Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

Why do so many people go to Mass on Christmas?  Because no one wants to miss the opportunity to share in the Good News that a Savior has been born for us to save us from our sins. That’s really good news and gives everyone hope.

Christmas is the only celebration of the year that has four different sets of prayers and readings for the four different Masses: Christmas Eve Vigil Mass in the early evening; Midnight Mass, or Mass of the Angels; Mass at Dawn, or Mass of the Shepherds; and Mass during the Day, or Mass of the King.

Last Christmas I celebrated Christmas Mass in the cave of the Shepherds in Bethlehem on Christmas Morning. We sang “Joy to the World” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”, and the Gloria from the Missa de Angelis. Unforgettable.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

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St. Emeric’s Church on the near west side of Cleveland would leave the beautiful Christmas decorations up until February 2, a full forty days after Christmas.

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky, with another Advent Inspiration.

The Christmas decorations inside of St. Emeric’s Catholic Church were so beautiful, so ornate, so elaborate, I figured “Well if it took so much time to put them up, you might as well leave them up for a long time.” But then I discovered that some people – especially from Eastern European countries — stretch out the Christmas season all the way to February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple, also known as Candlemas, because your holy candles can be blessed that day.

For Catholics, the official Christmas season starts at sundown on Christmas Eve and lasts until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which is on the Sunday after Epiphany.  Epiphany is when the Three Kings came to adore the Christ Child, and that is “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

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Does your family have Christmas traditions?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

I think every family should have its own Christmas traditions, passed down from generation to generation. It’s one way of fulfilling the Fourth Commandment, “To honor your mother and father.”

I have some friends who still keep alive a family tradition after many generations.  Every year on Christmas Eve they invite friends and family over to their house for a wonderful party, and everyone brings along a favorite dish. It’s a great moment to reconnect with friends and family you haven’t seen in a year and catch up on the news. But the highlight is when everyone gathers in the living room around the piano to sing Christmas carols, and the all-time favorite in this family is Silent Night, because their ancestors came from Germany and Silent Night was composed originally in German.

We sing all the verses in English, and then do our best in German, as we reflect in wonder and awe of what it must have been like to leave Germany 170 years ago to start a new life in America. After all these generations, are we keeping the faith?

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

I remember how the crowds rejoiced and cheered when the helicopter carrying St. John Paul II approached the stadium.

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

It was World Youth Day in Denver in 1993, and Mile High Stadium was overflowing with young people. Suddenly, on the far side of the stadium, the pope’s helicopter appeared and the crowd roared with rejoicing.  But we still had to wait a little time until the Pope actually appeared in the stadium.

That’s what the Third Sunday of Advent is like. We call it “Gaudete Sunday” because we rejoice that Christ is about to be here. But we still have to wait a week or so. That final week of preparation is really important:  we still have time to go to Confession, to put up the Christmas decorations, to give alms to the poor, or help decorate your Church.

Christmas day will soon be here.  Jesus Christ is coming.  How will you prepare?

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

Do you know what a manger is?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

When Christ was born, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.

But what is a manger? A manger is a wooden implement you’d find in a barn where hay is placed so the cows can eat it. The word “manger” is closely related to the Italian verb “to eat”, mangiare.

That Jesus Christ was placed in a manger is a foreshadowing that one day we would actually eat Jesus Christ. And that is what we do whenever we receive Holy Communion: we eat the Body and Blood of Christ. Now, we’re not cannibals. To understand this, think of the young mother holding her tender child and kissing the child saying, “Oh, I love you so much I could just eat you up.” Well, that’s what we do with Jesus Christ.

Remember to be well prepared when you receive Holy Communion. You should be in a state of grace, having kept the one hour fast from food and beverage, and be a practicing Catholic.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

What do you call it?  The Nativity scene?  The manger? Or the crèche?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

No matter what you call it, you have to have one inside the house and outdoors on your front lawn to remind all passersby what Christmas is all about. When you go to your Church on Christmas day, you will most likely see a magnificent Nativity scene with Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, a cow, an ox, a donkey, a sheep, some shepherds, angels and even Wise Men.

In Italy, the churches compete to see who can create the most magnificent Nativity scene, and some are quite elaborate. Yes, it takes time to unpack the pieces and put it up, but all the while your imagination and your heart enter into the scene and you wonder what it must have been like in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago when the Christ child was born. We would always leave the manger empty, until Christmas Eve, and then we would put the Christ Child there.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

How much stuff can you put in a Christmas stocking?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

We used to hang the red and white stockings above the chimney with care on Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning they were overflowing with treats! The amount of goodies you can put in a Christmas stocking is directly proportional to the size and strength of the stocking and the strength of the rope that stretched from one side of the fireplace mantle to the other. In later years, we substituted rope for steel cable.

