Daily Reflections for

Advent 2018

and

Christmas Season

Rev. Michael J. Yadron

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

DAILY REFLECTIONS FOR

ADVENT 2018

AND

CHRISTMAS SEASON

December 1, 2018

Copyright © 2018 Rev. Michael J. Yadron

Written by Rev. Michael J. Yadron

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2018

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2018

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2018

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2018

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2018

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2018

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2018

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2018

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2018

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2018

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2018

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2018

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2018

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2018

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2018

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2018

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2018

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2018

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2018

MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2018

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2018

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2018

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2018

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2018

TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2019

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2019

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2019

SUNDAY, JANUARY 6, 2019

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2019

SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2019

SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 2019

MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2019

THANK YOU

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Getting Ready

“Motivation is what gets you started, but persistence is the only thing that guarantees your success.”  ~ Edmond Mbiaka

As we begin the month of December, we are on the eve of the season of Advent.  Advent is a wondrous season of preparation for the celebration of Christmas.  The tone of Advent is slightly penitential in nature.  The season prepares us for the proper celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ as well as for the implications of what Christmas means.

As with everything in life, there are some mechanical things that we need to do in order to be prepared for Advent.  One of the things used throughout the season is the Advent Wreath.  If you do not have one for your home, it is not too late to get one.  Construct a wreath out of three purple candles and one rose candle.  The rose candle is lit on the third week of Advent.  The purple candles are for all the other weeks.  You can also have all the preparations for the construction of a Jesse Tree in your home.  You can look on the internet for suggestions for symbols for the tree as well as ways to make this a family practice throughout the season.

As Christmas approaches, we often make lists of things to do for the holiday.  We have presents to purchase, houses to clean, cookies to bake and the like.  You might want to construct a spiritual list as well.  Make sure you have the items for an Advent wreath.  Mark a date on your calendar to go to confession before Christmas.  Make plans to do something to celebrate your faith as a family, whether it be by going to Mass together during the week, visiting the sick and shut-in at nursing homes, visiting hospitals, et cetera.

It is easy to say, Christmas is coming, Advent is here, let’s get started.  However, without some kind of goal, the excitement with which we entered the season will soon wane and we will find ourselves, around the second week of Advent, forgetting what the season is all about as we become distracted with the material preparations for Christmas.

Advent is a spiritual season.  It is not a day.  Make yourself ready for the season by planning time for prayer and other spiritual activity.

FAITH ACTION:  Make sure that you have a plan not only to begin Advent, but, to carry it through to completion.

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Thus, It Begins

“Symbolizing eternal hope, the wreath goes ‘round and ‘round, and where it starts or ends cannot be found. Woven of things that grow -- for life -- and hung for holiday delight, the wreath must be left in place from Advent through Twelfth Night.”  ~ Unknown

This is the beginning of the liturgical season of Advent, a time of serious preparation for Christmas.  It is a time filled with wonder and mystery and, for many, is one of the more “magical” times of the year.  There is something about snow and Christmas trees and garland and tinsel that lightens the hearts of many.  That is not a bad thing at all.  Let the season speak to you.

The Advent wreath reminds us of the passage of time throughout the season.  It marks out the four weeks by the placement of four candles.  Today, as we light the first purple candle of the wreath, we begin our consideration of the season.  The first week of Advent has often been associated with the theological virtue of hope.

Hope is something that we cannot live without.  Studies have been done through the years in which lab animals were shocked at random times. Some were given a way to stop the shocks and others were forced to submit with no way to stop them.  After a period of time, the animals who could not escape the shock developed a learned helplessness.  In short, they gave up.  They no longer looked for any way out of their situation and, apparently, felt that they were going to have to endure whatever came their way because they were powerless to stop it.

That is a brief explanation of God’s people in the Old Testament.  For generations, they had no hope.  They felt that they had to submit to whatever came their way because they were powerless to stop it.  They had heard about a promised Savior; but, those stories were told so long ago that many no longer took much stock in them.  They may have repeated the stories but halfheartedly, feeling like their lives were never going to change for the better.

There are times we act the same way.  We may have been doing the same thing over and over again because, quite frankly, we have given up looking for a way to change.  In doing so, we quit looking for help. But, help is in the Promised One whose birth we prepare to celebrate in twenty-five days.  In Jesus, there is great hope!

FAITH ACTION:  Bring to mind the times that you have felt hopeless and have found that the Lord led you through your hopelessness to resolution.

Monday, December 3, 2018

Find Your Place

Ego says, “Once everything falls into place, I’ll feel peace.”  Spirit says, “Find your peace, and then everything will fall into place.”  ~ Marianne Williamson

Today, at the beginning of our Advent season, we celebrate the memorial of St. Francis Xavier.  As a young man, he was greatly influenced by St. Ignatius Loyola and was ordained a priest. Francis Xavier, along with several friends, began a religious order in 1543 and, in 1540, Pope Paul III approved the formation of the order, the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits.

Francis Xavier spent his life as a missionary.  He went to many countries and spoke to many peoples, spreading the Good News and giving those to whom he spoke great hope and comfort. He has been designated as the Patron Saint of Catholic Missions because of the zeal he exemplified in his ministry.

Francis Xavier was able to do everything he did because he had an interior peace that fueled him and helped him to face many difficult situations.  So often, we look for inner peace in our own lives.  We convince ourselves that certain experiences or certain people will give us inner peace. That peace cannot be found from without, however; it can only be found from within.

We are preparing to celebrate the birth of a Child whom we call, among many titles, the Prince of Peace.  God is the only one that can give us the peace we seek.  We must look within, sometimes quite deep within, to find the peace of God.  We often block that peace by distractions of all kind.  Advent gives us the opportunity to focus inward, identify the great gifts of God, and respond to Him in love from a deeply-rooted peace.

As we are at the beginning of the Advent season, it might be a good idea to look at your life and see how many distractions – inner as well as outer – you have in your life that keep you from focusing on God.  You can make a list and try to determine what you need to do to remove them so that you may be more grounded in Christ’s peace.

FAITH ACTION:  In quiet prayer this day, reflect upon the peace that the Christ-child brought to His people.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Do You Cherish Your Presents?

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”  ~ Bil Keane

Bil Keane provided to us, through his wildly popular cartoon, The Family Circus, a positive glimpse of family life.  His characters, though cartoons, were so reflective of the world around us that many people thought they must have been real.  The cartoons addressed a great number of topics with courage and steadfast determination.  Life, death, joy, sorrow, gratitude, cynicism – all these, and more, were woven through the interactions of the children and their parents.  Bil Keane also addressed faith issues quite often.  He even drew logos for use during Catholic Schools Week for several years.

I loved watching his work as Christmas would draw near.  The children would drop hints about the presents they wanted, would wait anxiously to open their presents, and often would fight over the presents they received.  However, as the day drew nearer, you could always count on Bil to draw pictures of the children examining the nativity scene, sitting patiently in church pews, or reminding each other about the real hope of the season: Baby Jesus.

There is a slogan that states “Jesus is the reason for the season” and another that states “Jesus is the perfect present.”  These sayings might sound a bit trite to many but they are very true.  Christmas is not about material presents.  It is about the greatest present of all: Jesus Christ. We give presents to one another to remind ourselves of the present that God gave to us.

Today is a gift of God.  That is why we call it the “present”.  Bil is spot on in today’s quote.  However, living in a material world, we often look for presents that we can see and touch.  We forget that not all presents are material. The better presents are spiritual.  The best present, of course, is God Himself.

Our failure, or reluctance, to see past the material to the spiritual is one of the reasons that we have this wonderful season of Advent.  It gives us a chance to view our lives through our spiritual lenses rather than our material ones.  Enjoy today.  Enjoy this season.  Enjoy your life.  They are all wonderful presents from a God who loves us so dearly that He gave us the present of His Son.  If that is not a message of hope, I don’t know what is.

FAITH ACTION:  Do not be afraid to let your faith show in your daily life so that, in doing so, you might bring hope to someone who desperately needs it.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Sing The Tune!

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all.”

~ Emily Dickinson

There is nothing better, in my mind, than this time of year.  One of the things that frustrates me about the advertising mentality of our commercialized world is that Christmas already begins before Thanksgiving with the non-stop playing of Christmas songs on the radio and Christmas sales in stores.  They begin Christmas so early that the season of Advent generally becomes totally ignored, except by the Church.

Advent is a wonderful season of hope.  The hymns of Advent, the readings of Advent, and the Mass prayers of Advent all help us to look ahead to the promised hope of the birth of Christ and the joy that birth has brought to a world enslaved by sin.  When we gloss over Advent, we deny ourselves of the opportunity to prepare for the wonders of Christmas as best we should.

We fill our thoughts with material preparations of Christmas – baking cookies, cleaning homes, buying and wrapping presents, visiting family and friends – but we often fail to reflect upon the true nature of both Advent and Christmas: the coming of Christ and the fact that He will come again.  Shopping and baking and visiting and gifting all have their place; however, their place should be viewed through the lens of the seasons, both Advent and Christmas.

Emily Dickinson knew what she was talking about.  What better way to fix the lens for us to view the season than to fill our hearts with the music of the season.  I always see people humming and singing Advent and Christmas songs at this time of the year.  Doing so helps to focus on the real nature of Christmas (that is, if they’re singing to themselves things like “What Child is This?” or “Silent Night” and not “Gramma got run over by a reindeer”).

My prayer for you is that hope, that thing with feathers, perches in your soul and chirps to you about the wonders of God, the promise of His Son, and the joy of eternity with the Lord.

FAITH ACTION:  Let the music and the melodies of the season of Advent sing to you of the hope of the birth of Jesus.

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Let Your Giving Reflect God

“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic His giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.”  ~ St. Nicholas of Myra

Tell me, is there a person that does not know about Santa Claus, Papai Noel, Viejo Pascuero,  Dun Che Lao Ren, Julemanden, Joulupukki, Père Noël, Weihnachtsmann, Mikulas, Babbo Natale, Hoteiosho, Julenissen, Święty Mikołaj, Pai Natal, Papa Noel, Mos Craciun, Ded Moroz, or Noel Baba?  Is not each legend of the great man an incarnation about someone who bears gifts to the world?  Does not the telling of the story fill a soul with joy and hope?  I certainly hope it does.

