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If you're like me, you love Christmas. The carols, smells, decorations and family time is something special. But, we must never forget that Christmas is a birthday celebration. It's a celebration of when God became man in order to provide salvation for the world. But, as Catholics, we have Christmas every day in the Mass.
The Mass is an opportunity where God comes down to man again, and again, and again. He gives of himself to man in order to provide redemption and forgiveness. That's exactly what happened in Bethlehem when the Blessed Mother gave birth to the Messiah. God became man in order to provide salvation and forgiveness. St. John Chrysostom once said "how many of you say ‘I should like to see His face, His garments, His shoes.' You do see Him. You touch Him. You eat Him. He gives Himself to you, not only that you may see Him, but also to be your food and nourishment."
Within the Mass, just as within the stable in Bethlehem, Jesus becomes our everything. He becomes our source of forgiveness, our source of life, and our ability to see and experience God. Remember the Gloria we sing at Mass? It begins with the same song the angels sang the night of Jesus' birth. The Gloria begins "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will." That's the same song we hear from the angels in Luke 2:14 when they proclaim the birth of Jesus. It's no accident that we continue to proclaim that Jesus has come in the flesh to man for the forgiveness of sin. It's no accident the same song that angels sang at the birth of Jesus, when God became man, is the same song we sing at Mass – when Jesus comes down to man in the form of His body and blood in the Holy Eucharist.
When the body of the baby Jesus made its appearance into this world in a smelly and dirty stable in Bethlehem, he brought the gift of forgiveness. He became our source of salvation. When the body of Jesus is presented at Mass and offered to you, He becomes once again the source of salvation. When Jesus was born his enemies shook with fear and set out to destroy him while his followers rejoiced. When the Eucharist is present the enemies of Jesus shake with fear and set out to destroy him by destroying the Church but his followers rejoice. "Let the whole of mankind tremble and the whole earth shake when the Son of the Living God is present on the altar in the hands of a priest." (St. Francis of Assisi)
If we truly understood the power, the mystery, and what takes place on the altar during Mass – we would never miss one single opportunity to attend. The story of Christmas is a love story. It's a love story of God loving mankind so much that He would do whatever it took for man to live eternally with Him in heaven. But, the story of the Mass is the greatest of love stories. "The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white host." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen) The Eucharist is a love story. Are you listening? Do you hear Him calling you?
Amelia Monroe Carlson graduated from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. Being raised as a Methodist during her early years, it was not until she entered college where she began to take her faith seriously. She was baptized as a Southern Baptist in Muscle Shoals, AL and began immediately serving in international missions and in the church.
During college, she became the Co-founder of an International Ministry, where she spent time traveling and speaking to church groups and in large conferences. She authored a Bible study and traveled abroad on mission work. She sat on the Mid-South Interfaith Conferences in Mississippi, where she defended the faith and discussed beliefs with leaders of various religions.
After a business trip to Washington D.C., where she was introduced to a former Baptist who converted to the Catholic Church, she was placed on a journey to enter into the Catholic Church.
Amelia is a military wife and currently residents with her husband and daughter in Tennessee. She is a nine time award winning journalist, receiving press awards for various categories including investigative journalism, best news coverage, and best single feature. It is her desire to help Catholics, particularly Cradle Catholics, see the beauty in their faith which converts see and appreciate the fullness of truth which the Church has held and guarded throughout history. It is her desire all Catholics fall as much in love with Jesus as she is, and love the Church to a greater capacity than they could imagine.
Amelia taught PRE for 4-6 grade at St. Mary Catholic Church in Bolivar, Tennessee from 2014-2016. She served as Youth Director at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Somerville, Tennessee in 2017-2018. She now teaches 7th grade (1st year Confirmation) PRE class at St. Philip. She's also a writer and frequent podcast guest on Our Warpath.
She has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Francis de Sales, St. Padre Pio and St. Maximilian Kolbe.
To contact Amelia for speaking inquiries at conferences, retreats, or parishes contact her via social media on Facebook (Amelia Monroe Carlson), Twitter (@2_catholic ) or send a text to: (731)518-6923.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ameliamcarlson
Twitter: @2_catholic (Catholic ministry account)
Twitter personal account: @ameliamcarlson
