New Year’s Eve

   As the end of another year approaches I find myself looking back over the last twelve months, taking inventory of my year.  This year, as in most years, there have been ups and downs, successes and failures.  There have been good times and times that were not so good.  I’m sure many of us have pretty much the same experience looking back over the year.  We look forward to the new year with the hope of more good times than bad to come.

  I tend to look at the good and sometimes overlook the not so good.  Perhaps many others do this as well.  We like to focus on the happy times and let go of the sad.  This is a good thing and I think it is important that we do exactly that.  If we dwell on the sad times we risk losing site of the good that has come before and will come again.  I try to put the emphasis on relishing the good times and accepting the bad as just part of life in a fallen world.

   In life there will be joy and there will be difficulties.  For me the important thing is to accept both with grace, trusting in God’s plan.  God gives us great happiness and joy, but there are also crosses to bear.  If we never know difficulties and tribulations we will never truly appreciate the joy of God’s blessings.

   My prayer for all it is simply to take life as it comes and offer it to God in service to Him.  Give Him all the glory for the good and surrender the hard times to His strength and love.

Lord, as this year comes to a close

I hope I have done my best to serve you.

As I look forward to the new year

May I follow Your will in all I do.

Amen

The Holy Family

   Today we celebrate the Holy Family; Mary, Joseph and Jesus our Lord.  So many times I think we forget that they were a family not unlike other families even though theirs included the Son of God.  Still, He nursed at Mary’s breast, He was comforted by her as any son is comforted by his mother.  Joseph watched over and protected his family, even taking them to Egypt to avoid the hatred and violence Herod intended for the baby Jesus.

   I’m confident they faced the same challenges as any other family.  It may seem odd to think of Jesus as just a little boy like other little boys; perhaps with scraped knees and the bumps and bruises that come while learning to walk; but that is what He was.  He learned carpentry from Joseph just as children learn from their fathers and mothers today.  I suspect there were times that even that blessed family suffered concern over illness or injury.  Joseph is believed to have died early in Jesus’ life leaving Mary as a single mother.

   We need God’s grace to help us emulate the Holy Family in our own families.  Fathers and mothers need to love each other and give themselves to each other in all ways.  They need to care, love and raise their children in a home full of love and God, teaching them of our Lord.  Children need to respect and honor their parents.  They need to follow the example of our Lord, “He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them;” (Luke 2: 51).  We need to take strength and comfort from the love of each other and care for each other in all we do.  

   In all families there will be times of difficulty and stress but if we look to the example of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, we can bring the peace and joy of God to our families.

Lord You were raised in a family such as ours.

Help us look to You, Mary and Joseph as our example.

May we be a loving faith filled family.

May You bless our family with Your great love and mercy.

Amen

Sharing the Gifts of Christ

   During the Christmas season we hear a lot about gifts.  The gifts the Magi presented to the Baby Jesus; the gifts we give each other; the presents given to family and friends.  Gift-giving is one of the things that makes Christmas so joyful.  The act of sharing brings great happiness.

   We tend to focus on the gifts of this world but it’s far more important and wonderful to remember and contemplate the gifts Christ gave us by His birth, death, and resurrection.  The gifts we give will wear out, break or even be returned for something else.  The gifts of Jesus are eternal and will fill our lives with their blessings forever.

   He gave up His glory in order to become one of us; the all-powerful one relinquished His power to come to us as a helpless infant.  He gave the care of His very life to the Blessed Mother and Joseph to watch over and protect.  He gave us His wisdom in the words He shared, the parables He told and the lessons He taught.  He gave the gift of healing, both spiritual and, in many cases, physical.  Above all He gave us His life.  The gift of His suffering and death was given to offer forgiveness to all.  His resurrection promises eternal life.

   These gifts of the Lord are not ours to keep, they are ours to share.  If we don’t share them with others we have failed to properly accept His gifts and His love.  The beauty of giving them away is that they are in endless supply.  The more we give the more we receive; the more we love the more we are loved.

   Take the gifts He offers; know the peace and joy of His presence.  But remember to share them for they were given for us to share.

