Communication with Visitors* Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us! January 1, 2004 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (P.S. Jan. 15, 28) Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Happy New Year! Here is a thought to share with our dear readers on the first day of the New Year which happens also to be the greatest Feast Day of Our Heavenly Mother! Originated through creation from the Uncreated Family (analogically speaking) of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, every human person in the deepest core of his or her very being does desire --- consciously, subconsciously, or unconsciously --- to belong forever and ever in love to the Father who is the Uncreated Origin of all origins. Indeed, it is also from the Father, in the uncreated dimension, that the Son is eternally generated and the Holy Spirit is eternally spirated. "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are" (1Jn 3:1). In this sense, the process of Salvation is also the process of Fatherization, or Childrenization of the Father, in which all human beings without exception are called to become the adopted sons and daughters of the Father (cf. Gal. 4: 4-7). Inextricably, as Christ has given us not only His Father but also His Mother, this process of Familization involves also the intimate process of Motherization, insofar as the Mother of God, the Theotokos (Greek for "bearer of God"), is also called by Christ and subsequently His Mystical Body the Church to become Our Heavenly Mother, the bearer, intercessor, and protector of all His dear adopted brothers and sisters (cf. the second part of Hail Mary). Calling Our Lady "Our Heavenly Mother, Mom, Ma Ma, Mammie, etc.", now on earth or later in Heaven, is therefore a great privilege and joy, as well as an unavoidable part of our destiny personally designed by the Most Holy Trinity, unless we were going to spend the rest of eternity in Hell which is very much anti-Father (or anti-Fatherization), anti-Christ (or anti-Christification), anti-Holy-Spirit (or anti-Holy-Spiritualization), anti-Family (or anti-Familization), as well as anti-Mother (or anti-Motherization), etc. Undeniably, many of these processes, such as Fatherization, Christification, Holy-Spiritualization, and Familization, have been made possible to countless individual souls only through Motherization, as what have happened through Lourdes, Fatima, and even Medjugorje, etc. Praise be to Christ God the Son, and His Mother the Theotokos who is given to us as Our Heavenly Mother! Yours sincerely in Christ and Our Heavenly Mother, Editor P.S. (Jan. 15) Today the Pope highlights "the Family as Key to Civilization of Love" (cf. Zenit: ZE04011502). If so, one may also link these important concepts to their uncreated dimension, e.g., the Uncreated Family (i.e., the Uncreated Holy Trinity) as the uncreated key to the uncreated civilization of uncreated love. Praise God, the Most Holy Trinity and the Uncreated Family, without Whom no true key to any civilization of love is possible! Alleluia! P.S. (Jan. 28) Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas Zeroing in on the external surface of things, this world [or universe] may often appear quite chaotic and imperfect. However, when we focus on its very uncreated essential foundation, the whole creation everywhere is indescribably permeated by God's intrinsic omnipresence, bubbling over ceaselessly with God's awesome perfections in terms of God's infinite life, love, light, joy, peace, wisdom, and glory, etc. Our sacred duty, i.e., the obligation noble of each conscious being, is, therefore, to help many come to understand, activate, and participate more and more in such an unmistakable, overwhelming inner reality. One may say that this is exactly what God the Father has been trying to do through Christ and the Holy Spirit, as well as through Our Heavenly Mother, the Church, all the sacraments, prayers, and activities, including countless Christian (and even non-Christian) teachers and writers, clergy and lay, etc., directly and indirectly, to varying extents. Praise God! * Fr. Michael Lapierre, S.J., the editor John Cheng and assistant editor Tony Ercolani are currently taking part in this monthly column. While the latter (John and Tony) is writing in January, March, and May, etc., the former is doing so in February, April and June, etc. As usual, we take July and August as our summer holidays. The background hymn is a version of "Immaculate Mary". Thank you. ** By the way, we are happy to announce that Tony Ercolani will be helping the present website as the new assistant editor, effective at the beginning of 2004. Praise God! *** Happy New Year again to our visitors with more than one New Year to celebrate this month! **** Just as the editor seemed a bit reticent or reserved at the beginning of writing in this column many years ago, so does our assistant editor for the moment. As all of us need encouragement once in a while, perhaps we can quote Tom Cruise from a recent movie: "A man does what he can till his destiny is revealed." Alleluia!