Today is the memorial of St. Nicholas.  He was born in Turkey around the year 280.  When he was quite young, both of his parents passed away.  He reportedly used his inheritance to help the poor and the sick.  After he became a bishop, he continued helping.  Legend tells the tale about a time when a man had three daughters.  He was too poor to pay dowries for them to be married and was even considering selling them into servitude.  On three separate occasions, Nicholas stole into their house at night and left money so that the father could afford dowries and allow them to be married.  Another legend tells of how Nicholas came to the aid of three men who were wrongfully imprisoned and sentenced to death.

From there grew stories of a mythical figure who went around gifting people – the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged especially – without a concern for recognition or thanks.  This figure grew into the legend of Santa Claus and has been retold in one form or another throughout the ages.

The bishop, Nicholas, embodied Christ in all that he said and did.  Because of that, the people whose lives he touched experienced not only the help of Nicholas but the loving hand of Christ. With a word or an action, we mark people’s lives for good or for ill.  Advent asks us to focus on doing good, rather than ill, in our daily lives and to do it without the hope of recognition or thanks.  That is what Jesus did for us and that is what He asks us to do for one another.

FAITH ACTION:  Let this season of Advent prepare you to be an even more cheerful giver so that you may be more like Christ.

Friday, December 7, 2018

Our Wish Is His Command

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” ~ Tom Bodett

We continue contemplations of hope this first week of Advent with a wonderful quote from Tom Bodett.  If we want to be truly happy, we need someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.  The Advent season is made just for us and our wish is granted in the Lord’s command to love one another as God has loved us.

We need someone to love.  This is the most basic desire.  Quite a while ago, a study was done on infants.  There was an observation made that infants in an orphanage who did not get touched regularly soon began shutting down.  They would roll to the side, stare at the walls, and some even died.  Their basic desire of love was not being met.  When they received very little care and had little chance at interaction with another person, they gave up.

We need something to do.  This is another basic desire.  No one wants to feel helpless.  They want to feel as if they are contributing.  Children will get physically aggressive in trying to position themselves to do jobs at home or in school.  They want to feel needed.  They want to feel important.  Without anything to do, they feel neglected and left out.  They become depressed and quit trying.

We need something to hope for.  We thrive when we are given something to anticipate.  From our earliest years, we hope for things.  We hope to begin school.  We hope to pass tests.  We hope to graduate.  We hope to get a job.  We hope to get a raise.  We hope to retire.  We hope for good health.  We hope for long life.  When any of our hopes are jeopardized, we are often thrown for a loop.  If some of our hopes are dashed, we a prone to giving up.  We cannot stand the thought of having a hope unfulfilled.

For generations, the Israelites hoped for the promised Savior to come.  They waited and waited.  Many generations died waiting and some began to give up hope because they felt the wait had gone on too long and that God had forgotten them.  However, God did not forget.  He sent His Son to be born as one of us to deliver all of us from sin and death.  Jesus restored our hope.  Our basic desires have been restored to us.  We have someone to love:  God.  We have something to do: proclaim the Good News.  We have something to hope for: eternal life with the one who loves us best.

FAITH ACTION:  Identify all that God has done for you and all the reasons that He has given you to hope.

Saturday, December 8, 2018

A Reflection Of God’s Favor

“There is a reason Mary is everywhere. I’ve seen her image all over the world, in cafes in Istanbul, on students’ backpacks in Scotland, in a market stall in Jakarta, but I don’t think her image is everywhere because she is a reminder to be obedient, and I don’t think it has to do with social revolution. Images of Mary remind us of God’s favor. Mary is what it looks like to believe that we already are who God says we are.”  ~ Nadia Bolz-Weber

To me, Mary is proof of God’s love for us and the fact that God does, indeed, have a plan for us. In the sordid history of humanity, we at one time lived in peace with God.  But, we turned our backs on God and original sin entered the world.  When it did, we became mortal and corruptible.  We would suffer in this life and, when our life ended, we would decompose and return to the dust from which we came.  The very shells that hold our souls had become tainted.

This was not what God wanted.  We hear that, after original sin entered the world, God promised to send a Savior to deliver us from sin and death.  We await the celebration of that moment at Christmas.  However, to get to that moment, God planned.

A part of God’s plan was for a virgin to bear His Son into the world.  If God was going to take on our own human flesh, it would be from a spotless vessel.  In order for that to be possible, God prevented the stain of original sin from touching the Blessed Virgin Mary at the very first moment of her conception.  She would be born stainless.  She was still fully human and she still had free will.  She could have said “no” to the Angel Gabriel years later when he asked her to become the mother of Jesus.

That moment, when she was preserved from the stain of original sin, is referred to as the Immaculate Conception, the Solemnity that we celebrate today.  It set the stage for what we will celebrate in another few weeks: the birth of Jesus.  It also reminds us that God does love us – incredibly – and that God has a plan for all of us.  God does not desire to leave anyone behind and He goes to great lengths to remind us of His love.

Mary is what it looks like to believe that we already are who God says we are.  She was humble and obedient.  She was loving and protective.  She continuously, both while here on earth as well as in apparitions at Lourdes, Fatima, and other places, gave the same message, a message that God delivered from the clouds at the Transfiguration: this is my Son, listen to Him.  Always pointing the way to Jesus, Mary indicates the path to eternal life.  By what we do and what we say, may we point to Jesus as well.

FAITH ACTION:  Thank God for creating you the way you are and ask Him to give you a deeper understanding of His great love for you.

Sunday, December 9, 2018

As We Perceive, So We Live

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”  ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

They say that the best “tell” of a compulsive liar is the fact that the liar believes that everyone else lies.  Why?  Well, if the liar never tells the truth but only tells what is convenient, that person quickly believes that everyone else lives the same way.  The liar has a hard time perceiving the truth.  They see everything as, at best, a convenient lie.

In the same manner, if people live in darkness or in hate, there quickly becomes no room for light or love.  The person who lives in darkness will believe that other people’s hearts are just as dark and will retreat even further into self, not chancing encounters with others.  The hater will think that everyone hates and will react to people accordingly.

The Gospel at today’s Mass for the Second of Advent calls us to “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”  However, in order to prepare the way of the Lord, we need to move out of the darkness of sin in which we may live and cast out any hatred that may reside in our hearts.  The only way we can do that is to allow the peace of Christ to come upon us, to overwhelm us, and to change us.

Peace is the relevant theme of the second week of Advent.  Peace is so critical for our world.  It seems as if the world has gone mad.  Instead of peace, there is conflict.  Instead of love, there is hatred.  Instead of faithfulness, there is treachery.  It is time to cast off these vestiges of sin in order to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth.  God will not force us to do so.  We cannot force anyone to do so.  It must be a free will choice made by each and every one of us.

If we are going to see the salvation of our God, we are going to have to look for it.  We can only find it if we clear our minds, our hearts, and our lives from all that keeps us from God.

FAITH ACTION:  Ask God to help you see each person as He sees them so that you may love them as He loves them.

Monday, December 10, 2018

It Begins Within

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”  ~ Jimi Hendrix

I know I have said this before, probably a couple of times before; but, it bears the need to be repeated.  There is something in our human nature that propels us to desire to grab as much power as possible so as to be in control.  Little children begin to exert their control on family when they first learn that a shout can get them what they want.  When children begin to socialize with other children, someone is always trying to decide what the group will do.

That desire, that drive, continues throughout life.  Some people become incredibly frustrated if they cannot be in charge or, at the very least, get their way.  Some people go beyond frustration and may even become violent.  As I said, we seem to be hard-wired for power and control.  That is one of the basic conflicts for all people since our souls do not share that proclivity.  While our human nature may be wired for control, our spirits are wired for peace.

I do not have to tell anyone how tough it is to live in our bodies and in our world.  We all know it.  We spend so much time grasping for what the world has to offer and, in the process, assail our spiritual nature.  Our soul is yearning for the Lord.  Our soul yearns for peace.  It could care less about power and domination over others.  All it wants to do is to see God again face to face.

The Advent season reminds us of that spiritual journey that each of us shares.  The Advent season also reminds us of that fight between human nature and our spiritual nature.  This season, after all, is supposed to be a spiritual season.  It is a slightly penitential season as well.  Yet, our world wants to turn it into a commercial season.  The Advent calendar is a good example.  For a long time, there was a calendar that one could pop open each day to view a spiritual message within.  Now, there are candy calendars and even wine calendars.  For each day of Advent, you can drink a different glass of wine.  What happened to the spiritual aspect of the season?

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”  Jimi Hendrix was not only one magnificent guitarist, he also gave us a lot to ponder in today’s phrase.  I would reword it to remind us that the true meaning of Christmas overcomes the commercialized version of Christmas.  The world will know peace because Jesus is peace.  Remain true to your Advent journey today.  Do not let commercialization creep in your path.

FAITH ACTION:  Let go of any unnecessary need to be in control and give that control over to God.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Fear Of God

“Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day:

- I shall not fear anyone on Earth.

- I shall fear only God.

- I shall not bear ill will toward anyone.

- I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.

- I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

We always hear about fear.  One of the gifts of the Spirit has been called Fear of the Lord.  There are other times in scripture that we have heard of people fearing God.  The Angels constantly said, “Fear not!”  Just what is fear all about?

I think it is important to note that fear is not the same thing as fright.  So often people talk about Christianity being way off base because we encourage others to be afraid of God.  We are not frightened of Him.  Fear of the Lord is a healthy respect for God.  Fear of the Lord means that we are afraid, not of God, but of jeopardizing our relationship with Him.  It is the same as spouses or best friends who fear hurting the other’s feelings.  They want their relationship, their friendship, to be a good, solid, constant one.  That is why they do all that they can to avoid hurting the other.

Most of the times, when reading scripture, you can replace the word “fear” with respect, love, cherish, or honor because that is what the fear of the Lord does: it increases our respect, love, and honor of God.  We are not frightened of Him.  We are doing all that we can to draw ourselves closer to Him.

I think the misunderstanding of fear is one of the reasons so many people do not go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  They have an actual fear of the process and of the priest.  They are afraid of being judged or lectured or, even worse, not being forgiven.  The sacrament, however, is a place where we go to find, not a frightening God but, a loving God.  When we know that our sins hurt our Lord, the healthy fear of the Lord brings us back to Him, asking for His forgiveness and using the grace of the sacrament in an attempt to refrain from sinning.