Jesus, I welcome the many blessings You give.

I thank You for the gifts of Your love.

May I always treasure these gifts

And may I lovingly share them with others.

Amen

The Peace of Christ

   “I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33)

   Jesus shared this hope with His apostles to help prepare them for His crucifixion and death.  To assure them that even when things appear to be at their worst Christ is there.  By His resurrection He has overcome the world.

   The apostles would be thrown into confusion at His death; they would abandon Him and scatter.  They would hide themselves away in fear of the Jews.  Yet Jesus came to them offering them His peace.  Twice he came to the upper room where they were hiding.  In both instances His first words to them were “Peace be with you.” (John 20; 19 & 26).

   In our lives we too face troubles and sorrows.  Jesus’ words are intended to help us know His peace even through the trials and difficulties we may have to endure.  When we face the problems that will surely come Jesus is there saying to us “Peace be with you”.  He has overcome the world, death has been defeated and eternal life granting to those who believe.

   The world is full of evil and will remain so until our Lord’s coming in glory.  Until then we can find peace in the promises of Christ.  He has promised us His peace and He keeps His promises.

Lord, You promised Your peace

May I face hardship confident in that peace.

May I turn to You in trial and temptation.

Let Me always rest in Your blessed peace.

Amen

Christian Attitude

   “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12: 12)

   This guidance from Paul to the Romans holds the essence of Christianity.  Living by these words gives us the tools needed to live our lives as followers of Christ.

   Rejoice in the hope Jesus brought into this world.  He opened the doors to heaven for those who would believe and follow Him.  This is a hope based on faith in One who is faithful in all things, truthful in all things.  The One who loves us gives us this hope.  It is not hope in the earthly sense; the hope for fame, money or recognition.  It is the hope promised by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, our Lord.

   There will be tribulations and trials in our lives.  Jesus told us to expect them and to turn to Him for help to see us through.  He suffered the same temptations and difficulties we face and showed us the way to overcome them through patience and confidence in God’s love for us.  He is there to strengthen and comfort us in our efforts to follow Him.

   Prayer is so much more that the words we say; it is the way we live.  When we seek the Lord’s will in all we do our life becomes a prayer.  When we offer everything we do to God everything we do is prayerful.  When we live for God, when we love Him and our neighbor we are constantly in prayer.

May we rejoice in the hope you give.

May we bear our crosses with patience and serenity.

May our lives always be prayerful.

Amen

The Day After

   The big meals are done.  The gifts have been opened.  The kids are exhausted from all the excitement of yesterday.  The parents are maybe more exhausted than the kids.  Christmas has come and gone for another year.  What will we remember of this year’s celebration; will we have fond, loving memories or just a feeling of relief that it’s over?

   As we begin to move past Christmas I pray that we will retain within us the joy of our Savior’s birth.  We should take comfort in His great love for us; a love that will continue to grow and carry us through the coming year.  May our hope, based in faith, of His promise of eternal life bring us peace in all things.

   Soon the signs of Christmas will begin to disappear.  The decorations, the Christmas ornaments and the nativities will be returned to storage for another year.  As those physical signs of the season fade from sight may we always retain the true joy and happiness of the season in our hearts.  May Christ live within us not only on Christmas but on each day of our life.

Jesus, You came to save us.

You forgive our failings and offer eternal life.

May the spirit of Christmas remain within us

Throughout the coming year.

Amen

Christmas Day

   Today we celebrate the coming of our Lord.  For our sake He gave up His glory to become one of us.  He was all-powerful yet became powerless; a helpless infant born to a virgin.  He came to bring forgiveness and salvation to all who would seek it.  All of this He did because of His love for us.

   There will be big celebrations with family and friends on this day.  There will be gifts, food and good times.  Christmas is to be the most joyful day of the year and well we should proclaim it.

   Let’s enjoy the day and rejoice in the greatest gift of all.  The birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas.

May God bless you.

May the Light of Christ shine upon you.

