St. Alphonsus Liguori – Are You Preparing for Christmas in Your Heart?

“The Jews solemnized a day called by them dies ignis, the day of fire with which Nehemias consumed the sacrifice, upon his return with his countrymen from the captivity of Babylon. Even so, and indeed with more reason, should Christmas day be called the day of fire, on which a God came as a little child to cast the fire of love into the hearts of men. ‘I came to cast fire on the earth.’ So spoke Jesus Christ, and truly so it was . . .

It is a custom with many Christians to anticipate the arrival of Christmas . . . by fitting up in their homes a crib to represent the birth of Jesus Christ; but there are few who think of preparing their hearts, so that the infant Jesus may be born in them . . . Among those few, however, we would be reckoned, in order that we too may be made worthy to burn with that happy flame which gives contentment to souls on this earth, and bliss in heaven. Let us consider . . . how the Eternal Word had no other end in becoming man than to inflame us with his divine love. Let us ask light of Jesus Christ and of his most holy mother, and so let us begin.”

– St. Alphonsus Liguori

Last minute gift ideas for Christmas. We recommend and we offer  Priority Mail and FedEx shipping options to get your gifts to you on time!

The Essential Pope Benedict XVI: His Central Writings and Speeches	Common Sense 101: Lessons from G.K. Chesterton   Author: Dale Ahlquist
The Teachings Of The Church Fathers   Author: Fr. John R. Willis, S.J.	Inside the Bible: An Introduction to Each Book of the Bible   Author:  Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J.
Ignatius Catholic Bible, RSV Second Catholic Edition Bonded Leather	A Key to the Doctine of the Eucharist   Author: Abbot Vonier

 

 

Last minute CD gift ideas! Choose Priority Mail or FedEx.

Catholic Marian Classics, CD   The Cathedral Singers, Richard Proulx, Conductor	Sing, Ye Heavens: Hymns for All Time, CD   Author: John Rutter
Noel, CD   Author: Josh Groban	Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina, CD   Sung by the Gloriae Dei Cantores. Directed by Elizabeth C. Patterson

 

 

Last minute DVD gift ideas! Choose Priority Mail or FedEx.

Becket, DVD   Starring Richard Burton, Peter O’Toole, and Sir John Gielgud	Saint Rita DVD   Starring Vittoria Belvedere and Martin Crewes
Saint John Bosco: Mission to Love, DVD	A Man for All Seasons, DVD The Academy Award winning drama about the conflict between St. Thomas More and King Henry VIII.  Starring Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw, and Orson Welles.

Beautiful Catholic jewelry is always a wonderful gift idea. Most of our jewelry is in stock and ready to ship out right away.
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Aquinas and More Catholic Goods Shipping Deadlines. Please consult this chart to receive your purchases before Christmas Day (applies to in
stock items only):

* USPS Standard Shipping Deadline is December 14

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Mary’s virginal motherhood in God’s plan

“The eyes of faith can discover in the context of the whole of Revelation the mysterious reasons why God in his saving plan wanted his Son to be born of a virgin. These reasons touch both on the person of Christ and his redemptive mission, and on the welcome Mary gave that mission on behalf of all men.

Mary’s’ virginity manifests God’s absolute initiative in the Incarnation. Jesus has only God as Father. ‘He was never estranged from the Father because of the human nature which he assumed …. He is naturally Son of the Father as to his divinity and naturally son of his mother as to his humanity, but properly Son of the Father in both natures.’

Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary’s womb because he is the New Adam, who inaugurates the new creation: ‘The first man was from earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.’ From his conception, Christ’s humanity is filled with the Holy Spirit, for God ‘gives him the Spirit without measure.’ From ‘his fullness’ as the head of redeemed humanity ‘we have all received, grace upon grace.”

– Catechism of the Catholic Church 502-504

Beautiful Christmas Ornaments are in stock now! Order today to have them on your Christmas tree this year. Choose Priority Mail or FedEx to receive them in time. . .

 

Baby Jesus in the Manger Christmas Ornament	Pope Benedict XVI Christmas Ornament
Pope John Paul II Christmas Ornament Limited Edition!	Flight to Egypt Pewter Ornament

 

Christmas pins are in stock now! Order yours today and and proudly profess that Christ is at the heart of your Christmas celebration. Choose Priority Mail or FedEx to receive them in time.

Jesus is the Heart of Christmas, Swarovski Pin	Keep Christ in Christmas Swarovski Pin
Celebrate the Gift of Jesus, Swarovski Pin	Jesus is the Reason for the Season, Swarovski Pin

Beautiful, hand-carved olive wood Nativity Sets from the Holy Land are in stock now. These intricately carved small Nativities are made by Christian families in Bethlehem. Choose Priority Mail or FedEx to receive them in time.