Thus, if we fear – that is love, honor, cherish and respect – the Lord, we, like Gandhi, will strive to live as He did: we will bear no ill will, we will promote justice, and we will live in the truth. What better way to honor God than to attempt to live like His Son.

FAITH ACTION:  Do you have a healthy fear of the Lord or do you live more in fright of Him?  Ask Him to replace your fright with a holy fear.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Patroness Of The Americas

“Let not your heart be disturbed.  Am I not here, who is your Mother?  Are you not under my protection?  Am I not your health?  Are you not happily within my fold?  What else do you wish?  Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything.” ~ Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego

The origin of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe dates back to the 16th century. A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. On Saturday morning December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby village for Mass.  Juan was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music and saw a brilliant cloud.  In the cloud appeared an Indian maiden dressed like an Aztec princess who spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico.  She instructed Juan Diego to tell the bishop to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.

The bishop did not take Juan Diego seriously but, as Juan persisted, the bishop told him to have the lady give him a sign.  The lady pointed out roses that were the bishop’s favorite and instructed Juan to carry the roses to the bishop in his tilma (cape).  On December 12th, when Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees for on the tilma appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac.  The tilma has been preserved to this day and many have come to pray to God through the intercession of Mary.

Mary has appeared to many through the ages and, as she has done, asked many people to build places of worship or refuge where God’s people could find grace and peace and healing given to them by her Son.  Mary has never appeared to glorify herself.  She has always appeared to point the way to Jesus.  Mary, as Our Lady of Guadalupe, has been named as the Patroness of the Americas.  We are doubly blessed to have Mary as our Patroness.  We are under her protection as we are a part of the Americas and we in the United States of America have been entrusted to her under the title of the Immaculate Conception.

FAITH ACTION:  As you continue your Advent journey, ask Mary to show you the way to her Son, Jesus.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Don’t Give Up

“Even if things don’t unfold the way you expected, don’t be disheartened or give up. One who continues to advance will win in the end.”  ~ Daisaku Ikeda

Advent has been going on for twelve days now.  Can you believe that?  Twelve days.  For some people, it might seem as if Advent has just begun.  However, for others, probably most others, it feels as if it’s been a month already.

Advent begins, typically, at the beginning of the month.  At that time, Christmas is still a comfortable four weeks away.  However, with the season, each day ramps up and the stresses and tensions of the season begin to chip away on people.  With all the material demands of the season, it is easy to lose focus.  When we lose focus, we become disheartened and consider giving up.  We tell ourselves that “we gave it a good go, maybe next year will be better” and we quit doing whatever it was we chose to do for our spiritual preparation.

The Church knows that this part of the season can become tough.  That is why this coming Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, shifts gears a bit and focuses upon joy so that the joy of the upcoming season will fill our hearts and help strengthen our resolve.  This is not the time to become disheartened.  This is not the time to give up.

Our reflections for the second week of Advent tend to be about peace.  That same topic fits so well into the thought of this reflection.  Why?  Peace is something that we all work toward.  Peace is something that we all desire.  However, people often get tired of all work and no results.  It seems as if we have been working for peace forever and yet we are nowhere near peace.  You know what?  That is an accurate perception.  After all, we have been working for peace ever since the Prince of Peace was born.  A couple thousand years later?  We still have work to do.

God has been working for peace for generations before His Son was born.  He, too, sees that a lot of work still needs to be done.  God has never given up on His people.  We should not give up on each other, either.  Let us continue to advance through this Advent season and through the seasons of our lives so that we may celebrate our ultimate win in heaven with God.

FAITH ACTION:  Are you flagging in some of your resolves for Advent?  This is the time to strengthen and renew your resolve.  Don’t give up.

Friday, December 14, 2018

Know It For What It Is

“To look life in the face, always, to look life in the face, and to know it for what it is...at last, to love it for what it is, and then, to put it away.”  ~ Virginia Woolf

Name it.  Claim it.  Tame it.  Those were the three phrases that made the rounds in many of my seminary days.  Our professors would speak with us about our spiritual journey and the deficiencies we would surface in spiritual direction.  They would always say the same thing.  If we were going to make any progress in our spiritual journeys, we would have to figure out what our problems were, admit that they were problems, and then find a way to deal with them.  Name it.  Claim it.  Tame it.

Virginia Woolf must have taught my seminary professors because her quote references that same reality.  Look life in the face.  Love it for what it is.  Put it away.  Name it.  Claim it.  Tame it.  Throughout these past couple of weeks, we have been on an Advent journey.  We are preparing ourselves for the proper celebration of Christmas.  In order to do so, we have to confront the things in our lives that are keeping us from the Lord.

Confronting those realities can be uncomfortable.  After all, none of us want to examine the things that keep us from God.  We do not want to focus on the negative.  However, it is only when we do so that we will be able to figure out ways to begin to do the right thing.  We have to name the things in our lives in which we are deficient.  We have to claim them as something that are truly a part of us, and then we have to decide how we are going to resolve them.

If this process makes you stressed or fatigued or anxious in any way, just remember that we do not have to do this on our own.  Jesus is always with us, giving us any help that we may need and ask for.  We do not have to go through this process alone.  We do not have to go through our lives alone.  He will be with us always.

Trust in Him, we continue on our Advent journey, asking Him to shine a light on all that we need to name, claim, and tame.

FAITH ACTION:  Make an honest assessment of your failings and make a plan to address them.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Negativity

“Learning to distance yourself from all the negativity is one of the greatest lessons to achieve inner peace.”  ~ Roy T. Bennett

This is a bit of a continuation from yesterday’s reflection.  I do not often have a “Part Two”; however, I thought that this was important.  Yesterday, we reflected upon the necessity to name it, claim it, and tame it.  While that may sound like a simple recipe, for many people, it can case a lot of grief.

The reason for that is very simple.  When we begin to delve deep within ourselves and name our deficiencies, we can become morose or depressed.  We might even feel tempted to give up and throw it all aside.  “Why should we try?” we say to ourselves.  “Why should we even bother? Surely, God wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me.”  But, God does.  He wants to have something to do with us.  As a matter of fact, He wants to have everything to do with us.

God loves us.  Completely.  Unconditionally.  Eternally.  The problem is that we do not love ourselves as God loves us.  We do not love ourselves the way God loves us because we do not see ourselves the way God sees us.  God loves us, defects and all.  When we see ourselves, we cannot see past the defects in our lives in order to love ourselves.

There is a difference between naming the deficiencies in our lives and identifying with them.  They are not who we are.  They are just the things that we say or do that should not be said or done.  If left unchecked, they can take us over which is why we try to address them and deal with them.  But we are the unique creations of God who have a great heritage in store.  That is what we have been reflecting upon throughout this season.

God distanced Himself from all the negativity of the world not by leaving us but by entering the world.  He became one of us in order to redeem us all.  That is the lesson that we can learn to bring us true inner peace.

Look in the mirror each day.  Smile at yourself and tell yourself, “God loves you!”  Because, He does.

FAITH ACTION:  Perhaps you can deal with some of the negativity in your life by going to confession this afternoon.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Let Your Joy Overflow

“Joy will shine in your eyes and in your look, in your conversation and in your countenance. You will not be able to hide it because joy overflows.”  ~ St. Teresa of Calcutta

Beginning with the Third Sunday of Advent, we light the rose candle as well as the first two purple candles.  The rose candle marks the half-way point for us in the season.  It symbolizes joy.  Today is also called Gaudete Sunday.  It is called that because the Third Sunday of Advent’s introit to Mass began with the Latin phrase, “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.” (Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.)  We focus on the theme of joy throughout this week as we become closer to the celebration of Christmas.

This is the time of year when some people become overwhelmed by Christmas preparations.  Will the shopping get done in time?  Will the baking be finished?  Will the gifts be purchased or the relatives be visited?  We keep such a hectic schedule that some people become frazzled.  Yet, in the midst of the stress, there is a joy deep within that begins to bubble to the surface.  All the preparations will not prevent us from contemplating the true meaning of Christmas.  We are preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ even as we await His return.

That is the joy that Mother Teresa of Calcutta spoke about when she addressed others.  Joy is deeply rooted in God and is a part of our relationship with God.  The joy of intimacy with God compels us to reach out to others.  That kind of joy cannot be contained.  If we attempted to do so, we would feel as if we were going to burst at the seams.  That kind of joy must be shared.

How we share that joy takes many forms.  Some share the joy of a relationship with God by directly serving God’s people, going out to the poor and the needy, volunteering at homeless shelters and soup kitchens.  Others share the joy of a relationship with God by developing an even deeper prayer life.  Their prayer is directed outward to others.  Instead of serving people physically, they serve others by praying for them.  This, in many ways, describes the contemplative way of life.

How we share that joy takes many different forms.  What is the same is that we must share that joy.  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!

FAITH ACTION:  Whether they are from scripture or from your life, attempt to share some stories of peace, hope, and joy with members of your family or friends today.

Monday, December 17, 2018

O Sapientia

“O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care: Come and show your people the way to salvation.”

The “O Antiphons” refer to the seven antiphons that are prayed immediately before the Magnificat during Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours, the official prayer of the Church. Each antiphon begins with the exclamation “O”.  They cover the special period of Advent preparation known as Late Advent Weekday (December 17-23).  On December 24th, of course, the Church prays Evening Prayer of the Christmas Vigil.

The O Antiphons emphasize a different prophetic title of the Messiah as mentioned by the prophet Isaiah.  Specifically, the titles of the promised Savior were Wisdom, Lord of Israel, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Radiant Dawn, King of All Nations, and Emmanuel.

“Wisdom is to the soul what health is to the body.”  This anonymous quote really sums it all up.  Wisdom, that first and highest gift of the Holy Spirit, is the perfection of faith.  Through Wisdom, we judge the things of this world in the light of our highest goal:  eternity with God.

Wisdom helps us to direct our lives.  It gives us the grace that we need to navigate in our material world as we try to deepen ourselves in the spiritual world.

As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, we need Wisdom so that we do not become absorbed in the material.  Without Wisdom, we might think that Christmas is nothing more than an elaborate birthday party for Jesus.

While it is the remembrance of Christ’s birth, Wisdom tells us that Christmas is much more.  It is also the reminder that Jesus will come again in glory.  If we are to be ready for that great spiritual union, we must look past our worldly lives and concentrate on the other-worldly, on the Lord.