One Night In Bethlehem

   As Joseph entered the inn the inn-keeper quickly came to him.  Not to offer him a room but to tell him there was no room.  This was the same answer he had gotten at every inn in Bethlehem.  Because of the census, the town was over-flowing with those who must register.

   “Sir,” Joseph pleaded, “we have been traveling for days and my wife is to give birth.  She is exhausted and weakened by the journey.  I fear for her health.  Please, isn’t there room somewhere so she can rest before the baby is born?”

   The inn-keeper looked at Joseph.  Perhaps he saw the anguish in his eyes; anguish that he was unable to find room for his wife and concern for her well-being.  Still, there wasn’t a single room left in his inn.  He knew that all the inns were just as crowded as his.  Yet he wanted to help.

   “Go around the side of the inn.  In back there is a small cave which is a stable for our few animals.  There is perhaps an empty stall that you may use.  I know it isn’t much and I wish I could do more, but at least it will give you some shelter.”

   Joseph grasped his hand thanking him for his generosity.  “God will bless you for your kindness.”

   He apologized to Mary that they would have to stay in a stable; ashamed that he had been unable to secure better lodging.  Mary smiled and said, “It is good Joseph, this is perfect.  It is meant to be this way.”

   This night our savior was born, let us welcome Him and make room for Him in our lives.

   “And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with fear.  And the angel said to them ‘Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2: 7 – 11)

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

   “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be the ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.”  (Micah 5: 2)

   The last week of Advent will be quite short this year; just two days.  We have hopefully prepared ourselves for the birth of our Savior over these last few weeks.  Our hearts should be filled with joy at the anticipation of the coming of the Messiah.

   Throughout His ministry Jesus offered peace.  To the apostles He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”  (John14: 27).  “Peace be with you” was a common part of His ministry.  Yet we look around and peace is not evident in our world.

   The peace Jesus gave to His apostles and to us is not the peace of the world but peace of the heart, peace of the soul.  The peace that comes from surrendering ourselves to His blessed plan.  Our peace is to be within; peace regardless of our circumstances or the crosses we may be called to bear.  The peace of Christ is the peace of eternity.  The world will never know true peace, but we can know the blessing of His peace.

   For these next two days let’s focus on the peace that our Lord gives.  Forget for a while the anger, violence and sin of the fallen world in which we live.  As a family reread the Infancy Narrative found in Luke, chapter two.  Know and rejoice in the peace of our Lord.

Lord, we so many times focus on the woes of this world.

May we instead rejoice in the inner peace You offer.

As we celebrate Your birth

Let Your peace fill us with joy.

Amen

Unbridled Joy

   We had a Christmas dinner at our home today.  Among those present was a 5-year old girl, the grand-daughter of a friend.  It’s been a while since we’ve experienced the energy and enthusiasm of one so young.  It added a great blessing to the day’s celebration.  A very wonderful experience of joy.

   I couldn’t help but notice the delight in her eyes as she opened the small gifts we had for her.  It was the pure joy of a child receiving a gift.  I find it sad that most adults seem to have “out-grown” such enthusiasm in their lives.  We tend to be more adult in our celebrations, more mature; we’ve lost the abandonment to joy that we once knew.

   It occurred to me that the joy and happiness of this little girl is the perfect example of how to celebrate Christmas.  Our joy should be as evident and enthusiastic as that of a child opening Christmas gifts or discovering the treasures left under the tree by Santa.  They will have time as they grow older to begin to realize the true meaning of Christmas.  For now, we need to enjoy their excitement and have that same enthusiasm as we contemplate the birth of our Lord.

   Christmas is a time for unbridled joy.  I wish all of us could emulate the enthusiasm, wonder and happiness of a child at Christmas.  Somehow I think Jesus would be pleased if we would show that child-like enthusiasm for His birthday.

Lord, there is much we can learn from our children.

Their joy is so enthusiastic and pure.

Help us to have that kind of joy in our hearts;

To celebrate your birth with the joy of a child.

Amen

The Darkest Day

   Today is December 21^st, the shortest day of the year.  There will be less daylight and more darkness on this day than on any other day of the year.

