Mary and Joseph overflow with joy when the Divine Child is given due honor, reverence and love. This is precisely the mystery and meaning of Christmas. We are to follow the example of the Three Kings. Your gift ought to be those virtues which their gifts symbolize – charity (gold), prayer (frankincense) and mortification (myrrh). Similarly, the epistle (Col 3) tells us how to offer the Christ Child a pure heart. As you pray the Rosary and Litanies, seek the respective intercession of – and offer yourself and family members to – the members of the Holy Family respectively.

The Holy Name of Jesus literally means “God saves.” As you pray the Holy Name, think of Bethlehem and Calvary. Consider that God makes man and God saves man for He loves man. The Holy Name brings to our lives the Person of Jesus. It expresses His infinite love and His infinite power. Bow your head as you pray His Name. Pray the Litany of the Holy Name, especially this month. Whether you are tempted by devils or attacked by men, invoke the Name of Jesus. And if temptations do not cease to persecute you, continue to invoke Jesus – and you will never fall.

There is much confusion over what it means to love Jesus. It is not primarily about feelings, thoughts, or scriptural interpretation. The Apostle of Love teaches us the essentials. To love Jesus we must keep His commandments and we must love our neighbor (emphasis on the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy). Ask Baby Jesus for the grace to love Him above everything. Far too many Catholics are willing to sacrifice Christ to maintain friendships and family ties. Even our Shepherds – those who should love Jesus most – are betraying Him. Given that belief in Christ means belief in the Holy Eucharist, why is Mass being cancelled? Jesus Himself commands us to eat His flesh so as to have eternal life with Him!

Christ the King commands us to be faithful to truth and to life. Archbishop Vigano has written an open letter which I strongly urge you to read. The potential evil of the vaccine far outweighs the potential good. Human babies are being murdered in the continued production of the vaccine. This scamdemic is filled with misinformation, lies, evil, and death. We have to oppose this vaccination agenda with all our strength. What can you do? Recognize the extreme situation we are in. Look to Christ the King on the Cross. Make an act of faith: He is the truth, we follow Him.

A basic rule of the spiritual life is to imitate Jesus and Mary. Marian devotion is not something “invented” by Catholics. Rather, Christ requires it — for He Himself gave His Sorrowful Mother to us at the foot of the Cross. We can never fully appreciate her sorrows for we can’t fathom the depth of her love for her Son. However, we can pray for many graces to be more like Jesus and Mary: to hate sin and to ensure insults and ridicule with patience as they did. Pray for the grace to love Jesus and suffer for Him as Our Lady did. Today there are many opportunities for us to suffer for Jesus… and many more are headed our way.

God speaks to you in the lessons for Mass. Today, God calls you to practice four specific virtues: Humility, Meekness, Patience and Charity. These are the four virtues which Our Lord most clearly exhibits in His Passion. You are called to walk worthily in your vocation, and although we have different vocations, each Christian is called to deny himself and carry his cross daily.

The holy name ‘Mary’ has many meanings. Three notable ones which demand our reflection are: Enlightener, Star of the sea, and Sea [of all graces]. Heed St. Bernard’s advice: “In dangers, doubts, and difficulties, think of Mary. Call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from thy lips; never allow it to leave your heart.” This continual reliance upon Our Lady is the hallmark of a good and faithful Catholic. An excellent aid for meditating more upon Our Lady is the Marian Creed written by St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. Always do you best to pray the name of Mary with love and devotion, and to console her more on account of all she suffered for our salvation.

Within St. Anne’s womb, the Blessed Virign Mary was continuously occupied with ten pious exercises. These express the sentiments in her Immaculate Herat. They did not require external activity as she was still a tiny infant. Thus, we can practice them at Mass. We will thereby more actively participate at, and derive more spiritual fruit from, the Holy Sacrifice. Too often we doubt – deep down – that God is all-good, all-wise, and all-powerful. If we had greater confidence – faith! – then we would have nothing to worry about. Strive to foster a greater devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart and to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion with the same disposition as She received Him at the Annunciation.

St. Paul exhorts us to “walk in the Spirit” which is another way of saying “be devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghost are a perfect description of Mary’s Heart. Choose one of those gifts (e.g. benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, etc.) and ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to form this virtue in your heart in her likeness. Like the Mass, Our Lady’s Heart is an altar. Christ’s Sacrifice is renewed therein as she offers her Son and herself with unspeakable love. At Mass, we too must offer Jesus – truly present – to God and offer ourselves with Him. The more we love Jesus – after Mary’s example – the more this offering will also be a martyrdom!

There is a deep connection between Mary’s Immaculate Heart and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Our Lady pondered and preserved in her heart all the wondrous events of her Son – especially His Passion (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). As a very real mother, Our Lady took note of the slightest details regarding her Son. Her heart is a sacred depository of God. Now Holy Mass makes all these mysteries – contained in her Immaculate Heart – present for us! We are meant to ponder and preserve the Passion, marvelous mysteries, and events of Christ’s life. Imitate Mary thus and you will grow in great sanctity.