Do any of us truly believe that our decisions do not affect other people?
Have we not at one point in our lives fallen for this lie, that our choices are nobody else’s business?
Believing that if there are consequences they will be our own consequences and no one else’s.
These are lies. Once Satan can convince us that this is “true” he has won a battle for our souls and the souls of the lives we touch.
Not convinced?
None of us lives on an island. Somehow or another our lives our intertwined with people around us, our family, our friends, co-workers and even people we may not have met personally.
Think of someone with an addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc. The choice to partake in the addictive behaviour begins with an individual who has bought into this belief that his/her choice to place the behaviour or substance ahead of their job, family or friends will not affect anyone but himself.
At some point society recognizes this addiction as an illness and provides resources and treatment to help these individuals make a better choice. While the individual may struggle with the effects of the addiction, we recognize that the family and friends of this individual are deeply affected and in some cases require their own personal therapy to overcome personal difficulties. All this puts a strain on the community and society as a whole to provide these programs, not to mention the addicts who fall into criminal activity to maintain their addiction.
Is it too presumptuous of me to assume that this is true for all decisions we make as individuals? Maybe, but I think not. What I am trying to get at here, is that we cannot go through life, living by our personal moral compass assuming that we are not in turn affecting people around us.
Let’s talk about the damage of allowing sin to rule our lives. Sin is not a personal thing. While the consequences affect us personally, damaging our soul and whatever physical, emotional and psychological consequences we have to contend with. Let’s not delude ourselves into believing that others are not left with consequences as well.
Take for example our own story, you can read here. A decision we made over 7 years ago, is still deeply affecting us today. But what we didn’t count on is that this same decision is now affecting our children, and will affect generations to come. For years we were too ashamed to share our story with others, how many poor souls could have benefited from knowing what we had lived and learned. Recently we have had friends ask if they can use our story to help explain the Church’s teaching to others so now we are affecting people we do not even know.
Someone posted a comment the other day that made think “look how delicate a snow flake is on its own, and yet see what snowflakes can do when they stick together!”
I believe this comment was made to show how powerful we can be if we have a united front, we can effect change.
My friends in Christ, we are like the snowflakes, so delicate on our own. We will “sin” we will fail, and falter and make bad choices over and over again. We must remember that we are all connected, when we fall, we affect the Church, we affect each other.
This is why we need to rely on each other, so we can build each other up and provide healing where it is needed. But we are nothing without Christ. We cannot stand in judgement of our fallen friends, family and members of the Church. However, I feel strongly that we cannot justify sin or excuse it. Sin is what is, it’s damaging and it’s hurtful.
Can we still love the sinner? Can Christ still work through us, even though we are flawed?
My answer is a resounding and hopeful “YES” our heavenly Father is gracious because He created us and knows us. He has a plan that is beyond our understanding and our scope of reality. We have only to read about the woman at the well in John 4:7-42. While she was still a sinner, Christ used her to convert a whole town.
In my role as a Mom I will relate this example to you in attempt to make my point.
I receive a phone call from my son’s teacher advising me of an over due assignment my son has failed to hand in. I quickly realize I was unaware of any such assignment. When my son comes home I check his agenda to find notes that have been erased or covered with white out. I provide him an opportunity to come clean without disclosing what I already know. He fails to fess up to his lies, by continuing to lie. I hate every minute of this betrayal, I don’t understand why he is lying to me, and I hate being lied too. I will not make excuses for his behaviour, it’s upsetting. Once he realizes we have caught his lies, we are quick to point out how his choice to lie has affected so many people. He thought it would only affect him, so it would be no big deal. Well, his teacher who probably does not like to have to call parents had to take on the undesirable task of doing so, it was a group assignment, so he has let his group of friends down, and they will undoubtedly question themselves before they trust him again. He has begged to question our trust in him and the time we take to have this discussion and to help with the make up assignment, has taken time away that we could have spent doing something fun as a family, which affects his younger brother. I think we get the idea; I hope and pray my son does too.
During all this, have I stopped loving my son? Have I stopped appreciating his good qualities, because he has failed me this time? NO.
We are never alone in our decisions, even if we do not recognize who will be affected by our choices; we cannot naively believe that we are not affecting others. We do affect others with our choices, good and bad.
In my next post I plan to address the healing power of forgiveness. Since we can acknowledge that we are all flawed and that we will fail, it is important for us all to reflect on the priceless gift of reconciliation, and just in time for Lent.