   I’m reminded of the darkness that was upon the earth before the birth of our Lord Jesus.  There was no hope of heaven, no chance of eternal happiness in communion with God.  The world was in waiting for the Messiah’s arrival.

   It’s about 100 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  It’s probable that Mary and Joseph had already begun their journey to Bethlehem.  A man and a woman who was within days of giving birth on the roads of first century Israel; the Son of God in Mary’s womb.  I can't imagine the hardship of such a trip though it was necessary to fulfill the prophecies of our Lord's birth.

   In four days we will again joyously celebrate the birth of Jesus.  The world in the darkness of sin would receive a great light.  The light that would reopen the doors to heaven and offer salvation and eternal joy to all who would reach out in faith and repentance.  The Son of God would become man.  He would bring love, mercy and hope to the world.

   As we welcome our Lord again this year, let’s open our hearts to properly receive Him; let us be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Let us reach out to others with the love and acceptance with which Christ reached out to all.  Let us celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Lord, the world waited in darkness.

The light was nowhere to be found.

You came to relight the candle of hope.

You came to offer salvation.

As we look to the manger in which you lay,

Let us know the love and light you brought.

Let us share that light and love with a joyful heart.

Let us celebrate Your birth.

Amen

A Heart of Love

   We speak of our heart as the symbol of our humanity.  Our hearts break with sorrow; burst with happiness; blossom in love.  We think of our heart as being the place where our emotions reside; where our faith is held and grows.  The image of our heart that I like best is the place where our love resides.  We hold those we love in our heart, we give our heart in love and our heart can be broken by the loss of love.

   God said, “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 26: 26). This is the healing that our hearts desire and need.  The healing of a God who loves us and wants everything that is best for us.

   We are preparing to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  Jesus taught us the way to repair or replace our hearts of stone with a heart of flesh.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Matt: 22: 26-39).

Lord, take from us our hearts of stone.

Give us hearts filled with love.

The love with which You love us.

May we love God and neighbor with this same love.

Amen

Trust and Faith

   “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”  (Luke 1: 38)

   Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel is instructive to us in our faith life and relationship with God.  A young Jewish girl contemplated what this might mean for her and chose to put her faith in God and His plan for her.  She chose to follow His will regardless the cost.

   The one who would be an earthly father to Jesus was also willing to put his faith in God.  Joseph had planned to quietly send Mary away rather than expose her to a charge of adultery.  Instead, he trusted in the words of the angel and took her as His wife even though she was pregnant.  He chose to trust in God and His plan.

   Such trust and faith are what we should be striving to achieve.  The trust to turn our lives over to God and have absolute faith that He will always do what is best for us.  To accept that our way is flawed and sinful and relinquish our will to that of the Father.

   The willingness of Mary to carry and give birth to the Messiah and the faith of Joseph to take Mary as his wife and Jesus as his son was the means by which salvation entered the world.  This is the kind of faith and trust that we called to.

   As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord let’s think of the faith and trust shown by the ones who accepted God’s call and brought Him into this world.  May the Spirit come upon us and may God overwhelm us with His power and love.

Lord Jesus, we pray for the faith of Mary and Joseph.

The faith to give ourselves totally to God.

To let the Holy Spirit reign in our lives.

To seek the will of God in all we do.

Amen.

Patience, Love and Forgiveness

   We have been blessed by our Lord with so many things.  So often we forget the source of these blessings and begin to think that we deserve them.  Humility tells us that we don’t; God’s blessings are given not because we earned them but because His patience, love and forgiveness.

   He has been patient with us through our sinfulness and our rebellion from His ways.  God has waited for us to return to Him never giving up on us.  His patience is unending.

   His love is beyond description; it isn’t possible for us to fully understand the depth of His love.  His love sustains us, heals us and strengthens us. This is the love with which Jesus paid for our transgressions, offering us salvation.  There is nothing we can do that would make Him love us more and there is nothing we can do that would make Him love us less.  His is an eternal love that can never change.

