visited with Him face-to-face, without fear. When sin entered the Garden of Eden, through the cooperation of Adam and Eve with Satan's guile, the joy of creation was lost. No longer was man capable of being God's glory in the world. No longer could man experience the presence of God and meet Him face-to-face. There was great fear of the possibility of looking upon God. The effect of original sin was devastating to all of God creation. Even the angels in heaven were dismayed and something was lost in their perfection.

The birth of our Lord as man brought a relationship between god and man. It was a relationship that man could never have imagined. With the taking of a human body, God became one with each of us - sinner and saint. His unity with man offers to each human person a share in the inner life of the Holy Trinity. Because God shared in the humanity of man, man can now share in the divinity of God. This is astounding, and the cause of the joy of the Christian. At the birth of Jesus, not only was there great cause of joy for man, even the angels and a multitude of the heavenly host praised God saying; "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." (Lk 2:13-14). The angels rejoiced at the great favor God had done for man. They understood that the disturbance of God's creation by the sin of Adam was to be repaired.

We cannot comprehend the wonder and mystery assciated with the birth of Christ from a study of the prophesies of the Old Testament. Although the coming of Christ was foretold, it was never imagined that He would be God. The promised covenant was so much more than was anticipated, that the Jew's could not accept it. Even today, when we reflect upon the meaning of the Incarnation, we cannot plumb the depth of the true meaning for each of us. The Evangelist John attempt's to express its impact as he writes, "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth." (Jn 1:14). "From his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace,"(Jn 1:16)

NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM
ARTICLE NO. 1103
Anamnesis.
The liturgical celebration always refers to God's saving interventions in history. "The economy of Revelation is realized by deeds and words which are intrinsically bound up with each other... The words for their part proclaim the works and bring to light the mystery they contain." (Dei Verbum Article No. 2) In the Liturgy of the Word the Holy Spirit "recalls" to the assembly all that Christ has done for us. In keeping with the nature of liturgical actions and the ritual traditions of the churches, the celebration "makes a remembrance" of the marvelous works of God in an anamnesis which may be more or less developed. The Holy Spirit who thus awakens the memory of the Church then inspires thanksgiving and praise (doxology).

The Holy Spirit makes present the mystery of Christ

ARTICLE NO. 1104
Christian liturgy not only recalls the events the saved us but actualizes them, makes them present. The Paschal mystery of Christ is celebrated, not repeated. It is the celebrations that are repeated, and in each celebration there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that makes the unique mystery present.

REALIZED REVELATION
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

Every Christian celebration
Expresses a realized revelation
Mystery is expressed in words and deeds
As actions to which our words accede

Each marvelous works our words proclaim
Give light to the mystery they contain
Through Holy Spirit our words recall
The gifts that Christ has won for all

As we rejoice in Gods intervention
Our thanksgiving and praise in celebration
Makes mystery present and actualized
Holy Spirit's outpouring is realized

Ó2002 DR. JAMES E. BREAZILE, deacon 
JOHN PAUL EVANGELIST OCDS