This all sounds very complicated.  I am well aware of it.  It sounds complicated because it is complicated.  Our world seeks to ensnare us with layers of deceit.  Wisdom seeks to free us from the clutches of the world so that we may focus upon God more clearly.

FAITH ACTION:  Reflect upon the following verse from O Come, O Come Emmanuel and pray for the gift of Wisdom to be given to you more abundantly.

O come, O Wisdom from on high,

who orders all things mightily;

to us the path of knowledge show

and teach us in her ways to go.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

O Adonai

“O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: Come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.”

If anyone needs some good, old fashioned rescuing, it would be us!

We have been created in God’s image and likeness and yet we have cast that aside long ago, allowing original sin to enter into the world.  Now, we are born into a sinful world and we often make our decisions based upon faulty assumptions and selfish motivations.  We are like sheep without a shepherd.  We need order in our lives.

Ironically, the only way we can have order is if we accept laws.  But you know how that goes.  There is one heck of a lot of lawlessness in our world.  We see it on a regular basis:  people putting items in their pockets at the stores and not paying for them, people running stoplights and stop signs because they do not want to stop, as well as people speeding and weaving in and out of traffic.  Let’s not even go into the shootings and other violence that often takes place around us.

As we so frequently break man-made laws, we also break the laws of God.  There are many times that we make other things or other people into our gods.  We lie, we cheat, we steal.  We dishonor ourselves, our parents, authority figures, and God.  In short, humanity is a real mess.

That is not to say there is no help for us.  Actually, there is a lot of help available and it is all in God.  O Adonai (O Sacred Lord) is the “O Antiphon” for December 18.  It calls upon the Lord of Israel to come and rescue His people.  As I opened this reflection, I close it:  If anyone needs some good, old fashioned rescuing, it would be us!

FAITH ACTION:  Reflect upon the following verse and ask our Sacred Lord to come into your life and bring order to any chaos that may be in you or among your family or friends.

O Come, O Come, O Lord of might,

who to your tribes on Sinai’s height

in ancient times did give the law,

in cloud, and majesty, and awe.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

O Radix Jesse

O Root of Jesse, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you.  Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

Roots are very important.  If you are a farmer, a gardener, or even a houseplant grower, you know that it is the root that maintains the plant.  It grounds the plant, it derives nourishment from the soil, it gives the new life of a seed a chance to break through the earth so that it may grow and produce.

We probably experience the sustaining power of roots the best when we try to get rid of a weed or a tree.  If we do not get the root, the weed almost invariably produces another plant to take the place of the one we pulled out of the ground.  When we take down a tree, the roots that are left in the ground often push up new growth.

In today’s “O Antiphon”, O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), we are presented with the image of Jesus as the root of everything.  He is the root of creation.  He is the root of salvation.  He is the root of eternity.

The Root of Jesse, Jesus Christ, can deliver us from our foe.  The devil has no power over Jesus.  That was proved time and time again throughout the Gospels and proved ultimately when Jesus rose from the dead.  It is imperative for us, then, to remain rooted in the Lord.

If we become separated from that root, we will wither and die.  If we, however, become deeply entrenched in that root, we will be able to draw strength and nourishment from the Lord and face the evils of the world around us.

FAITH ACTION:  Reflect upon the following Advent hymn verse and pray that you may become more rooted in the Lord this day.

O Come, Thou Rod of Jesse’s stem,

from ev’ry foe deliver them

that trust Thy mighty power to save,

and give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

O Clavis David

“O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel, controlling at your will the gate of heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.”

I would like to think that I am a normal person and had a normal childhood.  I, like you, when I was young, used to have a fascination with keys.  I remember the first “keys” my parents gave me.  They were those huge multicolored plastic keys on a huge plastic key ring.  Do you remember them?

I used to run around the house pretending to lock and unlock the different doors to the bedrooms, bathrooms, and closets.  As I got older, I realized that the keys were not real.  I wanted real.

So, I began my fascination with real keys.  Finding a key on the ground was like finding a hidden treasure.  Oh sure, I may never find out what door that key opened but one thing was certain, it did open some door, somewhere, so it had great value.

When I worked at Indiana State Prison, I would turn in a chit each morning and receive my ring of keys.  They were mine and mine alone.  They opened several areas of the prison that were secure.  If I lost those keys – or even put them on a desk for a brief moment rather than keep them on my person – I would be in big trouble because that could threaten the security of the prison.

Keys give status.  Keys give security.  Keys give safety.

It was Isaiah who prophesied, “I will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (Is 22:22)  Jesus, the Key of David, also spoke about the importance of keys when He told Peter that He was giving him the keys to the kingdom and whatever Peter declared loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven, whatever he declared bound on earth would be bound in heaven.

As the days of Advent quickly come to a close, call upon the Lord, our God, to come and deliver His people.  When He comes, we need to make sure that we let Him in.

FAITH ACTION:  Pray for those who are locked in sin, that they may allow the Lord to unlock what binds them and set them free to live in a new life and to love the Lord once again.  Reflect upon the verse of this Advent hymn:

O Come, Thou Key of David, come,

and open wide our heav’nly home,

make safe the way that leads on high,

that we no more have cause to sigh.

Friday, December 21, 2018

O Oriens

“O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.”

At this time of year, we often are treated with more intense sunrises and sunsets.  The reds in the morning are sometimes ruby red, deep in color.  The reds and pinks and yellows and oranges in the evenings are glorious as the rays shine all around us.

There is truly something about light.  We all gravitate toward it.  We know, inherently, that light is what gives life and warmth and direction.  In light, we feel comfortable.  We gravitate toward the light and we shun the darkness.

Today we reflect upon the “O Antiphon” O Oriens (O Radiant Dawn).  Jesus, the splendor of the Eternal Father, has shone in our lives, scattering the darkness of sin.  His birth was marked by a new star in the sky, a star so distinct, so bright, that it led the Magi to the place where Jesus was so that they could adore Him.

At the Vigil Mass of Easter, we bless and light the Paschal Candle and process into church singing, “Christ, our Light!”  Jesus, truly, is that Radiant Dawn who casts aside all darkness.

If we live our lives in Christ, we will always walk in the light.  We will never have to worry about the darkness of sin and death.

Walk in the light this day.

FAITH ACTION:  Ask God to shine into your life as you reflect upon the following verse:

O Come, Thou Dayspring from on high,

and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night

and death’s dark shadow put to flight.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

O Rex Gentium

“O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man: Come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.”

From early recorded history, we have seen the establishment of kingdoms and, therefore, dynasties of kings.  Kings were very important to people because they brought about a sense of order and offered a feeling of protection.

In the early days of Israel, they, too, wanted a king.  Even though God was their king, they wanted someone of flesh and blood whom they could see, hear, and relate to on a more personal basis.  The prophets warned that a king would take their money, produce, and lands in taxation and would take their children as servants or warriors.  Nonetheless, they insisted that they be given a king and one was anointed for them.

All that the prophets said came true and they began to look for their true king (God) to come forth one day.  Today’s “O Antiphon”, O Rex Gentium (O King Of All The Nations) is a reminder of that.  The Church prays to our one, true King, asking Him to come and save the people whom He has created.

We see what has happened in the world when people pledged themselves to kings and rulers.  Despots have ruined countries and slaughtered millions.  Others have lived in chains, in prisons, in institutions, deprived of the very freedom they thought would be provided to them by the rulers they established.

Instead of peace, a great sense of unrest has settled upon our world.  Now, not only in the name of kings and rulers but also in the name of God, there are those who would deprive people of their freedom or their lives.  We are in desperate need of being freed from the tyranny of oppression.  Sin should never be allowed free reign.

Indeed, come, King of the Nations, save us and bring us your peace.

FAITH ACTION:  As you reflect on the verse of today’s Advent Hymn, pray for a true and lasting peace among all people throughout the world.

O Come, Desire of the nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind;

bid every strife and quarrel cease

and fill the world with heaven’s peace.

Sunday, December 23, 2018

O Emmanuel

“O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people: Come and set us free, Lord our God.”

Our consideration of the “O Antiphons” ends today.  For seven days, we have recounted different titles of the Messiah and the implications that those titles held.  One might say, “Why quit today?  There are still morning Masses tomorrow.

Remember, the O Antiphons are those that are used with evening prayer.  Evening prayer tomorrow will be Christmas Eve.  We will already be celebrating the feast of Christmas.  That is why December 23rd has the last antiphon.

Emmanuel.  That name has a lot of meaning.  Literally, it means God-With-Us.  We have been proclaiming titles of Christ.  Now, with Christmas so close that we can touch it, we sing in joyful anticipation.

This is not the anticipation of a hope that has no chance of being fulfilled.  This is the anticipation of a hope that we know will come just as children know, when they go to bed on Christmas Eve, that Christmas will be here the next day.

As certain as day follows night, the reality of a Savior follows the promise of He who was to come.  We no longer have to “worry” about the fulfillment of a promise.  We are not part of those generations hoping for a Messiah.  We know that the Savior was born in Bethlehem.

Just as certain as we know He was born, we know that He will come again.  The next time He comes will not be as a tiny, fragile baby but in all of His majesty and glory.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel!

FAITH ACTION:  Ask God to show you that He is with you today and sing in joyful anticipation:

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Monday, December 24, 2018

He Will Come

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free.  He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David.”

(Lk 1:68-69)

For the past several days, we have considered the O Antiphons, which highlighted the different titles of the Messiah.  The O Antiphons were mostly in use by monks in the early centuries and were in use liturgically in Rome by the 800’s.  The monks, it was said, ordered the antiphons with a specific purpose in mind.  If you start with the last title, working backwards to forwards, and take the first letter of each title – Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, and Sapientia – you will discover the Latin words:  ero cras which are translated, “Tomorrow, I will come.”

This day belongs, in a very real way, to children.  Throughout the world, children embody the anticipation that Christmas Eve evokes.  There is a palpable tension in the air.  “The day” is so close that it is almost unbearable.  Children peer at the tree, waiting for presents to arrive or, if they have already arrived, waiting for the opportunity to open their gifts.

We wait for the celebration of the greatest gift of all: the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. His birth changed the course of human history.  It righted our way as He prepared to steer us toward His Kingdom.  The celebration of Christmas is a celebration of mirth, life, and love.  I pray that your Advent journey has put you in a good position to celebrate Christmas and all the promises it brings.