   Jesus gave up His glory for a while and became one of us to offer forgiveness for our sins.  He is our source of redemption.  His forgiveness is our way into heaven.  Though we still sin and fall short in our efforts to live for Him and by His will, His forgiveness will always be given when we ask in sincere repentance.

   This Christmas let’s look for ways that we can take the patience, love and forgiveness we have been given and find ways to share them with others.

   Let’s show patience for those who have walked away from us, taking a part of our heart with them.  Through prayer let’s remember them to God and our Blessed Mother and pray for reconciliation.

   Make the effort to share the love God gives with those we may not find easy to love, those who have hurt us or ignored us.  Many have found God through the love of someone willing to share His love with them.

   God has forgiven us for our many failings.  He still forgives us though continue to sin and reject His ways.  He will never withhold His forgiveness when asked for with a sorrowful heart.  Shouldn’t we be willing to share that forgiveness with those who have failed us?  Aren’t we responsible to forgive our brothers seven times seventy times as Jesus told Peter?

   All in all, the best gifts of Christmas may well come down to these three; patience, love and forgiveness.  Without these three, Christmas can never truly be found or understood.  Let’s wrap them up and share them with others as He shares them with us.

Come Lord Jesus

   Eight days until Christmas!  Our hearts yearn for the coming of the Lord.

   The glory of Christmas seems almost lost in our secular world.  The gift of a new video game or the latest cell phone overshadows the greatest gift of all .  The parties, the food, the fun becomes the focus rather than the birth of our Savior.  Jesus becomes almost an after-thought to many.

  I'd like to take a step away and travel to a small cave in Bethlehem.  I want to hear the cries of a newborn infant, He who is to save my soul.  I imagine the joy of Mary and Joseph as their baby boy, the one they know is the Word of God, becomes one of us.

   Our Holy Mother blessed to bear the Son of God in her womb and bring Him into our world.  The honor given to Joseph who would be His adoptive father, the one who would protect both mother and Son; would teach Him the skills of a carpenter.

   I want to sit in the fields with the shepherds and see the glory of the angels in the sky, singing glory to our new-born King.  To journey with them to that cave and honor Him.  How I would like to ride along with the Magi as they follow the star to the blessed Child.  What gift could I bring, I wonder?

   There is so much noise, so much confusion pushing the real meaning of Christmas out of our mind.  We have a hard time filtering out all the interference so that we can experience the joy of the day which is coming upon us.  Earthly concerns that don’t really matter keep us from contemplating the greatest gift of all, the birth of our Savior.

   I want to turn off the outside world for a while.  I want to go to the simplicity of Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born.  I want to forget the daily woes and frustrations of this day-to-day world and bask in the love of a God who loves me so much that He would become like me in all things but sin.  A God who would choose to die for me to pay the price for my sins and open the doors of heaven that I might live eternally with Him.

   “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as the only-begotten Son from the Father.” (John 1: 14).

Third Sunday of Advent

   “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!” (Phil 4: 4-7)

   The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday; we are to put aside our earthly concerns and troubles and fill ourselves with joy.  Joy at the anticipated coming of our Savior and rejoicing for the many blessings He brings.

   So many times I see people in stores or in the malls who appear to be in such a rush at this time of year.  On the roads it seems drivers are even more rude and in a hurry than usual.  Everyone is hurrying to prepare for Christmas.  Sadly, it is all too often the secular Christmas that has become the focus in our society.  Little thought is given to the true joy of the season.

  If we are to experience the real meaning of the season we need to take a break from the rush, hurry, spend and buy attitude.  I’m sure most of us still have things needing to be done before Christmas but we can’t let those things replace the joy of the season by turning it into just another exercise in frustration.

   Take the time to light the advent candle and say a prayer of joyful expectation for the coming of Jesus.  Sit down and read some from the bible; get to know Jesus a bit better.  He is coming to save us from sin, to offer us peace, joy and happiness in heaven.  Those are things we should be focused on rather than the earthly celebration of money, gifts and cards that will be in the trash next week.

   Sit down with your children and talk about what Christmas really means.  Tell them of the real St. Nicholas.  Perhaps read Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”  Help them understand that the love and caring in the Cratchit family is worth far more than all the money Scrooge had accumulated.

