The Light of Christ

Room With A View

I have updated my new blog, Room With A View.

Welcome St. Nick!!!

Roll Tide!!!
We have ourselves a coach. Good luck Coach Saban!!!

Feast of Holy Innocents

Feast of Holy Innocents
December 28th
This has become an even more special feast to us after losing a holy innocent ourselves.

Herod “the Great,” king of Judea, was unpopular with his people because of his connections with the Romans and his religious indifference. Hence he was insecure and fearful of any threat to his throne. He was a master politician and a tyrant capable of extreme brutality. He killed his wife, his brother and his sister’s two husbands, to name only a few.
Matthew 2:1-18 tells this story: Herod was “greatly troubled” when astrologers from the east came asking the whereabouts of “the newborn king of the Jews,” whose star they had seen. They were told that the Jewish Scriptures named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born. Herod cunningly told them to report back to him so that he could also “do him homage.” They found Jesus, offered him their gifts and, warned by an angel, avoided Herod on their way home. Jesus escaped to Egypt.

Herod became furious and “ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under.” The horror of the massacre and the devastation of the mothers and fathers led Matthew to quote Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah,sobbing and loud lamentation;Rachel weeping for her children...” (Matthew 2:18). Rachel was the wife of Jacob/Israel. She is pictured as weeping at the place where the Israelites were herded together by the conquering Assyrians for their march into captivity.


Collect for the Feast of the Holy Innocents
O God, whose praise the martyred innocents did this day proclaim, not by speaking, but by dying: Destroy in us all the malice of sinfulness, that our lives may also proclaim thy faith, which our tongues profess. Through our Lord. Amen.

The Feast of the Holy Innocents
Since the sixth century, on December 28, the Church has celebrated the memory of those children killed because of Herod's rage against Christ (cf. Mt 2:16-17). Liturgical tradition refers to them as the "Holy Innocents" and regards them as martyrs. Throughout the centuries Christian art, poetry and popular piety have enfolded the memory of the "tender flock of lambs" with sentiments of tenderness and sympathy. These sentiments are also accompanied by a note of indignation against the violence with which they were taken from their mothers' arms and killed.

In our own times, children suffer innumerable forms of violence which threaten their lives, dignity and right to education. On this day, it is appropriate to recall the vast host of children not yet born who have been killed under the cover of laws permitting abortion, which is an abominable crime. Mindful of these specific problems, popular piety in many places has inspired acts of worship as well as displays of charity which provide assistance to pregnant mothers, encourage adoption and the promotion of the education of children.

As recorded in the gospel of Matthew (below), after the visit of the Magi, Herod, in rage and jealousy, slaughtered all the baby boys in Bethlehem and surrounding countryside in an attempt to destroy his perceived rival, the infant Messiah.

These "innocents" are honored by the Church as martyrs.
• In countries where our own innocents are daily being slaughtered by abortion, this feast day is a special time to remember the unborn, to pray for their cause, and perhaps to picket or pray at facilities where unborn babies are killed through abortion.
• This would be a good day to begin a Novena for the Unborn.
• The collect for the Holy Innocents may be said just before the blessing of the evening meal, or at night prayers.
• The ancient Coventry Carol is a mournful lullaby to the Holy Innocents. The words are printed below.
• Family observances of this feast day have traditionally included serving baby food (oatmeal or pureed fruits), especially to the youngest member of the family. Another custom is eating a light-colored pudding with a red strawberry or raspberry sauce as a reminder of the blood of the tiny infant martyrs. While some adults may find this rather gory, many children appreciate this symbolism without the squeamishness their parents may feel.
• Parents may also want to begin a nightly blessing of their children. Simply trace the sign of the cross on their foreheads while saying "May God bless you in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit".

Scripture Readings

First Reading -1 John 1:5-2:2
Beloved; This is the message we have heard from Him [Jesus Christ], and proclaim to you, that God is light; and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we say that we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin in us, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Gospel - Matthew 2:13-18
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you: for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him." And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son."
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation:
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled because they were no more."