The stockings would be filled with “fruits for the fruity and nuts for the nutty” and if we heard that line from my father once, we heard it a thousand times. But it never got old.  But there was more: Circus peanuts, gold coins filled with chocolate, a crisp dollar bill in an envelope from my gramma, a wooden paddle with a rubber ball on the end of a rubber band, Jujubes and Juicy Fruits, Bazooka gum, a whistle and a squirt gun and a pack of cards, a pair of socks and a handkerchief, all put there by Santa’s elves we were told. But we knew better.  Those good gifts came from Jesus Christ, because it was His birthday.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

How do we know Jesus was born on December 25^th?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

Everyone knows that Christ was born on Christmas Day, December 25^th, but how do we know that? That’s an important and fascinating question, and I’ve spent the past twenty years searching for the answer, reading just about everything on the subject. We know for sure that Mary and Joseph knew the day Jesus was born because they were there. I am sure they told Jesus the day he was born just as our parents told us, and the Apostles would have learned that from Mary or Jesus or both.

But the first time December 25^th shows up in any written record is 350 AD, so either written records were lost for 300 years, or that important information was passed on by word of mouth by the early Christians. It is also very fitting that Jesus Christ was born on the day the Ancient Romans regarded as the Winter Solstice (although by that time the calendar was off by four days) because with the Winter Solstice the days start getting longer and more light comes into the world.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches!

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

Everyone loves a Christmas tree, and no two trees are the same. Growing up in my family we would put up the tree around December 13, the Feast of Santa Lucia and the ancient festival of lights. Sometimes we’d go and cut it down, other times we’d go with our father and buy it from the local Boy Scout Troop, and we’d get extra greens for the nativity scenes both inside and out. We’d get the best one we could find and tall enough to reach the ceiling.

The Christmas tree tradition started in northern Europe but is now universal. It’s always some type of evergreen tree, symbolic of the new and eternal life of the Christ child. The lights on the tree represent the light and hope of Christ; the ornaments represent the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit found in the soul united to Christ, and the star on top of the tree represents the Star of David that led the Three Kings from the East to Bethlehem.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

Do you have a favorite Christmas carol?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

There must be hundreds of Christmas carols, from many countries and in many languages. St. Josemaría’s favorite is in Spanish, and it’s based on a beautiful medieval tradition of providing shelter for the homeless at Christmastime. It’s called “Madre en la puerta hay un niño” which means “Mom, there’s a kid at the door.”

A little boy, more beautiful than the shining sun, knocks on the door and says he’s freezing cold because he’s dressed in rags. The mother says, “Let him in and he can warm up by the fire place, because these days there’s no more love in the world.” The mother asks him where he’s from, and he says, “Well, my father’s from heaven and so is my mother, and I’ve come down to earth to suffer!” It turns out, he is the Christ Child!

When we provide shelter for the homeless, we are providing a home for Jesus Christ himself.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

Somebody asked me, “Father, what’s your favorite Christmas cookie?”

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

Hmmm … what’s my favorite Christmas cookie? Now, that’s a hard one because there’s so many to choose from. And the very thought of it reminds me of the kitchen in the home I grew up in with my mother wearing an apron and putting tin tray after tin tray of Christmas cookies into the oven. And that rich, sweet smell was all over the house – especially upstairs because heat rises!

She started baking those cookies on December 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas, and kept at it until Christmas Eve. But by the time Christmas Day arrived, they were all gone. The 8 Hoffman children had eaten them all! I suppose we should have called them “Advent Cookies” because they didn’t make it to Christmas.

So what’s my favorite Christmas cookie?  The one I just ate.

I wonder what Fr. Simon’s favorite Christmas cookie is?

And what’s yours?

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

What’s the best Christmas gift you ever got?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

I’m a very lucky guy, and I have received many wonderful Christmas gifts over the years, but the ones that brought me the most joy weren’t the ones I got, but the ones I gave.  I think you know what I mean.

Think about it for a moment. Is there someone in your life –  a relative, a parent, a brother, a sister, a child, a neighbor, a co-worker, a spouse –  who is missing you? Who is lonely?  Can you call them? Can you visit them? Can you send them a Christmas card? Can you forgive them? Can you overcome your fear, stop grinding the axe and bury the hatchet? Just remember those golden words, “For it is in giving that we receive.”

This Christmas, go ahead and splurge and give of your time, your heart, and your affection, just like Jesus did when he came to earth to save us from our sins and to save us from ourselves 2,000 years ago. And you will have a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

Jolly Old St. Nicholas, lean your ear this way!

