From the Mass of the Day - God's Gift of Grace, His presence to us.

Merry Christmas! The regular 'order' of Christmas belies the disorder of the first Christmas - when God became man to redeem us, but entered the world to be born in the most unlikely of places. Jesus is the gift of God, broken for us.

St. Joseph, because of his dream, was able to respond in faith, seeing that the thorns of humanity had produced a beautiful rose of the Blessed Mother and Jesus Christ, who is God with us.

When we recognize the fruits of Christ among us, do we give our lives and strength to follow Him as did John the Baptist? Are we guiding others to be disciples?

The Blessed Virgin Mary was able to do what was humanly impossible because she relied on God's Grace, which she had from the first moment of her conception. She is the model for us who are baptized to do God's will with the grace He gives us.

With the soil ready, we need to receive the seeds of justice and peace, sown in our metanoia - repentance.

Advent is about preparing for Christ's coming, but not just remembering His first coming as an infant. We need to ready the ground for His Second Coming. Like farmers who plow the ground, we need to prepare our hearts.

If you do not have a Bible, find the Gospel of Matthew at http://www.usccb.org/bible/books-of-the-bible/index.cfm#Matthew

With the Blessed Mother as an example, are we thanking God for all the He has done for us?

Recorded at the 2016 Fall Teen Retreat

Christ is the King who suffers for us, not just with us.

Are we willing to let Him be King of our life?

This world is going to end, and when it does, do we have faith in God?

Do we live with the idea that all things will end, and live in right relationship to God and others?