Today's Message
December 24, 2007

“Rejoice that your Saviour has come”

Reading: Luke 2:1-20

Dear friends,

“Glory to God in the highest and on

earth peace to those on whom his

favour rests.”

My half-hour of prayer was spent this

morning with our Heavenly Father

who said, “Melvin, My son, I love you

and bless you. I love all My sons and

daughters throughout the world,

especially those who believe in My Son

Jesus and will celebrate the great feast

of His birth. I sent Him into the world

to live as a man and to be your

Saviour. He is the Messiah I had

foretold after the sin of your first

parents.

I had prepared the most perfect

woman to be the Mother of My Son.

She was prepared from her

conception to be the fitting Mother of

the Son of God. When the time was

right He was born in Bethlehem.

It was

with great joy that I sent the angels to

sing at His birth and I made a star

appear over the stable. This great

night is truly the central point of the

history of the human race. It was out

of love for every one of you, My

children, that I caused this divine

intervention among you by the birth of

the God-Man.

Because of the grave sin of your first

parents, heaven was closed to all of

you. You were all born in sin and only

a divine Saviour could open heaven for

you and wash away your sins by His

supreme sacrifice on the cross. It was

necessary, therefore, for the Messiah

to come to free you from your sins

and show you the way to heaven.

He

came as the light of the world to teach

you the truth, to establish His Church

and to call you to repentance of all

your sins. Today open your heart and

accept My Son Jesus by celebrating

His birth. Rejoice that your Saviour

has come and follow Him every day. I

bless you all.”

Father Melvin

P.S. I wish you all a Blessed Christmas

and thank you all for your cards and

gifts. The next message will be on

December 26.

Fr. Melvin’s Schedule of Masses:
December 24
Villa in O’Leary 10:30 a.m.
Maplewood Manor, Alberton 1:30

p.m.
St. Philip & St. James Church, Egmont

Bay 10:00 p.m.

December 25
St. Philip & St. James Church, Egmont

Bay 9:30 a.m.
Medjugorje Day X Day Dec 24 - THE

VIGIL OF CHRISTMAS       

Message of December 25, 1998

"Dear children! In this Christmas joy I

desire to bless you with my blessing.

In a special way, little children, I give

you the blessing of little Jesus. May He

fill you with His peace. Today, little

children, you do not have peace and

yet you yearn for it. That is why, with

my Son Jesus, on this day I call you to

pray, pray, pray, because without

prayer you do not have joy or peace

or a future. Yearn for peace and seek

it, for God is true peace. Thank you

for having responded to my call."
 
"Who can sleep on the night that God

became man?"  "`And the Word

became
flesh.'

That truth became a reality in

the manger at Bethlehem. But it was

to be fulfilled in yet another form:

`Whoever eats my flesh and drinks

my blood, has eternal life.' The Savior,

who knows that we are human beings

and will remain human beings who

have to struggle daily with

weaknesses, comes to our assistance

in a truly divine manner. Just as the

human body is in need of daily bread,

so also does the divine life in us

require constant nourishment"  (St.

Teresa Benedicta—Edith Stein).

A Jewish lady named Mrs. Rosenberg

who many years ago was stranded

late one night at a fashionable resort -

one that did not admit Jews.

The desk clerk looked down at his

book and said, "Sorry, no room.  The

hotel is full."

The Jewish lady said, "But your sign

says that you have vacancies."

The desk clerk stammered and then

said curtly, "You know that we do not

admit Jews.  Now if you will try the

other side of town..."

Mrs. Rosenberg stiffened noticeable

and said, "I'll have you know I

converted to your religion."

The desk clerk said, "Oh, yeah, let me

give you a little test.  How was Jesus

born?"

Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born

to a virgin named Mary in a little town

called Bethlehem."

"Very good," replied the hotel clerk.  

"Tell me more."

Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born

in a manger."

"That's right," said the hotel clerk.  

"And why was he born in a manger?"

Mrs. Rosenberg said loudly, "Because

in the hotel they wouldn't give a

Jewish Lady a room for the night!"  

Mother Teresa  -

We should give thanks to God for

what He has done in us, with us, and

through us. We should thank Him for

using us to be His love and mercy.

Padre Pio - Don't let your zeal be

bitter, fussy, aggravating or a cause of

uneasiness, but let it be free from all

defects: Let it be sweet, benevolent,

gracious, peaceful and uplifting. Ah,

who cannot see the dear little Infant of

Bethlehem in the event for which we

are preparing? Who does not see His

incomparable love for souls? He

comes to die in order to save, and He

is so humble, sweet and lovable.
 Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
Crosses can be great blessings if we

allow them to be

"It is the trials imposed upon us by

others, such as their injustices, their

harsh words, their knife-in-the-back

attitudes, and their peevishness, that

gall us; yet these are counted as the

daily crosses of the man who would

be truly religious. Much of the

weariness of the spiritual life is due to

the constant necessity of bearing the

shortcomings of others, along with the

never-ending strife against our own

base inclinations. Then begins the task

of accepting such people as a cross,

and through our patience and

forgiveness, putting love where we do

not find it."
St. Faustina's diary  

http://www.marian.org/directory_flas

h.html  -

I am reliving these moments with Our

Lady. With great longing, I am waiting

for the Lord's coming. Great are my

desires. I desire that all humankind

come to know the Lord. I would like

to prepare all nations for the coming

of the Word Incarnate. O Jesus, make

the fount of Your mercy gush forth

more abundantly, for humankind is

seriously ill and thus has more need

than ever of Your compassion. You

are a bottomless sea of mercy for us

sinners; and the greater the misery,

the more right we have to Your

mercy. You are a fount which makes

all creatures happy by Your infinite

mercy.       (793)