January 1, 2004 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (P.S. Jan. 15, 28)
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Happy New Year! Here is a thought to share with our dear readers on the first day of the New Year which happens also to be the greatest Feast Day of Our Heavenly Mother!
Originated through creation from the Uncreated Family (analogically speaking) of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, every human person in the deepest core of his or her very being does desire --- consciously, subconsciously, or unconsciously --- to belong forever and ever in love to the Father who is the Uncreated Origin of all origins. Indeed, it is also from the Father, in the uncreated dimension, that the Son is eternally generated and the Holy Spirit is eternally spirated.
"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are" (1Jn 3:1). In this sense, the process of Salvation is also the process of Fatherization, or Childrenization of the Father, in which all human beings without exception are called to become the adopted sons and daughters of the Father (cf. Gal. 4: 4-7). Inextricably, as Christ has given us not only His Father but also His Mother, this process of Familization involves also the intimate process of Motherization, insofar as the Mother of God, the Theotokos (Greek for "bearer of God"), is also called by Christ and subsequently His Mystical Body the Church to become Our Heavenly Mother, the bearer, intercessor, and protector of all His dear adopted brothers and sisters (cf. the second part of Hail Mary).
Calling Our Lady "Our Heavenly Mother, Mom, Ma Ma, Mammie, etc.", now on earth or later in Heaven, is therefore a great privilege and joy, as well as an unavoidable part of our destiny personally designed by the Most Holy Trinity, unless we were going to spend the rest of eternity in Hell which is very much anti-Father (or anti-Fatherization), anti-Christ (or anti-Christification), anti-Holy-Spirit (or anti-Holy-Spiritualization), anti-Family (or anti-Familization), as well as anti-Mother (or anti-Motherization), etc. Undeniably, many of these processes, such as Fatherization, Christification, Holy-Spiritualization, and Familization, have been made possible to countless individual souls only through Motherization, as what have happened through Lourdes, Fatima, and even Medjugorje, etc.
Praise be to Christ God the Son, and His Mother the Theotokos who is given to us as Our Heavenly Mother!
Yours sincerely in Christ and Our Heavenly Mother,
Editor
P.S. (Jan. 15)
Today the Pope highlights "the Family as Key to Civilization of Love" (cf. Zenit: ZE04011502). If so, one may also link these important concepts to their uncreated dimension, e.g., the Uncreated Family (i.e., the Uncreated Holy Trinity) as the uncreated key to the uncreated civilization of uncreated love. Praise God, the Most Holy Trinity and the Uncreated Family, without Whom no true key to any civilization of love is possible! Alleluia!
P.S. (Jan. 28) Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas
Zeroing in on the external surface of things, this world [or universe] may often appear quite chaotic and imperfect. However, when we focus on its very uncreated essential foundation, the whole creation everywhere is indescribably permeated by God's intrinsic omnipresence, bubbling over ceaselessly with God's awesome perfections in terms of God's infinite life, love, light, joy, peace, wisdom, and glory, etc. Our sacred duty, i.e., the obligation noble of each conscious being, is, therefore, to help many come to understand, activate, and participate more and more in such an unmistakable, overwhelming inner reality. One may say that this is exactly what God the Father has been trying to do through Christ and the Holy Spirit, as well as through Our Heavenly Mother, the Church, all the sacraments, prayers, and activities, including countless Christian (and even non-Christian) teachers and writers, clergy and lay, etc., directly and indirectly, to varying extents. Praise God!
* Fr. Michael Lapierre, S.J., the editor John Cheng and assistant editor Tony Ercolani are currently taking part in this monthly column. While the latter (John and Tony) is writing in January, March, and May, etc., the former is doing so in February, April and June, etc. As usual, we take July and August as our summer holidays. The background hymn is a version of "Immaculate Mary". Thank you.
** By the way, we are happy to announce that Tony Ercolani will be helping the present website as the new assistant editor, effective at the beginning of 2004. Praise God! *** Happy New Year again to our visitors with more than one New Year to celebrate this month!
**** Just as the editor seemed a bit reticent or reserved at the beginning of writing in this column many years ago, so does our assistant editor for the moment. As all of us need encouragement once in a while, perhaps we can quote Tom Cruise from a recent movie: "A man does what he can till his destiny is revealed." Alleluia!