By Fr. Flor Lagura, SVD
In the Service of the Word

PEOPLE, like Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol who summarily dismisses Christmas saying, “Bah, Humbug!” and loves to wield their control over others, make people below them feel so small and powerless that they can turn to no one else but God to help them.

Six centuries earlier, St. Francis of Assisi realized the lesson of the coming of Christ, the lesson of poverty and weakness of the Almighty and Supreme God. This saint made the first belen before which he used to meditate during Advent on the meaning of the coming of the Lord. His Franciscan brothers continue to do so in many places of the world.

One of these places is the village in Judea where John the Baptist was born. The Franciscan Friars built near the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth a church aptly called the Church of the Visitation. The place has a fantastic view of the city of Jerusalem.

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By Darwin John Moises and Michelle Mendez-Palmares
Singlestalk

Michelle: There really are times that despite the man’s interest—texting heartfelt messages, sending bouquets of flowers or maybe even food—it becomes clear to him that the great gal he’s into is not feeling the same. Guys, you might want to know where you went wrong. An article I read says that maybe the answer is to learn the top turnoffs that make great women wave goodbye. If you manifest any of those characteristics, it’s time to change your approach. Turnoff No. 1 for women is a show-off. Even if a guy owns a yacht or has a fleet of luxury cars or maybe has a salary that can pay the debt of a small African country, does it really need to be divulged on the first date? Many want to make a good first impression, but you don’t have to blow them away with your hot air. However, sad to say, some women will want to date a showoff because she’s more likely after his money. In that case, she is not a great girl.

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