In Christ,
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Small Successes on Faith & Family Live
One of my favorite blog communities has started a new weekly event that I have decided to take part in. Every week I will list 3 small successes and I invite you do the same.
We can so easily become overwhelmed with all the tasks we must fulfill in our busy lives. Between housework, children’s homework, food preparation, kids sports…it’s a wonder there is time for anything else, like the little projects we take on along with our regular daily duties.
In December I wrote a post titled, “Time is a Gift” So now I would like us to recognize those times when we made good use of our time. When we closed our eyes to housework to spend time with our children, or we fulfilled a goal we set for prayer time. Perhaps your goal was to be more committed to fulfilling some housework that you have neglected.
Whatever it may be it’s important to review and acknowledge what we have accomplished, this way we won’t be bogged down by all that we did not get done.
In the words of Danielle Bean “It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So let’s do that.”
Read the article here. Then add a comment below and share your 3 small successes with us.
My small success:
1) Made time to have tea with friends
2) Read a few pages of a saint book to my boys
3) Organized work area
What small success have you had this week?
We can so easily become overwhelmed with all the tasks we must fulfill in our busy lives. Between housework, children’s homework, food preparation, kids sports…it’s a wonder there is time for anything else, like the little projects we take on along with our regular daily duties.
In December I wrote a post titled, “Time is a Gift” So now I would like us to recognize those times when we made good use of our time. When we closed our eyes to housework to spend time with our children, or we fulfilled a goal we set for prayer time. Perhaps your goal was to be more committed to fulfilling some housework that you have neglected.
Whatever it may be it’s important to review and acknowledge what we have accomplished, this way we won’t be bogged down by all that we did not get done.
In the words of Danielle Bean “It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So let’s do that.”
Read the article here. Then add a comment below and share your 3 small successes with us.
My small success:
1) Made time to have tea with friends
2) Read a few pages of a saint book to my boys
3) Organized work area
What small success have you had this week?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Freedom of Choice or Right to Life
I am not usually one to stay on top of American politics and my husband will tell you I barely pay attention to local politics. This however is not just a matter of politics now is it?
The passed few days this has been weighing heavy on my heart to share with you my thoughts on this issue. If you haven’t guessed it yet, let me put it this way, actually, Sarah Palin said it best “I am Pro-life and I am unapologetic about my position.”
Being pro-life for a Catholic is not a matter of personal opinion. I hope this is not new to you, however if it is please continue reading this post as I hope you will be enlightened.
The abortion issue will not be put to rest unless and until the unborn are given the right to live. It’s not about freedom of choice; this is about life and death. The choice is made when individuals take part in an act that creates life, not after life has been created. If you are not ready to deal with being pregnant, then why are you…..
Let me ask you, if a woman decides she no longer wants her 1 year old infant and so she lets him drown in the bathtub or overdoses him with pain medication, is that alright? No, you say. It’s horrendous, ridiculous, and unthinkable? Why? He’s a child, alive and well, he has a right to be nurtured, loved and cared for. But I tell you, he is dependant on his mother to live, he is not self sufficient, therefore if she finds it difficult to raise him, isn’t it her right to determine what she does with him? No, you say. Why?
What am I getting at….if it is completely irresponsible and immoral for a woman to kill her 1 year old, why does this principle not apply to a baby who is in the womb? The baby is dependant on it’s mother to survive, just as the 1 year old is, that unborn child has just as much potential to be a full grown person who can contribute to society, as that 1 year old. We were all once an embryo, a fetus, an infant, a toddler, an adolescent. Why is it OK to kill a child at one stage but not at another?
We give too much power to woman to decide the fate of these babies. Imagine that your mother could have at any time terminated you while she was pregnant with you. WOW! Sadly, the women who make the choice to abort, aren’t even given the whole truth. When they are left to deal with the aftermath of the pain and guilt of abortion; who do you think is there to help heal the broken hearts and tortured souls?
What other time in history have we humans been so cruel? When did our ancestors out of fear and misunderstandings send innocent individuals to their death?
I can think of one man, who did no wrong. He came only to teach us to love and forgive; he lived an example of true obedience and respect for the dignity of human life. Yet His message was misunderstood and appeared too threatening for some, the only way to eliminate the threat was to kill Him. This man, who had committed no crime, bore no sin, took on a cruel punishment and died a violent death because of the crimes and sins of others.
