2012 PBLC Advent Reflections
2012 Advent Reflections written by the members of the Precious Blood Communities are available for downloading.
2012 Advent Reflections written by the members of the Precious Blood Communities are available for downloading.
The mystery of Christ's Blood is very rich in meaning and it is important to discover its contribution to each area of the Church's pastoral activity. This Seminar provides us with the opportunity to deepen the theme of the spirituality of the Precious Blood in the specific field of catholic education.
Dear Jesus, Before you went to Heaven, you promised that you would send us the Holy Spirit. Today we give special THANKS for the GIFT of the Holy Spirit to the Church, to us. Help us to listen always to the Spirit in our lives. We pray this as we make the sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear God, we believe that you made us in your image to be like you. We believe that you sent Jesus to us to show us how to live and how to be happy. We believe that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with us always and help us to be like you. Thank you, God. Thank you very much! Amen.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for the awesome gift of the Holy Spirit! Please help us to recognize the Holy Spirit, listen with all our hearts, feel your love and hear your directions. In your name we pray.
Amen
Prayer: Loving God, we praise and thank you For the newness we see all around us in nature: Trees and grass are green again; The sun has kissed plants and now flowers are blossoming. May your Risen Son, Jesus Christ, Hug our hearts and help us bloom with newness, too. AMEN.
OPENING PRAYER: Loving God, we trust in your peace when bad things happen. May we be filled with the joy of your Holy Spirit as we follow your son Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Amen
Prayer: Dear Jesus, Please help us to show our love for you by our words and our actions. In Your Name We Pray, AMEN.
"Shame is, according to James Fowler, different from guilt. In guilt, the things I do can be separated from who I am. It can be separated from my worth as a person. I can do something wrong and still think of myself as a good or worthy person. Shame, however, is about who I am. It is about others seeing me as who I am. Shame is about being exposed to others, or to myself, as being defective, lacking or inadequate. In shame we feel our deficiencies are out there for all to see." (Brief article with reflection questions)
"There are in Sacred Scripture any number of passages that could be invoked as a job description for those who wish to be followers of Jesus. One that seems the Gospel of Luke, 9: 2–3. In this passage, Jesus tells his apostles three things: they are to proclaim the Good News of God’s arriving kingdom, they are to be healers, and they are to be unencumbered. Perhaps by a priority of nature, unencumbered comes first, then healing (for words without action are not credible and convincing) and finally proclamation of the Word." (Brief article with reflection questions)
“So often when we reflect upon the birth of Jesus we reflect upon Mary’s response to God’s plan. While this was present in the movie, we were encouraged to spend some time with Joseph, the husband of Mary, and to see him as a model for our call to selfless giving and reconciliation of head and heart.” (Brief article with reflection questions)
“At the time, my patience was worn as thin as a razor’s edge. But later the experience of waiting at the gate offered an Advent lesson—one that has less to do with patience and more to do with hope.” (Brief article with reflection questions)
This booklet is a discernment journal for those who are interested in learning more about the Lay Associates of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. The content of the booklet can also be used for personal reflection and small group reflection providing study chapters on the life of St. Gaspar, the spirituality of the cup, and the cross, as well as reflections on the spirituality of covenant.
The Discernment Journal is a tool that is used in vocational discernment for those who are interested in learning more about the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. The journal can also be used for personal reflection and enrichment with reflections modules that look at the life of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, a description of a Society of Apostolic Life as well as three aspects of our Precious Blood Spirituality, namely, The Blood of the covenant, The Blood of the Cross and the Cup of Christ’s Blood.