We have spent a little over three weeks of Advent preparing for the celebration of Christmas, which is tomorrow.  ”Tomorrow, I will come.”  Yes!  Come, Lord Jesus, come.

FAITH ACTION:  Prayerfully consider the lyrics of the Advent Hymn, People Look East for the Lord, truly, is on the way!

People, look east. The time is near

Of the crowning of the year.

Make your house fair as you are able,

Trim the hearth and set the table.

People, look east and sing today:

Love, the guest, is on the way.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

A Babe Is Born To Us

“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”  ~C.S. Lewis

Whenever I listen the Handel’s Messiah, my heart leaps as I hear the words sung: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.”  Those words are sung over and over again until they crescendo to the titles of Jesus, “And His name shall be called, Wonderful.  Counselor.  The Mighty God.  The Everlasting Father.  The Prince of Peace.”  Those words fill the celebration of this day, for we commemorate the day that the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace became, for us, a tiny babe, born in a stable.

If you ever go to the shepherds’ field in Bethlehem, you will be struck by the humility and poverty that embody the nooks and crannies that the shepherds used to watch over their flocks.  Certainly not the place for a new born king, the places where shepherds sought shelter were rough, dirty, and small.  They provided some semblance of safety but not of comfort.

The little stable in which Jesus was born was like many others.  Yet, His birth made that tiny stable grander than any castle or fortress of any king.  The all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God was born in those close confines.  The earth could not help but exult.  Angels joined in mighty chorus as they heralded the birth of the Promised One and humble shepherds gathered to see what had been proclaimed.

It is a safe bet that none of those who peered in upon the baby in that tiny stall had any inkling at all as to the majesty they were witnessing.  How could a God so big and powerful allow Himself to become someone so tiny and defenseless?  That, in and of itself, shows us how much God truly loves us.  We have been created in God’s image and likeness.  In His love for us, He took on our frail humanity.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  Those eight words pack more theological punch than anyone else could say.  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  Those words bespeak the depth of God’s love for us.  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  Those words are the fulfillment of a promise made to us by God that He would send us a Savior to set us free from sin and death.

The story of salvation history is not over today.  It just begins.  From this moment until the celebration of Easter, we will watch the tiny babe grow, come into His own, teach, perform miracles, die on a cross, and rise from the dead.  This day we herald the fact that a babe was born to us:  the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

FAITH ACTION:  In your gathering with family and/or friends today, make time to sing Christmas songs, tell Christmas stories, and share your joy over the birth of Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Endings And Beginnings

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”  ~ Epictetus

We celebrated great joy yesterday on the birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Today, we turn our thoughts to the beginning of the early Church and its first martyr, St. Stephen.  Stephen was one of the first deacons in the Church.  The deacons were selected to help the Apostles in caring for the community, particularly at the Eucharist.

The beginning of the Church was a tumultuous time.  Christianity was illegal and anyone who professed the name of Jesus could be arrested, tortured, and killed.  During this time, there were some who gave up the practice of the faith so that they could save their lives.  There were others, like Stephen, who proclaimed the Good News not only willingly but boldly.

Stephen was a man filled with the Holy Spirit.  He was known far and wide not only for his words but also for his works.  He performed great and mighty deeds through the power of the Holy Spirit.  That made him both loved by the Christian community and hated by those who opposed the faith.

One day, Stephen was preaching about the Lord.  There were people listening avidly and people who were jeering him.  Looking up, he exclaimed, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”  Many of the onlookers covered their ears (lest they hear the “blasphemy” that he was proclaiming) and rushed him.  They grabbed him, dragged him out of the city, and stoned him to death.

This was not an isolated event nor was it a random one.  It was orchestrated by a man named Saul who was searching for Christians so that he could have them destroyed.  He truly believed that Christianity was an abomination and wanted to bring it to an end.  Later, he would come to realize that Stephen and many others whom he had put to death were speaking the truth.  He would become a changed man and, as the Apostle Paul, would go into the world to proclaim the Good News just as boldly as the people he had killed.

We may be in the midst of the Christmas celebration; but, we must remember what that celebration was all about.  Jesus came into our world to bring the Good News and to challenge us to proclaim the Good News.  May we have the courage of the martyrs so that our witness to the world inspires others to embrace the Lord.

FAITH ACTION:  Ask God to give you the grace that you need to speak His words today and not your own so that His message may be proclaimed in the world.

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Is Jesus Your Best Friend?

People, let me tell you ‘bout my best friend

He’s a warm hearted person who’ll love me till the end

~ Harry Nilsson

There was an old television sitcom that I used to love watching, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father. It was a story of a widower and his young son.  His son believed that his father should be married again and would often try to match him up with other women, all to great hilarity.  Even though there were a lot of laughs, it was a good-natured show and was often very touching.

One of the reasons that I liked the show was because of the theme song by Harry Nilsson.  People, let me tell you ‘bout my best friend was a quick, witty song that was also what could be called a “feel good” song.  It always got me in the mood to watch the episode.  After all, who doesn’t want to hear about a parent and child loving one another and facing the world together?

I think about that as we consider today’s feast, that of St. John, Apostle and evangelist.  I could imagine John singing, “People, let me tell you ‘bout my best friend.  He’s a warm hearted person who’ll love me till the end.”  He “sang” that quite regularly in his gospel passages.  He spoke about the love of God quite poetically and as a person who knew the Lord and had not only great admiration but great affection for Him.

John was often referred to in the gospels as the Apostle that Jesus loved best.  At the end of His life, as He hung on the cross, Jesus entrusted the care of His Mother, Mary, to John.  In the Christian tradition, John was said to have moved Mary to Ephesus in order to care for her.  He was not only one of the people who wrote about Jesus’ ministry, he was also the one Jesus trusted enough to ask him to care for Mary.

Friendship means much to all of us.  We do all that we can to make friends beginning at a very early age.  Our friends encourage us and embolden us.  When friendships break apart, they affect us deeply and we grieve as much as we would for the death of a loved one.  True friendships are quite rare.  They say that if we make two or three extremely close friends in life we are quite fortunate.  True friends are with us through thick and thin, in good times and bad times, always ready to come to our aid.

John told us about his best friend, Jesus, that warm hearted person who’ll love us to the end.  As we continue the celebration of Jesus’ birth, let us thank Him for being our best friend and ask Him for all the graces that we need to remain His best friends throughout our lives here on earth so that we may live with Him forever in heaven.

FAITH ACTION:  Spend some quality time with Jesus today whether it be in prayer or in service.  Also, let those whom you consider to be good friends know what they mean to you.

Friday, December 28, 2018

Let Christmas Love Reign

“Let me say this as clearly as I can: No matter how sharp a grievance or how deep a hurt, there is no justification for killing innocents.”  ~ Bill Clinton

That, in and of itself, could be the reflection for the day.  Maybe we just need to repeat to ourselves one hundred times, “No matter how sharp a grievance or how deep a hurt, there is no justification for killing innocents.”  If only Herod had such a thought.

Instead, Herod, filled with fear about the news that a new-born king was in his territory and with rage at having been deceived by the Magi, decided to act decisively.  Herod had been known to treat threats with a horrible finality.  He even murdered three of his own sons because of suspected treason.  There was much intrigue in his family as well, with brother attempting to poison brother.  It is easy to see, given that kind of personality, that death would be the quickest “remedy” for Herod.

Since the Magi did not return to tell him where he might find the so called new-born king, Herod ordered the slaughter of all male children in the area under the age of two.  Casting such a wide net, Herod thought, surely the baby would be one of the victims.  However, that was not the case.  Instead, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and told him to take his wife and child at once and flee to Egypt.  By the time Herod’s soldiers arrived, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were long gone.

It is a sad and tragic reality that many people and nations still attempt to settle scores and secure power by harming or killing others.  A true reverence for life has not been fostered in many people’s hearts and that is evidenced by horrific things happening in our world.  St. Pope John Paul II spoke about the culture of death and its firm grip upon our world.  Love is the only thing that can break the grip of the culture of death and instill a culture of life.

The death of innocents should never be acceptable.  The death of innocents should never even be considered, for that matter.  Life is special and precious.  We should do all that we can to cherish and respect all life.

Christmas is all about love: the love of God for us, the love of His Son for us, the love that we are to have toward one another.  Let Christmas Love reign in your heart and soul today and be an example of love to a world that desperately needs to experience it.

FAITH ACTION:  Pray for innocents who are harmed by others and pray that the world may one day embrace a culture of life.

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Tis Christmas Once Again

Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.  ~ Charles M. Schulz

There are many people who “pack it all up” shortly after Christmas day.  It may be because they have anticipated Christmas ever since Thanksgiving and are now tired of it.  It may be that the New Year is fast approaching and, with it, thoughts of other things to do.  However, Christmas is still in full swing.  Liturgically, we celebrate Christmas on the day itself and through an entire octave.  Today is the fifth day in the Octave of Christmas.

We have talked about how Christmas is all about love.  Many families gather together at Christmas time, sharing a meal and stories from the past.  They look ahead and plan family events.  They remark how family members have grown and matured.  They settle down with one another in a blissful peace.  In all of that, they do things for one another.  They may not be big things.  They may be little things, little something extras.

That is what the Christmas season is all about, doing those little something extras for others.  For many, Christmas may be a season of excess.  They may have plenty of food, clothing, and gifts.  For others, however, Christmas may be an extension of their everyday lives: a time of want and need.  In doing for others during this season, we can brighten the days and lives of other people.  We can be Christ for them in their need and show them that Christmas truly is a season of love.

“Little somethings” are easy to do.  Anyone can accomplish a little something.  That is what makes the season so special and so easy.  If we think that we need to do something big, we will easily grind to a halt.  Something big takes too much time.  It takes too much planning.  It takes too much energy.  But something little?  A quick smile?  A note of appreciation?  A small gift unlooked for?  Those kinds of things quickly add up for the one receiving them and they are easy to accomplish for the one doing them.

I often suggest that to people.  When they mention that they are having problems with their families or when younger people say that they have not been very good toward their parents, I often suggest that they do something for the other people in their lives to let them know what they truly think about them.  I tell them that it doesn’t have to be big enough to make the 10:00 p.m. News.  It should be something that speaks to the other person of their love for them.