Olive Wood Nativity with Bell Tower

Round Base Olive Wood Nativity

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Joy is the True Gift of Christmas

“With the angel’s greeting to Mary – ‘kaire’ in the Greek, which means ‘be joyful’ – the New Testament begins,” he said. “We could say that the first word of the New Testament is ‘be joyful,’ ‘be happy,’ in other words, ‘joy.’ This is the true meaning of Christmas: God is near us, so near that He became a child.”

The Holy Father then highlighted how “we realize that today’s world, where God is absent, is dominated by fear, by uncertainty.” Nonetheless, “the words ‘be joyful because God is with you and with us,’ truly open a new time.”

“Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money. We can communicate this joy simply: with a smile, a kind gesture, a little help, forgiveness. And the joy we give will certainly come back to us.…Let us pray that this presence of the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives.”

– Pope Benedict XVI commenting on the scene of the Annunciation, as recounted in the Gospel of St. Luke, during his homily for the fourth Sunday of Advent in 2006.

What Catholic gifts could I give this Christmas?

Catholic gift-giving ideas for this Christmas Season

“Go back to that night when Divine Light, in order to illumine the darkness of men, tabernacled himself in the world he had made, and you will see that only the simple and the learned found him, namely, the shepherds and the wise men. The angels and a star caught up in the reflection of that Light, as a torch lighted by a torch, and passed it on to the watchers of sheep and the searchers of the skies. And lo! as the shepherds watched their flocks about the hills of Bethlehem, they were shaken by the light of the angels . . . And lo! as wise men from beyond the land of Media and Persia searched the heavens, the brilliance of a star, like a tabernacle lamp in the sanctuary of God’s creation, beckoned them on to the stable where the star seemed to lose its light in the unearthly brilliance of the Light of the World.”

– Archbishop Fulton Sheen in “Advent and Christmas with Fulton J. Sheen”

A New Dictionary Of Saints; Of the Eastern and Western Church   Author: Michael Walsh	Encyclopedia Of Catholic Devotions And Practices   Author: Ann Ball
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Mary   Authors: Monica Dodds, Bill Dodds	The Book of Catholic Prayer; Prayers for Every Day and All Occasions   Compiled by Father Sean Finnegan
Loyola Kids Book Of Heroes: Stories Of Catholic Heroes And Saints Throughout History   Author: Amy Welborn	My Path to Heaven: A Young Person’s Guide to the Faith   Author: Fr. Geoffrey Bliss, S.J.

 

 

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DVD gift-giving ideas

Life of Christ in the Mysteries of the Rosary (set of three DVDs)   Produced by Fr. Patrick Peyton	An Uncommon Kindness: The Father Damien Story, DVD
Apparitions at Fatima, DVD	Credo DVD; John Paul II
Francis: The Knight of Assisi, DVD	Bernadette, The Princess of Lourdes, DVD

 

“To the shepherds, the angel announced the birth of Jesus as the Messiah promised to Israel: ‘To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’ From the beginning he was ‘the one whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world,’ conceived as ‘holy’ in Mary’s virginal womb. God called Joseph to ‘take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit,’ so that Jesus, ‘who is called Christ,’ should be born of Joseph’s spouse into the messianic lineage of David.

Jesus’ messianic consecration reveals his divine mission, ‘for the name ‘Christ’ implies ‘he who anointed,’ ‘he who was anointed’ and ‘the very anointing with which he was anointed.’ The one who anointed is the Father, the one who was anointed is the Son, and he was anointed with the Spirit who is the anointing. His eternal messianic consecration was revealed during the time of his earthly life at the moment of his baptism by John, when ‘God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,’ ‘that he might be revealed to Israel’ as its Messiah. His works and words will manifest him as ‘the Holy One of God.”

– Catechism of the Catholic Church, 437, 438

 

More Great Gift Ideas for this Christmas Season:

 

2008 Mary and the Saints Calendar	Immaculate Conception Music Box
Breakfast Blend Coffee   Roasted by Monks!	Divinity Board Game   The New Catholic Catechism Learning System
IHS T-shirt	IHS Ball Cap
Catholic Latin Classics, CD   Author: Richard Proulx	Theotokos Great Grace

 

To browse our selection of beautiful Catholic art, including paintings and icons, please click here.

To browse our selection of beautiful Catholic jewelry, including patron saint medals, please click here.

To browse our complete 2008 Calendar selection, including perpetual calendars, please click here.

To browse our complete selection of Lionheart Catholic apparel, please click here.

Is There Room in the Inn of My Heart?

“The Mother of Christ teaches us to recognize the time of God, the favorable moment when he comes into our life and asks for a prompt and generous response. The mystery of the Holy Night, which occurred historically 2,000 years ago, becomes a reality as a spiritual event in the ‘today’ of the liturgy. The Word, who took up dwelling in Mary’s womb, comes knocking at the door of every person’s heart with particular intensity at this and at every Christmas.”

– Angelus message of the late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, December 19, 1999.