Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4-7)

In the Second Reading from today?s Mass, St. Paul has a clear message for us:

What should we do? Rejoice!
How often? Always!
Why? Because the Lord is Near!

I?m sure that some of you may be thinking that it?s easy for Paul to talk about rejoicing ? he didn?t have MY problems. That may be true, but he had his own problems. In fact, he wrote these words from PRISON! I guess that if Paul can rejoice from a jail cell, we can try to rejoice despite the many problems that we face in our daily lives, don?t you think? I believe that the secret is to remember that no matter what problem we are dealing with, the Lord IS near! He will not abandon us and that is a comforting thought.

Don?t think for a minute that I find this advice easy. I struggle with this issue every day. However, continuing on with the above passage reveals some advice for how to deal with this situation. We need to make our requests known to God by prayer and petition?with thanksgiving! No matter what we are facing, there is a reason that the Lord allows it to happen and it will be best for us in the long run. For that, no matter how difficult, we should try to be thankful. Eventually, if we truly learn to let go and trust God, His peace (which surpasses all understanding) will fill our hearts.

Why not give it a try? The only thing you have to lose is your misery!

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception in recognition of Mary being conceived without the stain of original sin. When I read the gospel from today?s Mass (Luke 1:26-38), a single word jumps off the page and screams out to me?

Mary trusted that God could do the impossible. She was asked to consent to a virginal motherhood, while only being told that it would take place ?by the power of the Holy Spirit?. While that explanation wouldn?t be enough for most of us, it was sufficient for Our Lady. Why? Because she trusted in the Father’s Will.

Is there something in your life that ?doesn?t make sense?? Are you being asked to carry a heavy cross? Problems such as unemployment, illness and loneliness are very difficult, but they are not impossible for God. Turn to Mary and ask her to intercede for you?not only for an end to these situations, but also for the grace to endure them for as long as God wills. Mary trusted in God even when common sense should have told her otherwise?Can you say the same?

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

In the Second Reading from today?s Mass, St. Paul does a great job summarizing what Advent, and our entire life, should be about: learning what is important and living our lives accordingly. If we follow his advice, we will be ready to meet Jesus?not only on Christmas Day, but when our life on earth is over.

Today is the last day of the liturgical year and the Gospel reading focuses on our final judgment and the need to be prepared:

Jesus said to his disciples: ?Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.? (Lk 21:34-36)

Out of everyone who reads this blog, one of us will be next to die and be judged by the Lord. Are you ready? If not, the season of Advent begins tomorrow and it is given to us so that we can ?be ready?. Let?s not miss the opportunity!

On this day 15 years ago, I was blessed to marry my beautiful wife, Eileen. At the time of our wedding, I was 35 years old and had pretty much assumed that I would remain single. I had very high standards and didn?t think anyone could meet them. I also dated very infrequently and didn?t have a lot of confidence around women. I prayed constantly to meet a woman with whom I could start a family, but it started to seem that God wanted me to remain single. I began to embrace my Catholic Faith more and even asked the Lord if he was calling me to the priesthood, but I didn?t receive a positive response. Miraculously, the Lord sent Eileen to me one day, although not without some complications. She was involved in another relationship and I questioned why the Lord would let me meet someone who was so perfect, yet unavailable.

However, the Lord specializes in the miraculous and often calls us to trust even when it doesn?t make sense. Eileen and I became great friends and I discovered that she was in the process of ending the previous relationship. We both knew that we were meant for each other and eventually began dating. After only a few months we knew that we should be together and got engaged. Less than a year later, we were standing before God at St. John Neumann parish in Mt. Laurel, NJ proclaiming our marriage vows. Despite some infertility issues and some very serious pregnancy issues, the Lord has blessed us with two very visible signs of the love that Eileen and I have for each other ?our 12 year old twins, Mary and Elizabeth.

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am very grateful for the gift of my precious wife. She is a woman of strong faith and has helped me to grow much closer to Our Lord. Together, we travel the road which will hopefully lead us to the Lord in heaven. I can never fully express to her my appreciation for giving up her own career aspirations in order to be a stay at home Mom and raise our family. Eileen is incredibly supportive of my work with The Catholic Truth and gives me the encouragement to keep going when it gets difficult. She is my hero and I want everyone to know how much I love her.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart?I Love You!!!