“It’s the little things that count.”  I have heard that mentioned throughout my entire life.  I used to think it was a stupid saying.  However, as I got older, I began to realize the infinite wisdom in that saying.  It truly is the little things that count.  The little things are generally surprises and they can make all the difference to a person’s day and to a person’s life.

FAITH ACTION:  It doesn’t have to be big or newsworthy.  Simply spread some Christmas cheer to others today.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Family – A Wonderful Gift

“Family is a unique gift that needs to be appreciated and treasured, even when they’re driving you crazy. As much as they make you mad, interrupt you, annoy you, curse at you, try to control you, these are the people who know you the best and who love you.”  ~ Jenna Morasca

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family.  This is a feast in the Church that many people approach with trepidation.  The primary reason, most likely, is because their families may not be sources of love and peace.  Their families may be torn by strife.  They may be fragmented or broken apart.  Because of that, “Family” can be very stressful for some people.

It was for the Holy Family, too.  Think about it.  While engaged, Mary told Joseph she was pregnant with a child that was not Joseph’s.  That would be incredibly stressful.

It was getting close to the days that Jesus would be born and they had to be uprooted and proceed to Bethlehem for a census.  The travel was rough, especially for a woman close to term.  Bandits were all over the roads.  There was no room in the inn.  More stress.

After Jesus was born and after the Magi came to see Him, they were told to flee their own native land and go to Egypt because a king wanted to kill their child.  Even more stress.

Watching Jesus grow up and become a man, Mary heard talk about how others wanted to kill Jesus.  Ultimately, she stood at the foot of His cross.  Off-the-charts stress.

Yet, in all of this, faith in God kept the family intact.  Their belief that they were doing God’s will and that they were entrusted to one another helped them get through awful times.

Our families are a lot like the Holy Family after all.  We endure incredible stress at times.  Yet God has entrusted us to one another and asked us to rely on Him for all that we need.  With God’s love, we can overcome anything that comes our way.

Live in holiness today.  I know you can do it.  So does God!

FAITH ACTION:  If you live with your family, try to do something together today to celebrate your bond.  If you live alone, prayerfully call to mind each member of your family and ask God to bless each one abundantly.

Monday, December 31, 2018

Out With The Old

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year.  It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes.  Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions.  Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.”  ~ G.K. Chesterton

Today is the day.  The last day of the calendar year.  With it finishes hopes and dreams of what the year has held.  Some of the dreams have been realized, some may have remained unfulfilled. As we come to the end of the year, we realize that a new year is just around the corner.

There are probably a lot of people whom we know planning events for tonight.  New Year’s Eve is always a big one for many people.  Dining, dancing, and counting down the seconds to a new year are as traditional as it gets.  But what is it, exactly, to which we count down?  Is it just another year?  Or is there something more special about it?

It will only be “another year” if we have no plans and make no resolutions.  If we allow this day to pass by without looking at where we have been and where we still would like to go, we will waste the day and, in the process, waste another year.

G.K. Chesterton reminded us that resolutions are crucial.  They are what keeps us on task, what keeps us motivated.  Preparations are not begun if resolutions are not made.  If preparations are not begun, real change cannot be accomplished.  If real change is not accomplished, at the end of next year we will be exactly the same as we are right now.  The question is, do we want to be exactly the same next year as this year?

I should certainly hope not.  We are called not to stagnate but to grow.  That is one of the reasons for New Year Resolutions.  They should be something that we can achieve, something that will benefit us, and something that will encourage us to go even further in our growth.

Many New Year Resolutions are material.  As we are believers, we should be sure to make some spiritual resolutions as well.  We might decide that we need to pray more consistently, that we should go to Mass on a more regular basis, or that we should volunteer in a ministry or two.  These resolutions will help our prayer lives and our faith lives, helping us to grow deeper in love with our Lord.

If our past year was not that good, we have the chance to make the new one better.  If the past year was a good one, we have a chance to capitalize on our success and grow even stronger.

FAITH ACTION:  Take some time to make realistic resolutions for 2019 making sure that some of the resolutions are spiritual in nature as well.

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

In With The New

“New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday.”  ~ Charles Lamb

Beginnings are always so important and special.  They give us a chance to celebrate and to look ahead.  There is something about being given a “fresh slate” upon which to write the story of our lives.  New Year’s Day is one of those days.

I wish parishioners Happy Birthday a few times each year.  There are, of course, our biological birthdays.  They are very special; though, as we grow older, some do not like to be reminded of them.  There is our celebration of the birth of the Church, Pentecost Sunday.  I always begin my homily with a hearty Happy Birthday.  There are other annual moments that are somewhat of a birthday feel.

Today is one of those moments.  That is why the New Year has always been pictured as a new born babe.  The New Year comes in as a new baby, fresh and unblemished.  By the end of the year, worry and stress has turned the new baby into a grumpy, old man.  A New Year gives us new perspective, new hope, new chances.  There is a feeling that the old has been washed away and that any mistakes made can be forgiven and any stumbles can be remedied.

As we begin anew, we place ourselves in God’s hands.  We begin each year dedicating it to Mary, the Mother of God.  Mary was a woman of great faith.  She knew that her response to God would have serious consequences but she chose to do God’s will because she saw herself, first and foremost, as God’s handmaid.

Nothing in the past could have prepared her for the moment that she was asked to be the mother of Jesus Christ.  At least, nothing in the world.  However, her past was not steeped in the world.  Her past was steeped in God.  She prayed regularly and devoutly.  She had a deep faith and trust in God.  She begged Him to deliver His people as He had promised of old.  When she was asked to be a part of that grand plan, she did not hesitate but said yes and embraced God’s will.

We begin each year hoping that we will be better than the year before.  We want to be healthier, happier, and more fulfilled.  We can be all of those things if we work on our spiritual lives as well as our physical ones.  Let us do all that we can so that, when God asks anything of us, we may say yes to God’s will as Mary did.

FAITH ACTION:  Spend some time today at rest and ask God to bless this New Year for you and your family and friends.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

What A Wonderful Day!

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are quick, are we not, to lock in on the negative things that happen to us in our lives?  We could have had the most resoundingly awesome day that we have ever had and, at the last minute before going home from work or school, someone may have said something to us that set us off.  Instead of thinking about the wonderful day we have just experienced, we go home angry or depressed.  It is sad when that happens.  However, that happens more often than we would probably care to admit.

What does that?  Does a person say something to us that makes us react that way?  Do experiences do something that force us to react that way?  The quick answer would be, “No.”  It is not an external force that “makes” us feel the way we do.  It is choice.  Pure and simple.  Choice.

That is why Ralph Waldo Emerson instructed us to “write it on our hearts” that each day was going to be the best day that we have experienced.  If we write it on our hearts, if we lock it in our minds, then, no matter what someone says to us or what comes our way, nothing can unsettle us and make us think that our day was bad.

We have most likely gone through the exercise the past couple of days of making New Year’s Resolutions for ourselves.  The reason we do so is to correct things in our lives that may have begun to exert the wrong kinds of influence upon us.  However, we often lament about how quickly our resolutions are broken.  Maybe that is because, once we have entered those resolutions into our minds, we forget to hit the “save” key.  They were resolution made because everyone else was doing so and it was the thing to do at the time.  But they were not really important to us and we failed to make them an important part of each day.

If we really want our days to be different, we have to set that change in our minds and hearts.  We cannot merely say something needs to be different, we have to desire that change and pursue it on a regular basis.  Today has the potential to be the best day of our year as does tomorrow and the day after.  That will only come if we decide that we will look only for the good in each day.  Finding the good we will find our God who is behind that good, within that good.  Finding God?  Yes, that would be the best day of the year.

FAITH ACTION:  Do what you can to keep your mind and heart set on the positive things that happen today rather than on anything negative that might come along.

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Spend A Year With God In A Few Minutes

“I once spent a year in Philadelphia, I think it was on a Sunday.”   ~ W. C. Fields

I never fail to laugh when I see this quote.  Come to think of it, I never fail to laugh at almost anything that W. C. Fields ever said.  He was the consummate comedian.  We have all experienced times where it felt as if we were someplace “forever”.  Students will tell you that the final fifteen minutes of the school day feel as if they last for three hours.  Workers will tell you that the final hour is equivalent to an additional day.  Children will tell you that the day before Christmas lasts a lifetime.

It can also be that way with God.  We do not have to spend an enormous amount of time with God in order to be fulfilled.  God does not want quantity, God wants quality.  If we spend a few minutes in prayer and allow God to embrace us, the short time we spend could feel like an eternity.  Only this eternity, unlike some of the examples cited earlier, is an eternity of bliss.  Being in God’s presence always makes a soul feel grounded and secure and the time spent with God is sufficient to fill the soul with all that it needs.

Too many people fail to make time for God in their daily lives because they cite that they “do not have enough time” in their schedule.  They think that they need to create an hour or so.  They do not realize that they do not have to take that much time.  If we are incredibly busy and we give God ten minutes of our time, God would be incredibly happy that we made that bit of time for Him.  God doesn’t count minutes.  God counts lifetimes.

If we come to the Lord “on the fly”, giving ourselves completely to Him in that moment, the connection has the capability to sustain us for a long time.  We could spend a “year” with God in a few brief moments.  Do not be afraid to make that connection.  God, the master of time, will bless whatever time we give to Him, making it full and substantial.

FAITH ACTION:  Make time in your schedule to spend some “quality time” with God today.

Friday, January 4, 2019

Protect Your Identity

“Identity theft is a serious crime that affects millions of Americans each year.”  ~ Ben Bernanke

That is very true.  Identify theft is real and it is rampant and many people are affected by it daily.  However, the theft of our identity is not only material.  I would maintain that there is another “identity theft” that we face and that is spiritual.  Too many people are weak in the faith.  They allow their identity of Christian to be stolen by the world and replaced by a slew of other identities: pagan, hedonistic, selfish, idolatrous, et cetera.

Make no mistake about it: Christianity is under attack.  This is certainly nothing new.  It began the moment Jesus Christ began teaching.  The world rejected what He had to say because the world knew that He embodied the truth.  The world, though, is steeped in lies and sin and cannot accept the truth.  It will do whatever it takes to subvert the truth.  As it does so, the world also attempts to subvert those who follow the truth.  Christians are in jeopardy because they are banner-bearers of the truth.