During Holy Mass, the little Infant

Jesus brings joy to my soul. Often,

distance does not exist-I see a certain

priest who brings Him down. I am

awaiting Christmas with great

yearning; I am living in expectation

together with the Most Holy Mother.    

   (829)

December 23, 1936. I am spending

this time with the Mother of God and

preparing myself for the solemn

moment of the coming of the Lord

Jesus. The Mother of God is instructing

me in the interior life of the soul with

Jesus, especially in Holy Communion.

It is only in eternity that we shall know

the great mystery effected in us by

Holy Communion. O most precious

moments of my life!       (840)
 
 
Dailys -

http://www.catholic-forum.com/e-pis

tle.html -
 
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken

from a daily meditation book based on

the Messages of Our Lady of

Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer,

Ave Maria Press.

Dec 24 - THE VIGIL OF CHRISTMAS

On this vigil of Christmas, the Blessed

Mother calls us to glorify Jesus and his

Nativity:

Dear children, for Christmas my

invitation is that together we glorify

Jesus. I present him to you in a special

way on that day and my invitation to

you is that we glorify Jesus and his

nativity. Dear children, on that day

pray still more and think more about

Jesus (Weekly Message Dec 12,

1985).

And on this vigil in 1990:

Dear children, tonight your Mother

invites you to give her all your

problems.

My dear children, Rejoice! (Visionary

Prayer Group Message Dec 24, 1990).

The following is Matthew's passage on

the birth of Christ:

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah

took place in this way. When his

mother Mary had been engaged to

Joseph, but before they lived together,

she was found to be with child from

the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph,

being a righteous man and unwilling to

expose her to public disgrace, planned

to dismiss her quietly. But just when

he had resolved to do this, an angel of

the Lord appeared to him in a dream

and said, "Joseph, son of David, do

not be afraid to take Mary as your

wife, for the child conceived in her is

from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a

son, and you are to name him Jesus,

for he will save his people from their

sins".

All this took place to fulfill what had

been spoken by the Lord through the

prophets: "Look, the virgin shall

conceive and bear a son, and they

shall name him Emmanuel", which

means, "God is with us". When Joseph

awoke from sleep, he did as the angel

of the Lord commanded him; he took

her as his wife, but had no marital

relations with her. She bore a son, and

he named him Jesus (Mt 1:18-25).

Reflection:

Tonight we celebrate the greatest

event of all time, the birth of the

Messiah, the divine God taking on

human flesh. For ages the Jewish

people had waited for him, and when

the miracle finally occurred, the first to

hear of it were not the nobility or

Temple hierarchy, but simple

shepherds. The birth was in a stable,

not a palace. Even at the beginning,

the Messiah came first to the humble,

the ordinary, the poor. And he still

comes to them, to all with hearts

humble enough to receive him.

Application:

Greet the Christ child with prayer and

love this evening. Give him your heart

as your gift.
Medjugorje Day X Day Dec 24 - THE

VIGIL OF CHRISTMAS       

Message List  
Reply | Forward         Message

#348 of 349 < Prev | Next >
Message of December 25, 1998

"Dear children! In this Christmas joy I

desire to bless you with my blessing.

In a special way, little children, I give

you the blessing of little Jesus. May He

fill you with His peace. Today, little

children, you do not have peace and

yet you yearn for it. That is why, with

my Son Jesus, on this day I call you to

pray, pray, pray, because without

prayer you do not have joy or peace

or a future. Yearn for peace and seek

it, for God is true peace. Thank you

for having responded to my call."
 
"Who can sleep on the night that God

became man?"  "`And the Word

became
flesh.' That truth became a reality in

the manger at Bethlehem. But it was

to be fulfilled in yet another form:

`Whoever eats my flesh and drinks

my blood, has eternal life.' The Savior,

who knows that we are human beings

and will remain human beings who

have to struggle daily with

weaknesses, comes to our assistance

in a truly divine manner. Just as the

human body is in need of daily bread,

so also does the divine life in us

require constant nourishment"  (St.

Teresa Benedicta—Edith Stein).

A Jewish lady named Mrs. Rosenberg

who many years ago was stranded

late one night at a fashionable resort -

one that did not admit Jews.

The desk clerk looked down at his

book and said, "Sorry, no room.  The

hotel is full."

The Jewish lady said, "But your sign

says that you have vacancies."

The desk clerk stammered and then

said curtly, "You know that we do not

admit Jews.  Now if you will try the

other side of town..."