   Call a friend or family member you’ve not spoken to for a while and wish them the joy of Christmas.  Visit a sick or elderly neighbor who may have no family to visit them.  Think of the joy you can spread by just taking a few minutes to sit and talk with them.  Let them tell you of their memories and share your own.

   When someone pushes ahead of you at the store, wish them a Merry Christmas; ask God to bless the driver who just cut you off rather than swearing at them.  Let go of the angst, hurry and frustration so many experience during this season and rest in the joy of our Lord’s coming.  Come, Lord Jesus!

The Eyes of a Child

   Advent is a time of waiting.  A time of preparation for the coming of our Lord.  It is a time of expectation and hope.  The arrival of the expected Messiah and the hope of eternal life through His love and mercy.

   In the eyes of the children we can see the joy of anticipation and hope as they look to the calendar each day to see how many more days they must wait for Christmas.  They watch in wonder as the presents appear beneath the tree.  Their anticipation grows with each passing day.

   Do we look at Christmas with the same level of expectation and hope as our children?  When we look at the calendar are we counting the days until we celebrate His birth or are we frustrated because there is still so much we need to do before Christmas?  The urgency and rush of the season can overwhelm us and take from us the joy that we should be anticipating.  The greatest gift ever given will be remembered and celebrated on that day.  Our thoughts and anticipation should be for the coming of our savior yet we spend our time worrying about getting the shopping done or what we’ll wear to the Christmas parties.

   We need to take a lesson from our children.  We need to focus on what is important rather than the trivial.  The kids know what matters; the gifts under the tree.  Their focus is directed toward that one expectation.  They may not understand the true meaning of Christmas yet but they know it is the most important day of the year.  We will teach them the real reason we celebrate as they mature enough to understand but for now their joy and happiness is a wonderful example for us to emulate.

   On Christmas Day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; the One who came to lead us to eternal life.  There is no other event that is more deserving of our anticipation, expectation, joy and happiness.  Even though they don’t fully understand the reason, children know the importance of that day.  Let’s join in their incredibly jubilant celebration of Christmas and welcome the birth of our Lord with joy.

Why?

   When I contemplate God and all He has done there are so many questions that I would love to have answered.  Though I can never fully understand His plan in this world I pray that He will grant me greater understanding in the next.

   As I think of God, the most common question that arises is why.  Why did He create the world?  Why did He make man and woman?  Why did He give us free will?  Above all why did His only Son become man and live among us, giving His life to free us from our sins?

   Why did He create the universe?  Certainly He didn’t need it.  As pure spirit He needs no physical place to exist.  Yet He desired to create and so created a universe that continues to expand and grow.  Uncountable stars and planets move in sync, never disrupting His design.

   He filled our world with animals of all kinds; mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles.  The world was designed to provide all the needed water, flora and fauna to support the animals He had created.

   Then He created humans.  He could have stopped with the animals and had a world that would have never rejected or defied Him.  Yet He created man and woman and gave them dominion over His creation.  We are to be the stewards of all He created.

   Genesis tells us that He created humanity in His image (see Gen 1: 24).  He gave us free will; the ability to choose rather than simply follow.  Our free will is our greatest gift yet we have used it to deny Him, reject Him and ignore Him.  He asks us to accept Him and love Him freely rather than demanding that we do so.  We have the choice of loving or not loving.

   We have repeatedly failed in our efforts to love Him and follow His plan.  We have sinned and have nothing of enough value to pay for our sins.  Jesus became man to pay the price for us.  He paid for the remission our sins by His death on the cross.

   When I consider all the “whys” I come to only one conclusion.  God did all these things because He loves us.  He loves us enough to give us all we need in this world; enough to show us the way to eternal happiness.  He loves us enough to die for us.

   As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our savior let us contemplate the depth of His love.  So great that He came to die for us and pay for our sins.  Let us give Him our love in return.