Just as people who steal someone’s identity do everything that they can to use up the person’s resources and, in the process, ruin the person’s good name, there are those who claim to be Christian but who are far from it.  They have appropriated the name of Christian but live such awful lives that they ruin the name of Christian for those who are legitimately trying to follow the teachings of Christ.  They are shams and liars but, to the world, purport to be faithful.  Those who are hurt by these charlatans believe that all Christians are like the imposters who have harmed them and they steer clear of those who live the faith.

We need to rise up and proclaim what the faith is all about.  We need to live the faith with integrity and love every moment of our lives.  We need to be courageous and call out those who claim to be Christian but who are not.  We need to show the world that Jesus is real and that His love is abiding and available to all.

By faithful words and loving deeds, we can reclaim the good name of Christian that may have been marred by those who have stolen our identity and used it for their own devices.

FAITH ACTION:  Do not allow anyone to steal your Christian identity.  Remain solid in the faith.

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Are Your Goals Realistic?

“The best way to make employees happy is to set realistic goals and achieve them. The big job is to make sure those small steps are pointing us in the right direction and demonstrate at the end of the year that they all add up to something pretty great.”  ~ Leila Janah

We recently began a New Year.  Many people, at the beginning of a New Year, make resolutions for themselves that are quickly abandoned.  Most often, the reason for the abandonment is that the resolutions were never realistic and attainable in the first place.  For example, there is a huge difference between saying “I will lose some weight” versus “I will lose 100 pounds.”  While the ultimate goal might be the fact that someone needs to lose 100 pounds, setting that as the immediate goal is going to feel daunting and, therefore, will probably be ignored.

We often do that with our spiritual lives as well.  People might say that they are going to volunteer in all sorts of areas; i.e., become a Eucharistic Minister, become a lector, become a cantor, sing in the choir, work at the homeless shelter, and help St. Vincent de Paul.  Then, when they look at the huge time commitment that would have to happen for all of the above, they fail to volunteer for anything.  If, instead, they would involve themselves in one ministry, one opportunity, they would be able to do it.  They would find the time much easier than attempting to do everything at once.

I know that these examples might sound absurd.  However, I think that both you and I know that there are those who have attempted to do things like that.  For them, it appeared to have been the philosophy of “all or nothing.”  When they found that they could not do all, they ended up doing nothing.

If someone volunteers for everything, that person is more than likely going to feel frustrated in short order.  They are going to feel stressed and not have the energy – emotional or spiritual – to accomplish what is necessary.  The whole moral of this lesson is quite simple:  start small.

I have said on many occasions that God does not look for quantity.  He looks for quality.  He doesn’t expect us to do everything; but, He does expect us to do something.  Therefore, we need to look at our lives and at the opportunities available to us and choose to do something about our faith.  We need to set goals for ourselves: small, realistic goals.  In doing so, we will find that we are able to achieve what we began.  That will give us the impetus to set even more goals, perhaps even larger goals.  However, while larger, they will still be realistic and attainable.

If we can set goals for our faith lives and accomplish them, we will find a sense of peace and joy in the doing.

FAITH ACTION:  Make sure that the faith goals you set for yourself this day are realistic so that you will accomplish them.

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Rejoice In The Presence Of God

“An epiphany enables you to sense creation not as something completed, but as constantly becoming, evolving, ascending.  This transports you from a place where there is nothing new to a place where there is nothing old, where everything renews itself, where heaven and earth rejoice as at the moment of creation.”  ~ Abraham Isaac Kook

That is exactly the place we find ourselves in today’s liturgy: “a place where heaven and earth rejoice as at the moment of creation.”  On this Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, we recall how God revealed Himself to the world through its representatives, the Magi.  God revealed Himself in the person of Jesus, an innocent child.  What a great mystery.  What an awesome mystery. What a wonderful epiphany!  God became one of us.  He fulfilled the promise made generations before.  He connected everything together in His Son.

While we celebrate the Epiphany today, it would be good for us if we examined our lives and tried to find the places that God reveals Himself to us.  God does reveal Himself on a very regular basis but we often fail to recognize Him because of the distractions of the world as well as those in our lives.  The ability to find God in our lives is a wonderful gift that He is willing to give to each and every one of us if we ask.  God wants us to find Him, to see Him, and to communicate with Him.  He wants us to be close to Him so that we do not get lost to the world.

Can you imagine standing on the very threshold of nothing new and nothing old, where everything renews itself, and where heaven and earth rejoices?  What a wonderful place that must be.  God reveals pieces of that moment each time we draw near to Him.  God has given us incredible experiences in our lives, experiences where we catch glimpses of a powerful God who has humbled Himself to become one of us because of an overwhelming love for us.

When we are embraced in that kind of love, we do not know what to say.  We do not know what to do.  And that is okay.  God doesn’t want us to say or to do anything at those moments.  God just wants us to open ourselves to Him so that we can be as filled with His love as possible.  Those brief, intense, and intimate moments are the stuff that can carry us through incredible distances, challenges, and suffering in life.

FAITH ACTION:  Reflect upon how God is present in your life and ask Him to reveal Himself to you even more fully this day.

Monday, January 7, 2019

Make Use Of Today

“Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of.”  ~Charles Richards

There is a LOT of truth to today’s quote.  How many people squander days and make them useless?  Employers see that happen all the time.  Employees might complain about their very long week and the number of hours that they had to work and yet, as the employer judges the amount of work actually generated, might think that everyone only worked half of the week.

The product that we get out of a day is directly proportional to the amount of time and energy we put into the work.  We cannot expect to achieve any gain if we do nothing about it.  That is true of our daily jobs and that is also true of our spiritual lives.

We cannot expect to be “incredibly holy” if all we do is sit there and say “Okay, Jesus.  Let ‘er rip!”  No.  We have to work at our spiritual lives.  We have to make time for conversation with God.  We must read the stories of our faith in scripture as well as other spiritual readings.  We must spend time in reflection as well as in service to God’s people.  All of these things are the backbone of the spiritual benefit for which we long.  We cannot possibly expect to feel close to God if we do not make time for Him.

If, on the other hand, we make time to be with God, there is no limit to what could happen to us and for us.  Our days, our lives, would be filled with countless blessings.  Do not let the calendar dictate what you do or do not accomplish.  Do not let days get away from you because you will “always have more time.”  Treat each day as the gift that it is.  Put your most into the day.  And see what comes from it.

We have a “bag of tools” from which to choose: prayer, reflection, good works, volunteer service.  Use those tools today.  Employ them fully.  Build the Kingdom of God in your midst and allow others to benefit from your faith and love of the Lord.

FAITH ACTION:  Make full use of today by praying and performing a corporal or spiritual work of mercy.

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

It’s Not The Big Things

I think the tiniest little thing can change the course of your day, which can change the course of your year, which can change who you are.  ~ Taylor Swift

I am not encouraging anyone to be an underachiever; however, I believe that we sometimes do more harm than good for some people when we tell them to “set their sights high”.  When we do so, we often imply that anything less than that ultimate sight, that ultimate goal, is not worth accomplishing.  However, how are we going to get to that ultimate goal if we do not have little successes all along the way?

I love going on cruise vacations.  I do not think that there is a captain alive who simply walked into an office somewhere, said “I want to be a captain”, and was given command of a vessel.  No.  That person would have begun at the “bottom of the ladder.”  That person would have done a lot of smaller jobs, proving competence each step of the way, until ultimately being awarded the command of a ship.  The same holds true for an airline pilot or any other job that requires a high degree of skill.

While we might desire the big and bold and beautiful, the path to it is filled with little steps, little successes, little failures, little changes along the way.  Each change, each correction, makes us a better person.  As we become better and more competent, the next step can be a bit bigger and the next task can be a bit more demanding.  Ultimately, we might be doing some pretty amazing stuff.  But that will only come after a period – perhaps a lifetime – of small steps.

We might desire to be very holy people.  That is not going to happen overnight either.  Holiness is at the end of a path.  The path is filled with work, prayer, service, and sacrifice.  The path is filled with tiny steps as well as the occasional huge leap of faith.  Do not shy away from the small stuff, the small steps.  Embrace them and know that they are on the path to bigger and better things.

FAITH ACTION:  In a variety of little ways today, bring Jesus into the different places you will be.

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Think!

“Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week.”  ~ George Bernard Shaw

I hope I am not the only one.  Are there not times when you want to grab someone, look them in the eyes, thump them upside the head, and say “THINK?!”  Thinking seems to be underrated and underused by too many people.

Think about it.  How many times have you seen someone make incredibly stupid mistakes all because they did not think about things ahead of time?  Instead, they blindly leapt into a situation and made things worse instead of better.

Thinking requires several steps.  We have to have a desired outcome.  We have to know the “cost” of what we are doing whether it be monetary, physical, or emotional.  We have to know what the possibility of a desired outcome will be.  After all, some people have engaged in things not knowing at the outset that what they were attempting was impossible.

I remember when I was ordained.  My first assignment was as a full time associate at St. John Bosco Church and a full time instructor at Bishop Noll Institute.  During my second year, “thinking” was all the craze.  The administration introduced a new curriculum that concentrated on “critical thinking”.  I thought to myself, “Has no one ever thought before this?”  When thinking becomes a craze rather than a reality, something is wrong.

I believe there are probably many times when God would like to grab us, look into our eyes, thump us upside the head, and say “THINK!”  Too often we fail to think about what He has done for us.  Too often we fail to think about the consequences of our sin.  Too often we fail to think about the graces that He offers us to reject temptation.  Too often we fail to think about Him.

When we quit thinking about God and His love for us, we are in grave danger.  We are at risk of turning to something else.  Anything other than God, though, will lead us astray and, ultimately, to our destruction.

Think about it.  Do you want to live with God forever in heaven or not?  Think.

FAITH ACTION:  Instead of doing spiritual exercise in rote, intentionally think about your relationship with God and invite Him to take a fuller place in your heart and life.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Let Today’s Need Be All You Desire

“Truth is, I think, if God just gave us our daily bread, many of us would be angry.  ‘That’s all you’re going to give me?  You’re just going to give me enough to sustain me for today?  What about tomorrow or next year or 10, 20, 30 years from now?  I want to know that I’m set up.’  And yet Jesus says just pray for your daily provisions.”  ~ Francis Chan

Avarice or greed.  This sin is quite deadly.  It is defined as the intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.  It is something, when acted on, which often blinds a person to all others.  Someone acting purely out of greed will not care who is hurt as long as the desire can be met.  The tragic thing about avarice?  It is never satisfied.  Never.  As soon as one thing is attained, the truly greedy person sets sights on the next thing.  And the next.  And the next.

