There's a mountain where Jesus sits. There He heals "cripples, the deformed, the blind, the mute, and many others besides" (Mt 15:30). When we're on this mountain with Jesus, we know life is worth living and eternal happiness is ours in Him. He takes the loaves and fish of our little lives and multiplies them to feed the starving masses (Mt 15:36ff). "On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain He will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; He will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces" (Is 25:6-8).

This mountain is for us, for now. We experience it every time we eat this bread and drink this cup, every time we receive Holy Communion. As bread and wine are transformed at Mass into the Body and Blood of Christ, so our lives are transformed and their impact multiplied. The essence of Christmas, as the name indicates, is the Mass, in which we experience the multiplication of our lives on God's holy mountain. In this Advent season, celebrate Mass daily in preparation for the special Masses of the Christ-Mass season.

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 30, 2007

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