The Australian Retailers’ Association reports that the 2010 pre-Christmas spending got off to a slow start.

Consumers simply have not been spending as much as expected.

Many were carefully seeking out discounted items.

Rainy days have been worst — making shop incomes patchy.

Will this apparent downturn be maintained? Or will there be a last minute catch-up?

Tricky question.

* * *

The important thing to remember about the downturn is that it is not very important.

Christmas does not depend for its meaning on buying and selling consumer items.

What Christmas WOULD be meaningless without is the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Many people seem not to really know much about the Mother of Jesus . . . .

Or what the Church really teaches about her . . . .

* * *

For a start, in the Catholic religion, Mary is NOT worshipped.

That would be absurd. Worshipping a human being would be disobedience to the first of the Ten Commandments, and a mortal sin.

But Catholics do honour Mary – in exactly the same way that God honours her.

Mary is a unique human being – but a human being only. There is no notion of her being a “goddess”.

Mary is called “Mother of God” because the Catholic religion accepts that her son, Jesus Christ, is God.

He is both truly God and truly man.

This concept is not as easy to understand as we might like it to be – but that does not stop it being true.

* * *

Catholics address Mary in certain prayers, asking her to pray/intercede to God on our behalf.

In much the same way that you might ask your own mother to pray for you.

Jesus came to us through Mary at the first Christmas.

He wants us now to come to him through Mary today . . . .

Today, Sunday 28 November 2010, is the First Sunday in Advent.

“Advent” as in an arrival or a coming.

In Australia, by coincidence, we seem, this day, to be looking at the “advent” of a new Victorian Premier — the result of yesterday’s state election.

* * *

For Christians, however, today is significant as being the first day of the Church’s traditional season of Advent — the four-Sunday period leading up to Christmas Day.

Advent is a time for preparing one’s mind and soul to celebrate of the birth of Jesus Christ 2010 years ago . . . .

Literally the advent of God himself into this world in a particular place, at a particular time, in the person of a particular baby, Jesus, the son of Mary.

* * *

It is advisable to attend Church every Sunday during Advent.

Starting today.

You will notice that there are three advents referred to in the Bible readings at Mass during the Sundays between now and Christmas.

(1) The first advent of Christ was the birth of the baby in the stable at Bethlehem in the historical past — God making his advent amongst us in humility and weakness.

(2) The second advent is the presence of Christ Our Lord in the Holy Communion received by believers at Mass in the historical present.

(3) The third advent is yet to occur — the final coming of Christ in almighty power at the future end of  history.

* * *

Each one of these advents makes it easier to understand the other two.

The practical point for us today is this:

God offers us, through these advents of his Son, a supernatural relationship with himself . . . .

A relationship which promises to revolutionalise us personally . . . .

And to change the world . . . .

More than any election result can change it.

Twelve months ago, the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius the Tenth (SSPX), Bishop Fellay, asked traditional Catholics worldwide to participate in a Rosary Crusade.

He requested that Rosaries be said asking that Pope Benedict, together with all the bishops of the world, will consecrate the nation of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

His aim was to have 12 million Rosaries recited for that intention between 1 May 2009 and 25 March 2010.

Well, the time has elapsed and it turns out that over 19 million Rosaries were said – including 5.5 million by Catholics in the USA and 3.1 million in France . . . Australia managed 439,000.

* * *

This consecration is something Our Lady herself requested of three children to whom she appeared at Fatima in 1917.

She said, “I shall come to ask for the Consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart . . . .

If people attend to my requests, Russia will be converted and the world will have peace . . . .

In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father (and the remaining bishops) will consecrate Russia to me . . . .

Russia will be converted and a period of peace will be given to mankind . . . .” 

* * *

It’s a long story, but for various reasons the consecration has never been carried out in exactly the way Our Lady asked for.

That is what we hope Pope Benedict will now decide to do.

* * *

There have been two previous Rosary Crusades for two earlier intentions.

After the first (in 2007), the Pope lifted the ban on the use of the Old Latin Mass.

After the second (in 2009), he lifted the “excommunications” of the four bishops of the SSPX.

After this Third Rosary Crusade, will we see, in 2010, another miracle worked in the heart of the Pope?

If so, then we may confidently expect the further miracle of world peace to follow.

Natural methods have never achieved much peace.

We look now to God to grant us his peace by supernatural means.

Let’s keep praying for the Pope, for the worldwide Catholic community, and for peace.

The film, The Passion of the Christ, shows how Christ’s followers abandon him. Only his mother, the apostle John, and Mary Magdalene remained.

They scurried through narrow streets hoping to glimpse him.  He appears from behind the buildings ahead. Under his heavy cross he falls. Mary stops short, slumped on a doorstep, sighing in grief. She knows this is all God’s will. Yet she is a human mother watching her Child suffer.

  A flashback brings her back to action. She sees Jesus as a little boy, falling down, calling for his mum. Stirred by the memory, she runs to her Son and comforts him.

* * *

Blessed Mary MacKillop had a great devotion to Mary, the mother of Christ, a love which dated right back to her infancy.

  Once when she was small and staying with friends, and missing her Mamma, a beautiful Lady had come to her and said, “My child I will always be a Mother to you.”

  Later she wrote a little devotion to Our Lady, including the words, “Ah, my Mother, think of the day when I knelt, but a child, to ask you to be my Mother, and I remember your gentle whisper that you had marked me as such since my birth.”

* * *

There is one only redeemer given by God to save us from our sins — Christ himself. Mary was redeemed, as we all are, by Christ.

  Yet every believer, by being united with the Saviour, becomes also a “redeemer”, along with Him.

  Mary, more closely united with Our Lord than any other person, participates in the Redemption more powerfully than any other.

  That’s why she is traditionally referred to as our “Co-Redemptrix”, along with Christ.