The Coventry Carol

This beautiful English lullaby carol originated in the Coventry Corpus Christi Mystery Plays performed in the 15th century. In a play called The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors, the women of Bethlehem sing this song just before Herod's soldiers come to slaughter their children. It tells the story of the murder of the Holy Innocents, and is sung on December 28, the feast of those tiny martyrs.

Lully, Lullay, thou little tiny child.
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Lullay thou little tiny child
Bye, bye, lully, lullay
O sisters, too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day;
This poor Youngling for whom we sing
Bye, bye lully, lullay
Herod the King, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day;
His men of might, in his own sight,
All young children to slay.
Then woe is me, poor child, for thee,
And ever mourn and say;
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
Bye, bye lully, lullay.

What does the word catholic mean?

There is much debate and great confusion when it comes to the word and the use of the word "catholic". Many a great mind has put their spin on this word. I have seen the definition of universal. I have seen fullness. And the list goes on. But, what, you may ask, does the Catholic Church mean with she uses the term "catholic"? One must look no further than the Catechism.

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830 The word "catholic" means "universal," in the sense of "according to the totality" or "in keeping with the whole." The Church is catholic in a double sense:
First, the Church is catholic because Christ is present in her. "Where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Catholic Church." In her subsists the fullness of Christ's body united with its head; this implies that she receives from him "the fullness of the means of salvation" which he has willed: correct and complete confession of faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession. The Church was, in this fundamental sense, catholic on the day of Pentecost and will always be so until the day of the Parousia.

831 Secondly, the Church is catholic because she has been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the human race:
All men are called to belong to the new People of God. This People, therefore, while remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the design of God's will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally gathered together as one. . . . The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit.
************

The second part of this definition is extremely important to me. 830 can be seen as exclusive. The Church is "catholic" meaning universal or complete or full, but if it is thus without calling all men to herself, then it CANNOT be "catholic". This is an important part of what it means to be "catholic". The Church does what has been done by holy men down through the ages and what Christ says he will do, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself," John 32:12. This is the purpose of the Catholic Church. This is what it means to be Catholic. To seek ALL men (and women) and bring them to Christ. This is the mission of each individual Christian, as well. If we leave out this important part to the definition of "catholic" we have missed the meaning of the word.

2006 Martin Family Review

Merry Christmas to all.

This has been a very turbulent year for us, but it has been a very good year because we returned back to the homeland.

In January, of course, we were simply devastated still from losing our precious son Noah, and from dealing with Amanda's injuries. We decided that we wanted to move home. We wanted to be closer to Noah and where he was placed, but we also decided that we wanted a simplier life than living in larger cities such as Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. So, I left my work as an Operations Manager and gained employment with Oncology Supply in Dothan, AL. I was hired as an inventory clerk and my responsibilities include approving and processing all returns, writing up credits, and helping with other inventory matters. OSC is an EXCELLENT company with great benefits. I am truly blessed to work at such a good company and with such competent, caring people.

Amanda is healing from her many wounds and is doing quite well. She, like me, still misses Noah and it is something that we will never get over... it is a situation you live with and work through and she is doing very well with it. Amanda is also settling in to small town life since this is the smallest place she has ever lived. It has been an adjustment particularly with things closing so early and crazy small town rules like the Post Office closing at noon on Thursdays and at 11:30 AM on Saturdays. We are getting deeper and deeper into homeschooling and Amanda is handling it very well. I am very proud of her and to be married to her... she truly is my steel magnolia.

Micah is 6 now and is growing. He has lost numerous teeth and has more coming in. He is learning to read and is starting to write pretty well. He is coloring in the lines pretty well, too. He played T-ball in the summer and is now practicing for basketball. He is extremely excited about that. He is such a joy to be around, just a happy-go-lucky kind of kid (<-like his mom) who LOVES to talk. Guess he gets that from his old man.

Jillian is now 4 and is really growing up. She is still my little girl, but she is definitely maturing. She is learning alot through Micah being homeschooled. She knows her ABC's and can count to 20 in English and could count to 10 in Spainish. She is spunky and doesn't give an inch. She also loves to talk, like her old man. She has been in dance this year and has just started cheerleading practice for the Upward basketball league.