Chosen

   Throughout history God has chosen people to further His plan.  Those chosen were not usually the high and mighty but the ordinary.  They weren't always qualified but were willing.  God chooses those who will answer; He provides any needed qualifications.

   Noah was faithful to God and was chosen along with his family to repopulate the earth after the great flood.

   God called Abraham to be the father of His chosen people, the Israelites.  His descendants outnumber the stars.

   Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to the promised land.

    A young Jewish girl named Mary was called to be the Mother of God.  She became the handmaid of the Lord.  The Holy Spirit came upon her and she was overshadowed by the power of the Most High.

   John preached baptism for the forgiveness of sin and heralded the Savior's coming.  His joy was seeing the Messiah.

   The apostles were chosen to spread the good news of Jesus throughout the world.  They were the beginning of Christianity.

   Each of those chosen were just ordinary people.  They were chosen by God to do extraordinary things.  There willingness was all God required.

   We too are chosen.  We share with all those before us the choice to accept or reject God's call.  Especially during this time of preparation for the coming of our Lord let's prayerfully consider what God's plan for us might be and respond to that calling.

You have been chosen by God,

Before the world began;

To be Holy, to be blameless in His sight;

To be full of love

A Simple Life

   “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”  (Luke 2: 7)

   Born in a stable or cave since there was no room in any of the inns in Bethlehem.  Placed in a manger, a feeding trough for animals; perhaps a foretelling of the Eucharist by which He feeds us?

   

   He was without sin yet insisted that John baptize Him in order to fulfill all righteousness; unnecessary for Him but an example to all of the need for baptism to wash away original sin.  He was tempted by Satan just as we are tempted each day; by His rejection of those temptations He gave us the example to follow in our efforts to avoid sin.  Turn to God and His word and Satan loses every time.

   He chose the ordinary as His followers.  He lived the life of an itinerant preacher, not as pastor of a Mega-Church or great Cathedral.  His ministry, His good news was for everyone, not just the rich and famous who could contribute the most to His ministry.  He taught in simple words to a people who would not have understood great theological teachings but could understand the parables He used.  He fed thousands with a few fish and loaves; perhaps to show that even the smallest gift given to God in love can be the source of miracles.

   He lived, taught and died as a simple man.  Yet by His life, death and resurrection we were given the possibility of salvation and entry into eternal life in His presence.  He set His majesty aside to live as we live and reclaimed it at His resurrection, returning to the glory from which He came.

   During this Christmas season I choose to contemplate the simplicity of Christ’s life; a life lived for me and a death suffered for my sins.  I want to welcome Him in simplicity yet give Him all glory and praise.  I want to serve Him in all things and join Him in eternal life.

A Worthy Quest

   Why do so many spend their life on a quest of some sort?  Some have sailed the sea seeking new land; others climb mountains; some have even gone to the moon.  What are they searching for?  Why do they risk their lives to find it?

   Perhaps we seek for many things because we know that something is missing within us.  Our lives seem incomplete, so we look for something, anything that might give us the wholeness we desire.  The satisfaction of having accomplished something to enrich our lives.  Something to give us a sense of worth.

   I will never go to the moon or climb a mountain.  My days of sailing the seas are over.  My life has been at risk on a few occasions and I have no desire to put it at risk again.  I’ve found what I believe to be the greatest, most worthy quest of all.  The desire to know and love God more and more each day.  The longing to spend eternity with Him.

   To love God is to know the love He has for me and to fill my heart with that love.  No other love can compare with the love God offers.  His is a love for all eternity.  A love reflected in His creation of all things, included me and you.  His wish to have us as part of His family.

   The greatest search is the search for God.  Nothing else offers the hope and promise of an everlasting relationship with a God who loves us without end.  No other search can end in eternal happiness in the presence of our Lord.

   Finding God is the most joyful encounter possible.  He is present in His word and in the universe He has created.  He is there in the laughter of children and in the love of parents for those children.  He is in the love shared by a man and a woman in a sacramental marriage; a love intended to be a lifelong commitment to give oneself for another.  Most of all, He is there in our heart, waiting for us to return His love.

   “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement.”  (St. Augustine)