December 9, 2011 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Friday, December 9
ADVENT WEEKDAY
St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
Is 48: 17-19

Mt 11: 16-19

The visit gives the tone to our day. In it we listen to the Lord, give Him what He asks and receive the gifts He has prepared for us (SP 20 Aug. 1937).

Father Tom: How true! How many ideas get straightened out in this important hour! How many inspirations either then or later? Make every effort to spend this hour with the Master as often as you can.


Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M. Graziana Santini FSP (1963)—Sr. M. Rosa Cacciatore FSP (1981)—Domenica Nardis HFI (2005)—Sr. Josefina Glassman FSP (2006)—Sr. M. Agostina Pellachin FSP (2007)—Sr. M. Ntalia Bonifaccio FSP (2007)—Sr. Onise Theresa Sassi FSP (2008)—Helen Chevraux HFI (2008)

December 8, 2011 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Thursday, December 8
IMMACUALTE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Gen 3: 9-20

Eph 1: 3-11

Lk 1: 26-28

Mary was the only one to have a special understanding of Jesus ad so no on emore than her is more powerful to unite us to Christ (VMC 629).

Father Tom: And she was—and remains—a mother with feminine intuition and awareness of our deepest needs. The True Consecration is a traditional Pauline practice and invariably brings abundant blessing.


Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M. Aracoeli Venturi PD (1983)—Fr. Vincenzo De luise SSP (1999)—Gorizia D’Amicantonio IAM (1991)—Claudia Supino HFI (1999)—Fr. Silvino Ceccomancini IJP (2006)—Antonio Lopez (2004)

December 7, 2011 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Wednesday, December 7
ST. AMBROSE, Bishop and Doctor
First Wednesday of the Month—St. Joseph
Is 40: 25-31

Mt 11: 28-30

Our piety must not be sterile or done solely to get it done and finding it burdensome. It must make us truly feel our need for God and lead us to a high sanctity (RSP p 46).

Father Tom: Well, yes, but also no. What I mean is that the main thing is to be faithful to practices of piety at any cost even if we find them burdensome. After all, if the practices were very attractive…what merit would there be in being faithful to them?


Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Maria Verdone FSP (1971)—Sr. M. Ifigenia Licansi PD (1983)—Pasqualina La Rizza HFI (2004)

December 6, 2011 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Tuesday, December 6
ADVENT WEEKDAY
St. Nicholas, Bishop
First Tuesday of the Month—The Holy Souls in Purgatory
Is 40: 1-11

Mt 18: 12-14

Coordinating the contemplative and the active life is the secret of progress: the whole day is dedicated to increasing union with God and sharing the Good News (FSP 45)

Father Tom: And of these two, the first (as you well know) is the most effective. Sharing the Good News is generally not our “thing”—we have limited use of media or no use whatsoever—but we can always supply the essential item: more of God and less of us. Let’s do it!


Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Anna Merla FSP (1946)—Fr. Tito Armani SSP (1980)—Sr. M. Massimiliana Concas PD (1998)—Sr. M. Stefana Servetti PD (2003)—Nicletta Di Carlo (IAM (2009)

December 5, 2011 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Monday, December 5
ADVENT WEEKDAY
First Monday of the Month—St. Paul
Is 35: 1-10

Lk 5: 17-26

True Pauline consecrated life implies ongoing and intense activity for one’s sanctification plus apostolate. It is a life of toil and demands ongoing sacrifice, but it produces on-going redemption (CP 1959).

Father Tom: That seems to say it all and perhaps HFI people more than most can live the two-fold activities. The secret is to live them, day in, day out until we have no more life left! Sounds easy..but have we tried it?


Please Pray for Our Deceased: Fr. Luigi Bogliaccino SSP (1967)—Sr. Edvige Soldano FSP (1983)—Fr. Cirillo Tomatis SSP (1988)—Sr. Maria Mattarei FSP (2000)—Fr. Giuseppe Pasquali SSP (2002)—Madeline Piatt (2002)

December 4, 2011 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Sunday, December 4
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
First Sunday of the Month—the Divine Master, Way, Truth and Life
Is 40: 1-11

2 Pt 3: 8-14

Mk 1: 1-8

Only if we live what we say or write will it have an influence on others (VMC 984).

Father Tom: The divine Master spent 30 years living what He preached in 2 or 3. And in the short terms He failed and failed publicly. But not in the long term. This is our example and our encouragement when nothing seems to be happening.


Please Pray for Our Deceased: Bro Giuseppe Solero SSP (1974)—Sr. Ignazia Armani SGBP (1993)—Bro Silvano M. De Blasio SSP (1994)—Br Dominic Lakra SSP (2008)

December 3, 2011 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Saturday, December 3
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, Priest
First Saturday of the Month—Mary, Queen of Apostles
Is 30: 19-21, 23-26

Mt 9: 35- 10: 1-8

Seeing ourselves so lacking in everything, we commit to the use of every means for the glory of God, for every good, and fro peace among peoples.

Father Tom: When are we “lacking in everything”? When we have not the latest technical gadgets? No. Technical gadgets will, perhaps impress people, but only God can get results!


Please Pray for Our Deceased: Renata Vicini IAM (1971)—Fr. Antonio Gratilli SSP (1993)—Sr. Alexandrina Crivelli FSP (2005)—Sr. M. Domenica Fujiwara PD (2005)—Aurelio Facchni HFI (2006)—Sr. M. Gloria Honau FSP (2007)—Sr. M. Chiarina Pastorino PD (2009)—Mary Byehn (1990)—Richard Cooper—Pearl Kranske (no years)—Vera Haas (2010)

December 2, 2011 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Friday, December 2
ADVENT WEEKDAY
First Friday of the Month—The Sacred Heart
Is 29: 17-24

Mt 9: 27-31

During Advent in preparation for Christmas we must acknowledge ourselves as ignorant, defective, inclined to evil and sin and so requiring penance.

Father Tom: Only during Advent? Surely the recognition of our sinful and defective condition is a requirement of every day—indeed, every HOUR or when we stop to make a brief exam of conscience!


Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Tarcisia Valentini SGBP (2005)—Fr. Salvatore Caruana SSP (2008)—Alpiano Valdes (2937)—Mike Ducote (2007)—Anthoony Menella (2010)

December 1, 2011 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

I found this image on the internet. It is not mine, but I will gladly give credit if the photographer comes forward.


Thursday, December 1
ADVENT WEEKDAY
First Thursday of the Month—Our Guardian Angel
Is 26: 1-6

Mt 7: 21, 24-27

MONTHLY INTENTION
That, well aware of our insufficiency and unworthiness, we may realize the need to draw near the font of life in all humility and trust and be nourished with Your Word, Father and with the Body of Christ, invoking life, love and mercy for all men and women.

Father Tom: The last petition in our 9-Point Offertory Prayer is the most important. Without this “drawing near” we can at best impress people, not convert them. Much room for illusion on this point.


Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Christine Rimmele FSP (1991)—Sr. M. Raffaella Bernardini FSP (1992)—Fr. Emilio Mammana SSP (1996)—Fr. Ivo March IJP (2001)—Ray Hopponen (no year)—Frank Mahoney (no date).