Jesus’ instruction not to pray for anything except our daily need would truly rankle greedy people.  They do not want to hear about “daily need”.  They want all of their needs, all of their desires, met at any cost.  Praying for daily needs takes the onus out of our hands and puts it in God’s hands.  The truly greedy person does not like that idea either.

When we act out of greed, we are on our own.  We do not elicit the aid of anyone else lest they get some of what we want.  We isolate ourselves.  Why would we trust anyone else?  And, if we will not trust anyone else, we will not trust God either.

We have to learn to be satisfied in life.  We have to quit looking for more.  We have to be humble enough to be dependent upon God.  We have to develop a trust in God that will see us through our days.  These are not easy to do.  Thankfully, we have help in the matter.  It is called grace.

If we ask God to give us His grace, He will gladly do it.  If we ask Him for the grace to be humble, He will teach us humility.  If we ask for the grace to trust, He will lead us to trust in Him.  It merely begins with a request.  Are you in need?  Do you lack the trust in God and your fellow brothers and sisters that you need?  God is willing to give you all that you need.  Turn to Him.

Of course, doing so, we have to be ready for His response.  It may not come the way we expected.  It might not be what we wanted.  But, it will always be what we need.  Because that is what God specializes in: providing for our needs.  Pray for your daily need and let God supply as He knows best.

FAITH ACTION:  Don’t be greedy.  Pray for your daily needs today and pray, as well, that others may receive what they need today.

Friday, January 11, 2019

It Gets Better

“The best thing you can learn from the worst times of your life is that it always gets better. It may take a month, a year, a decade, but it will get better if you leave yourself open to it.”  ~ Janis Ian

These words sound exhilarating; however, if I am going to be honest, I would say that I have a tough time living by them.  Anyone who knows me knows that I can slip into a defeatist attitude. If something goes wrong, I have a hard time getting out from under it, especially if I put a lot of myself into it.  If it was a big program and it flopped, you would be hard pressed to talk to me about attempting it again anytime in the near future.

I think we all operate that way at times in our lives.  Failure has a way of wearing on us.  We often take it personally.  We do all that we can not to fail again even if it means avoiding attempting that which failed.  But in doing so, we are in danger of never moving forward.  Failure, while extremely unpleasant and undesirable, can be the building blocks to later success.

When we fail, we need, more than ever, to rely upon trust.  We have to trust that other people will “have our back”.  We have to trust that God is there with us, leading us and guiding us through the failure.  We have to trust that we can turn our failure around into success.  Some people would say that is naivety.  I think, on the other hand, it is what builds our character and makes us stronger.

We will fail.  It is that simple.  We would probably be better off if we wrote that down and placed it in several areas in our homes.  We will fail.  Knowing that will soften the blow when failure happens.  However, it will also give us the strength that we need to get up and try again because the opposite is also true: we will succeed.  As a matter of fact, we will succeed much more than we will fail.

Be humble.  Sometimes failure is an opportunity for others to step in and help.  It takes a lot of humility for some of us to accept help from others.  Maybe failure is the best thing that can happen to us at times because it can build up a support network among family and friends.

Failure can build character.  It can also help us develop patience.  We need to have patience so that, when we fail, we can wait for the moment when that failure can be turned around and built into success.  Do all that you can to make sure that failure does not mar your days, weeks, months, or years.  There is something good that can come from failure.  Be patient and wait.  Ask the Lord to help you turn things around.

FAITH ACTION:  Try not to dwell upon the negative things of the day.  Rejoice, instead, in the positive.

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Don’t Forget To Act

“If you spend too much time wondering what you’re going to feel like in year five, you’re not going to feel anything in year one.”  ~ Emilia Clarke

I have known people throughout the years who have talked about all sorts of things that they were going to do, all sorts of goals and accomplishments that they had planned out, all sorts of dreams that they had.  Yet, they never did a thing.  They talked a good game but they never acted upon their talk.  They would talk and talk and talk about their plans and dreams and goals.  Whenever there was someone new to talk with, they would share everything all over again.  But, when it came down to attempting any of it, there were nowhere to be seen.

Those kind of people truly embody today’s quote.  It is true that we can talk so much about doing something and yet never accomplish it.  I can’t help but think that’s got to be incredibly frustrating.  After all, I say to myself, there has got to be something in those people that makes them see reality, where they can see that they are all talk and no show.  Certainly that has got to leave them feeling unaccomplished.

We are quickly coming to the end of our Christmas season.  We have been journeying together, via these reflections, since the beginning of Advent.  We have come too far to let this journey be mere words.  We need to act.  Tomorrow, we will celebrate the Baptism of the Lord and, in the process, renew our own Baptismal promises.  We were commissioned by the Lord to proclaim the Good News not only by word but by deed.

Yes, there are a lot of words that go into proclaiming the faith.  People need to hear the stories of our faith, the stories of the Lord.  However, they also need to see action.  If we are people who say one thing but do not back our words with works, we will be ignored by the world.  Today, more than ever it seems, the world needs witnesses.

Do not merely talk about where you will be next Advent or Christmas.  Do not merely talk about where you will be in five or ten years.  Instead, while you talk, act upon your faith.  Love your neighbor.  Pray for those who taunt you.  Set an example for all to follow.  Be kind and compassionate.  Love freely and forgive just as freely.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Do more than plan.  Act.

FAITH ACTION:  Make sure that, while you plan out and talk about what you need to do, you actually do something today for the Lord, for the faith, for yourself.  Don’t forget to act on your faith.

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Take That Step In Faith

“Baptism is the initial step of a faithful heart.”  ~ Max Lucado

Do you reject Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises?  Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth?  Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?  Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

These questions are asked of all the faithful this weekend at all the Masses as we celebrate the last day of the Christmas season.  It is a fitting celebration and they are fitting questions once we remind ourselves, for the final time, what Christmas is all about.  Remember, when we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the two-fold coming of Jesus Christ.  Not only do we celebrate the birthday of the Lord, we also remember that baby – now grown up, who suffered, died, and rose from the dead – will come again in glory.  At His second coming, we must be ready.

The only way to be ready for the Lord is to live the life of a fully committed Christian.  We must be a people of peace and justice.  We must be a people of compassion and mercy.  We must embody all the virtues of Christ and eschew the values of the world which directly contradict our faith and our Lord.

In order to do that, we remind ourselves of what we renounce and what we embrace.  Renouncing sin and its many lures and embracing God and His holy virtues will keep us on the path to the Kingdom of God.  Each of us took that first step toward the Kingdom the day that we were baptized.

Many, if not most, of us were baptized as children.  Some of us may have been baptized as teens or adults.  Our baptisms started our initiation into the Family of God here on earth and committed us to follow the laws of God in our daily lives.  Our baptisms also opened for us the channels for God’s graces.  With the stain of original sin washed clean from our souls, we were given the opportunity, at the end of our earthly days, to go to heaven.

But, baptism is not an automatic in.  It is an invitation to live the life of faith day in and day out, twenty-four/seven, three hundred and sixty-five days of the year.  We should never stop.  We should never look the other way.  We should never try to find an alternative for any alternative to a life in Christ leads to spiritual death.  Christ came on Christmas morn to bring us the opportunity for eternal life.  We embrace that great gift in our salvation history and do all that we can to live up to our call as Christians.

FAITH ACTION:  Reflect upon the sacrament of Baptism and ask God to give you the strength to renew yourself in His love today.

Monday, January 14, 2019

Ordinary Time – Is Jesus In Your Schedule?

“How does a project get to be a year behind schedule? One day at a time.”  ~ Fred Brooks

Today, our “count” begins.  Today is the first day of Ordinary Time.  It literally comes from the word “ordinal”, to count.  What we count are the days to the end of the liturgical year.  This is the first week in Ordinary Time.  We will count through the final week in Ordinary Time before we begin another Church year with the season of Advent.

We have to do more than count, though.  If you will, we have to make each day count.  The day should be filled with some positive good either directed at another or, even, at ourselves.  God wants us to care for all people, ourselves included, and considers the day successful if we have but one moment when we made it special for someone else or used it to improve our own relationship with another person or with God.

“How does a project get to be a year behind schedule?  One day at a time.”  Fred Brooks reminds us that our days need to count.  Each and every day of our life is an important one.  God has numbered the hairs on our head.  God has also numbered the days of our lives.  He wants our days to be full and productive.  He does not want us to have empty days.  There are many people who go from day to day without doing a thing.  They look toward the future but forget to live in the present.

When we count the days, we look ahead.  As we do so, let us be mindful of the present day.  It does us no good to look so far ahead that we fail to see the opportunity to do a kindness this very day, to say a word of good cheer this very day, to become a little bit more holy this very day.  We would be remiss if we forgot the Lord in the midst of our day.  So often we plan our days out but do not plan any time to be with God, to reflect upon God’s love, or to do the works of the Lord.  Make today count.

God has given us a limited number of days here on this earth.  Let us recognize the goodness of each day and allow the special nature of each day to shine forth in our words and in our deeds.

FAITH ACTION:  Make sure to schedule time for the Lord today and every day.

Thank You

I hope these Daily Reflections have helped you during the Advent and Christmas seasons.  Would you like to continue reading them?  There are a few different ways for you to do so:

Read them on the web page:

http://dailyreflection.org/

Read them on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DailyReflection.org/

Send an email to meditations@stm-church.com

and ask to receive a daily email

The Daily Reflection automatically posts on the web site and Facebook page each morning at 6:00 a.m. and is emailed at the same time as well so that you may begin your day with a thought and a suggested Faith Action.

Blessings to you as we begin Ordinary Time.

Table of Contents

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Monday, December 3, 2018

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Friday, December 7, 2018

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Monday, December 10, 2018

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Friday, December 14, 2018

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Monday, December 17, 2018

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Friday, December 21, 2018

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Monday, December 24, 2018

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Friday, December 28, 2018

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Monday, December 31, 2018

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Friday, January 4, 2019

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Monday, January 7, 2019

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Friday, January 11, 2019

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Monday, January 14, 2019

Thank You