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

December 6^th is the Feast of St. Nicholas. You know who he is, don’t you? That’s St. Nicholas of Bari, a small town on the Adriatic Coast of Italy. Some of his relics are in a Church there, but he served as a Bishop in Armenia and was very generous with the poor, secretly giving away money and food for the needy, and most people never knew where it came from. Today we call him Santa Claus, and when we are generous with the poor, we are really living the Christmas spirit.

When I was a kid, we left our shoes outside our bedroom before we went to bed the night before St. Nicholas Day and when we awoke, we’d find our shoes stuffed with goodies, including chocolate marshmallows, Hershey Kisses, and a yo-yo.  We knew it wasn’t Christmas yet, but this was a warm-up to the actual day, and we just couldn’t wait. One year, when we woke up on St. Nicholas Day, we looked outside and it had snowed five inches the night before.  It was the first snow of the season and we were really excited!

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

Send a Christmas card, get a Christmas card. Or is it the other way around? Get a Christmas card, send a Christmas card?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

Everyone loves to get a Christmas card, especially these days when so much communication is electronic. But a real card, in your own handwriting, with a stamp you licked yourself, and a short message of affection can bring so much joy to folks who might otherwise feel forgotten at Christmastime. Well, that’s a real Christian thing to do. Personally, I like all Christmas cards. But my favorites, I have to admit, say “Merry Christmas” on the inside and have some reference to the birth of Christ.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like Frosty, Rudolph, Suzie, and Donner and Blitzen, but they didn’t save the world or die on a cross for you and me. Remember, if you’re not ashamed of Jesus, he won’t be ashamed of you either!

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

How many Christmas ornaments can you put on a tree?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

The number of Christmas ornaments you can put on a tree is directly proportional to the size of the tree, the number of the branches, the size of the ornaments, the time you have available, and your determination. If you’ve been paying attention, that’s a five-variable formula, so the possibilities are huge. It also depends on how many ornaments you have.

Personally, I like all of the ornaments, and the tinsel, and the garlands, and the lights, and the candy canes. But the ornaments I like best commemorate some great occasion. Like Billy and Kerry’s wedding in 2008, or the year the Cubs won the World Series, or the Canonization of St. John Paul II, or the one my sister made by hand when she was a child, or the one of the manger in Bethlehem made out of olive wood that I bought in the Holy Land one Christmas.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

Have you noticed that the seasons of Advent and Lent have something in common?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

That’s right, Advent and Lent have something in common. Both are seasons of spiritual preparation for a big event: Advent prepares us for the birth of Christ on Christmas, and Lent prepares us for the Death and Resurrection of Christ on Easter.

Just like if you run a marathon, you have to get in shape weeks before, we have to get in shape spiritually for these two momentous feast days. It’s not yet the time for celebration; it’s a time of preparation. That’s why the vestments used at Mass during Advent and Lent are violet in color, and not white; that’s why we don’t sing or recite the Gloria at Mass during Advent and Lent, and the music in the liturgy is sober and simple, and altars are not decorated with flowers, and everyone is encouraged to fast and go to Confession and do some penance in preparation for Christmas.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

How many candles are on an Advent Wreath?  Four.

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

There are four candles on an Advent Wreath, one for each Sunday in Advent.  Usually, three of the candles are purple and one is rose, and that’s the one for the Third Week of Advent, known as “Gaudete Sunday” – which is the Latin word for “rejoice”. On the Third Sunday of Advent, the priest can wear rose-colored vestments at Mass.

Growing up in my family, we placed the Advent Wreath on the dining room table and would light the candles during dinner each evening.  By the time we reached the fourth week of Advent and all four candles were glowing, we knew Christmas was almost here!

The evergreen leaves that make up the wreath symbolize eternal life by sanctifying grace and the light of the candles represents the light of Christ who brings hope to all who approach Him. On Christmas Day a fifth candle, a large white one, can be placed in the center and burns brightly during the entire Christmas Octave, and that’s why we call it the Christ light.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

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I’m happy to join you on this first day of Advent. The purpose of these daily audio clips is to inspire you and help you to prepare your heart during this beautiful Season of Advent.

If you want to have a very Merry Christmas, it starts right now by making it a great Advent!

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with an Advent Inspiration just for you!

St. John the Baptist prepared people for the coming of Christ by calling them to conversion and repentance. Christ is coming again, this year on Christmas Day. So if you want to have a very Merry Christmas, it begins right now in Advent with personal conversion and repentance.

If you go to Confession before Christmas – and make it a really good Confession by not hiding any sins, and being truly sorry – then you will have a very Merry Christmas because the Sacrament of Confession is the Sacrament of Joy.   I know it from personal experience. There is nothing better in the world than to be in the state of grace!

If you need any help going to Confession, just go to the Relevant Radio App, and you’ll find the Confession Helper under the prayer menu on the right side.

And if you can’t remember any of your sins, just ask the people you live or work with, and they’ll tell you.

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