And on a personal note from lstar8—“Merry Christmas everyone!” To those here now, and those who are to come tomorrow.
Anyone who is remotely in touch with reality, which, if you are here and are reading this you must already be, can not deny that Christmas is not generally an experience where authentic self-less love is reciprocated or now actually possible in most souls. And those who know it ( what is an authentic expression of Love) suffer bitterly at this painful awareness, whereas those who avoid it, intentional or not, suffer, actually more, though they may be spiritually dead but they are the ones generally manufacturing more or less a post Christian pagan ritual of a cultural celebration or party without God. This increased phenomena globally, and now is perhaps at it’s climax, as Father stated, kills the heart. And with so many hearts dying or dead, the Light is dimmed which increases the acuteness of the pain for those who intimately know Him. Also this is due to the conflict we experience from the increased expectations that accompany and have now sadly imprisoned “Christmas”.
But, not to fear, the Father Himself promises and is in fact within His own children, in a powerful and intimate way, which guarantees a soul can have an authentic Christmas Season in His Love, Peace and Joy. It must be in His Will though and perhaps accompanied with suffering for those who are alone, and even persecuted in this experience, as sadly, the Light is rejected by the World and the worldly therein. Then we can echo with St. Joseph and Mary on their flight to Egypt, “It does not matter. We have Jesus. And in Him, I have Everything.” The graces that God is pouring out as never before if only one is totally willing ( I do not say capable but willing… God only needs our intent, our will to surrender all to Him and He will do the rest ) allow Him to transform us into His Image and likeness and over time, becoming spiritual beings so that His Presence in us allows for governance over our human frailty and passions so they no longer dominate our physical and emotional lives. Hence the title of the Father’s messages: Seeing With the Eyes of the Soul. Because, Father means to bring us precisely into this state of being so we can be lifted from the present darkness and traumatic sufferings of the Tribulation and endure through it unharmed until we are safely carried into the promised Era of Peace. Seeing with the Eyes of the Soul ensures this.
In my personal experience, Christmas was always extremely painful and in rare moments, exhilarating at the same time due to my keen awareness of what is genuine. And after I knew God after 20 or so, it became my only intent to be free from all that was not “Holy” about Christmas. This is almost impossible. Why?
(1) Tell your senses to ignore “all” the non Christian paraphernalia that occurs on every level of social interaction, then (2) be perfectly healed or at least heroically willing to resist, so you do not experience and or participate in the reaction to messages or awareness of deprivation at the psychological and actual pressures that you are “meant to have more this month” or give “more” than you already do to the best of your ability, to others (including increased sacrifices on all levels as well as increased indulgences which are often at a confusing conflicts some of which are: sugars and foods that are more than likely harmful or purchases that you can not really afford or social interactions or activities that you know separate you from God and are harmful to your spirit)… and (3) pull off planning and securing an actual observance of the Holy Octave of Christmas while limiting the enhancements (nice meal, a few gifts, extra socializing and organizing (cleaning and preparing for social activities etc) to their respective places. |
I think I made my point. I have come to the conclusion, and this will scandalize the majority, but it is my opinion, that in the Era of Peace, Christmas will be very, very, organic. I believe that the Nativity should be our focus and model for every Christmas. And this would order our spirits to be fully open to the outpouring of graces that we are told by Our Lady in Medjugorje I believe, occur more than on any other day of the year. Let us give God His due and tune our spirits to the Gift that this Feast is worthy of. The essence of Christmas being a remembrance through observance, of our Father giving us the Gift of His Son as our Saviour that we may be ransomed and be brought home to our Father. This is ALL that Christmas is about.
And traditionally the Church readings preceding Advent and during all focus on God’s Coming to earth and bringing Peace to men “of Good will” ( no, God does not wish the great and holy gift of His Peace to men of bad will… but rather He wills to reward those who have good will by giving Him the Peace that surpasses all earthly treasures and allows us to experience a foretaste of our true homeland to comfort and make less bitter our exile on earth. The expression : “Good will to men” is a modern incorrect bible translation that, if you think about it, makes no sense that the angel would announce God’s Messiah with these words but rather that God is bringing His Peace to men of good will through the Coming of the Messiah: it is a prophecy of the Christmas Gift from God our Father to us His children! ). Our Roman calender year ends and begins on this glorious event: God is coming to ransom men from their slavery to sin and usher in God’s Kingdom. No small consolation to the meager persecuted remnant who suffer martyrdom waiting for their Deliverer as the Israelite's in Egypt and those living just before Jesus first coming did before them and now who await His imminent return as He has foretold through His modern day prophets.
Our modern culture now tells us that Christmas at its best is about “family” and what they call “love of family and those less fortunate as well”. This seems to be the present consensus of the masses. Though what they do not mention is that family or any individual can not be truly united or loving without the Love that comes from the One True God (having the virtues/characteristics that St. Paul defines as Love... which is actually possible for even ignorant souls who follow the spirit of Grace and Love which urges all souls to the Truth). And only individuals who know and possess His Love have it to give and can give It to others. Only Love has the potential for Unity as it possesses those virtues required which allow for communal oneness. A group of people united on principles devoid of Love are in agreement on principles but not “united” as in sharing a union of their selves or their souls with one another and with Love Itself. This absence of Love allows for many rivals (vices), collectively and individually, that fester divisions and destruction on all levels. The late John Paul the Great warned us of social services and cultures accepting Socialism devoid of authentic charitable acts rooted in Christian Love. He warned us that acts devoid of Love are empty acts in echo of St. Paul who said he could do all kinds of great things, but if he did not do them with God’s love they were nothing and of no value. Hence the misery, abandonment, isolation and affliction that every soul now suffers at the lack of Love, being Loved and giving Love from a heart that knows and possesses God, experiences. Which is precisely why Father is coming.
" The deprivation of My children prepares the world for My coming. " 1/19/97 |