We are a truly blessed family! We will soon be moving to some of my family land where we hope to build a house in the future.

Here's hoping that Santa brings you everything you ask for and praying for God's blessings on you for the coming year.



Merry Christmas!

The Martins

Anthropologist Foresees a Christian Renaissance

"Ideologies Are Virtually Deceased," Says René Girard

ROME, DEC. 17, 2006 (Zenit.org).- French anthropologist René Girard,
one of the most influential intellectuals of contemporary culture,
thinks that a Christian Renaissance lies ahead.

In a book published recently in Italian, "Verità o fede debole.
Dialogo su cristianesimo e relativismo" (Truth or Weak Faith:
Dialogue on Christianity and Relativism), the anthropologist states
that "we will live in a world that will seem and be as Christian as
today it seems scientific."

Girard, recently elected to be one of the 40 "immortals" of the
French Academy, said: "I believe we are on the eve of a revolution in
our culture that will go beyond any expectation, and that the world
is heading toward a change in respect of which the Renaissance will
seem like nothing."

The text published by Transeuropa, is the result of 10 years of
meetings between the French thinker and Italian professor Gianni
Vattimo, theorist of so-called weak thought, on topics such as faith,
secularism, Christian roots, the role of the Gospel message in the
history of humanity, relativism, the problem of violence, and the
challenge of reason.

The book presents specifically to the general public the
transcription of three unpublished conferences in which the two
authors challenge each other on the most radical points of their
thought.

New need

In the book, the French professor states that "religion conquers
philosophy and surpasses it.
PHILOSOPHIES IN FACT ARE ALMOST DEAD. IDEALOGIES ARE VIRTUALLY
DECEASES; POLITICAL THEORIES ARE ALMOST ALTOGETHER SPENT. Confidence
in the fact that science can replace religion has already been
surmounted. THERE IS IN THE WORLD A NEW NEED FOR RELIGION."

In regard to moral relativism, defended by Vattimo, René Girard
writes: "I cannot be a relativist" because "I think the relativism of
our time is the product of the failure of modern anthropology, of the
attempt to resolve problems linked to the diversity of human
cultures.

"ANTHROPOLOGY HAS FAILED because it has not succeeded in explaining
the different human cultures as a unitary phenomenon, and that is why
we are bogged down in relativism.

"In my opinion, Christianity proposes a solution to these problems
precisely because it demonstrates that the obstacles, the limits that
individuals put on one another serve to avoid a certain type of
conflicts."

The French academic continues: "IF IT WAS REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT
JESUS IS THE UNIVERSAL VICTIM WHO CAME PRECISELY TO SURMOUNT THESE
CONFLICTS, THE PROBLEM WOULD BE SOLVED."

According to the anthropologist, "Christianity is a revelation of
love" but also "a revelation of truth" because "in Christianity,
truth and love coincide and are one and the same."

CHRISTIAN TRUTH

The "concept of love," which in Christianity is "the rehabilitation
of the unjustly accused victim, is truth itself; it is the
anthropological truth and the Christian truth," explains Girard.

In the face of Vattimo's appeals to justify abortion and euthanasia
as well as homosexual relations, the French professor stresses
that "there is a realm of human conduct that Vattimo has not
mentioned: morality." Girard goes on to explain that "understood in
the Ten Commandments is a notion of morality," in which the notion of
charity is implicit.

Girard then answers Vattimo, who suggests a "hedonist Christianity."

"If we let ourselves go, abandoning all scruples, the possibility
exists that each one will end up doing what he wants," writes Girard.

The French anthropologist criticizes the "politically correct world"
which considers "the Judeo-Christian tradition as the only impure
tradition, whereas all the others are exempt from any possible
criticism."

Girard reminds the defenders of the politically correct that "the
Christian religion cannot even be mentioned in certain environments,
or one can speak of it only to keep it under control, to confine it,
making one believe that it is the first and only factor responsible
for the horror the present world is going through."

As regards moral nihilism, which seem to permeate modern society,
Girard concludes that "instead of approaching any form of nihilism,
stating that no truth exists as certain philosophers do," we
must "return to anthropology, to psychology and study human relations
better than we have done up to now."