Mrs. Rosenberg stiffened noticeable

and said, "I'll have you know I

converted to your religion."

The desk clerk said, "Oh, yeah, let me

give you a little test.  How was Jesus

born?"

Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born

to a virgin named Mary in a little town

called Bethlehem."

"Very good," replied the hotel clerk.  

"Tell me more."

Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born

in a manger."

"That's right," said the hotel clerk.  

"And why was he born in a manger?"

Mrs. Rosenberg said loudly, "Because

in the hotel they wouldn't give a

Jewish Lady a room for the night!"   
Mother Teresa  -

We should give thanks to God for

what He has done in us, with us, and

through us. We should thank Him for

using us to be His love and mercy.

Padre Pio - Don't let your zeal be

bitter, fussy, aggravating or a cause of

uneasiness, but let it be free from all

defects: Let it be sweet, benevolent,

gracious, peaceful and uplifting. Ah,

who cannot see the dear little Infant of

Bethlehem in the event for which we

are preparing? Who does not see His

incomparable love for souls? He

comes to die in order to save, and He

is so humble, sweet and lovable.
 Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
Crosses can be great blessings if we

allow them to be

"It is the trials imposed upon us by

others, such as their injustices, their

harsh words, their knife-in-the-back

attitudes, and their peevishness, that

gall us; yet these are counted as the

daily crosses of the man who would

be truly religious. Much of the

weariness of the spiritual life is due to

the constant necessity of bearing the

shortcomings of others, along with the

never-ending strife against our own

base inclinations. Then begins the task

of accepting such people as a cross,

and through our patience and

forgiveness, putting love where we do

not find it."
St. Faustina's diary  

http://www.marian.org/directory_flas

h.html  -

I am reliving these moments with Our

Lady. With great longing, I am waiting

for the Lord's coming. Great are my

desires. I desire that all humankind

come to know the Lord. I would like

to prepare all nations for the coming

of the Word Incarnate. O Jesus, make

the fount of Your mercy gush forth

more abundantly, for humankind is

seriously ill and thus has more need

than ever of Your compassion. You

are a bottomless sea of mercy for us

sinners; and the greater the misery,

the more right we have to Your

mercy. You are a fount which makes

all creatures happy by Your infinite

mercy.       (793)

During Holy Mass, the little Infant

Jesus brings joy to my soul. Often,

distance does not exist-I see a certain

priest who brings Him down. I am

awaiting Christmas with great

yearning; I am living in expectation

together with the Most Holy Mother.    

   (829)

December 23, 1936. I am spending

this time with the Mother of God and

preparing myself for the solemn

moment of the coming of the Lord

Jesus. The Mother of God is instructing

me in the interior life of the soul with

Jesus, especially in Holy Communion.

It is only in eternity that we shall know

the great mystery effected in us by

Holy Communion. O most precious

moments of my life!       (840)
 
 
Dailys -

http://www.catholic-forum.com/e-pis

tle.html -
 
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken

from a daily meditation book based on

the Messages of Our Lady of

Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer,

Ave Maria Press.

Dec 24 - THE VIGIL OF CHRISTMAS

On this vigil of Christmas, the Blessed

Mother calls us to glorify Jesus and his

Nativity:

Dear children, for Christmas my

invitation is that together we glorify

Jesus. I present him to you in a special

way on that day and my invitation to

you is that we glorify Jesus and his

nativity. Dear children, on that day

pray still more and think more about

Jesus (Weekly Message Dec 12,

1985).

And on this vigil in 1990:

Dear children, tonight your Mother

invites you to give her all your

problems.

My dear children, Rejoice! (Visionary

Prayer Group Message Dec 24, 1990).

The following is Matthew's passage on

the birth of Christ:

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah

took place in this way. When his

mother Mary had been engaged to

Joseph, but before they lived together,

she was found to be with child from

the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph,

being a righteous man and unwilling to

expose her to public disgrace, planned

to dismiss her quietly. But just when

he had resolved to do this, an angel of

the Lord appeared to him in a dream

and said, "Joseph, son of David, do

not be afraid to take Mary as your

wife, for the child conceived in her is

from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a

son, and you are to name him Jesus,

for he will save his people from their

sins".

All this took place to fulfill what had

been spoken by the Lord through the

prophets: "Look, the virgin shall

conceive and bear a son, and they

shall name him Emmanuel", which

means, "God is with us". When Joseph

awoke from sleep, he did as the angel

of the Lord commanded him; he took

her as his wife, but had no marital

relations with her. She bore a son, and

he named him Jesus (Mt 1:18-25).

Reflection:

Tonight we celebrate the greatest

event of all time, the birth of the

Messiah, the divine God taking on

human flesh. For ages the Jewish

people had waited for him, and when

the miracle finally occurred, the first to

hear of it were not the nobility or

Temple hierarchy, but simple

shepherds. The birth was in a stable,

not a palace. Even at the beginning,

the Messiah came first to the humble,

the ordinary, the poor. And he still

comes to them, to all with hearts

humble enough to receive him.

Application:

Greet the Christ child with prayer and

love this evening. Give him your heart

as your gift.