Is this not what these unborn babies are doing for us now? These babies have done no wrong, committed no sin. Yet, because these women are afraid of the unknown, lack support and knowledge of truth, they feel this new life growing inside them will only be a threat to them, so the only way to be rid of the threat is to make the baby pay the price with a cruel punishment and violent death.
Friends, pray and pray hard that more and more individuals will come to see abortion for what it really is. Who are we as humans to decide who has the right to live? We don’t seem to learn from passed mistakes, look at our human history.
There are so many others who have written lengthy articles on this topic, and there is so much more I could say on this topic. So many different arguments I have heard from individuals who are pro-choice, it always comes down to recognizing that the unborn are alive, they are individuals from the moment of conception.
Please click on these resources to read what others have had to say on this:
The Hour of Decision
Freedom and Abortion
Learn about a Pro-Life Prisoner who has truly laid down her life in solidarity with the unborn.
Watch these life changing videos and a short film: Silent Scream
Hard Reality with Eduardo Verastegui
Volition
If you or someone you know suffers from the pain and aftermath of abortion know that there are resources available to help you overcome this pain. Christ is waiting for you with open arms. Contact your local parish priest or these resources for help:
Project Rachel
Silent No More
The Healing Place
God Bless!
The passed few days this has been weighing heavy on my heart to share with you my thoughts on this issue. If you haven’t guessed it yet, let me put it this way, actually, Sarah Palin said it best “I am Pro-life and I am unapologetic about my position.”
Being pro-life for a Catholic is not a matter of personal opinion. I hope this is not new to you, however if it is please continue reading this post as I hope you will be enlightened.
The abortion issue will not be put to rest unless and until the unborn are given the right to live. It’s not about freedom of choice; this is about life and death. The choice is made when individuals take part in an act that creates life, not after life has been created. If you are not ready to deal with being pregnant, then why are you…..
Let me ask you, if a woman decides she no longer wants her 1 year old infant and so she lets him drown in the bathtub or overdoses him with pain medication, is that alright? No, you say. It’s horrendous, ridiculous, and unthinkable? Why? He’s a child, alive and well, he has a right to be nurtured, loved and cared for. But I tell you, he is dependant on his mother to live, he is not self sufficient, therefore if she finds it difficult to raise him, isn’t it her right to determine what she does with him? No, you say. Why?
What am I getting at….if it is completely irresponsible and immoral for a woman to kill her 1 year old, why does this principle not apply to a baby who is in the womb? The baby is dependant on it’s mother to survive, just as the 1 year old is, that unborn child has just as much potential to be a full grown person who can contribute to society, as that 1 year old. We were all once an embryo, a fetus, an infant, a toddler, an adolescent. Why is it OK to kill a child at one stage but not at another?
We give too much power to woman to decide the fate of these babies. Imagine that your mother could have at any time terminated you while she was pregnant with you. WOW! Sadly, the women who make the choice to abort, aren’t even given the whole truth. When they are left to deal with the aftermath of the pain and guilt of abortion; who do you think is there to help heal the broken hearts and tortured souls?
What other time in history have we humans been so cruel? When did our ancestors out of fear and misunderstandings send innocent individuals to their death?
I can think of one man, who did no wrong. He came only to teach us to love and forgive; he lived an example of true obedience and respect for the dignity of human life. Yet His message was misunderstood and appeared too threatening for some, the only way to eliminate the threat was to kill Him. This man, who had committed no crime, bore no sin, took on a cruel punishment and died a violent death because of the crimes and sins of others.
Is this not what these unborn babies are doing for us now? These babies have done no wrong, committed no sin. Yet, because these women are afraid of the unknown, lack support and knowledge of truth, they feel this new life growing inside them will only be a threat to them, so the only way to be rid of the threat is to make the baby pay the price with a cruel punishment and violent death.
Friends, pray and pray hard that more and more individuals will come to see abortion for what it really is. Who are we as humans to decide who has the right to live? We don’t seem to learn from passed mistakes, look at our human history.
There are so many others who have written lengthy articles on this topic, and there is so much more I could say on this topic. So many different arguments I have heard from individuals who are pro-choice, it always comes down to recognizing that the unborn are alive, they are individuals from the moment of conception.
Please click on these resources to read what others have had to say on this:
The Hour of Decision
Freedom and Abortion
Learn about a Pro-Life Prisoner who has truly laid down her life in solidarity with the unborn.
Watch these life changing videos and a short film: Silent Scream
Hard Reality with Eduardo Verastegui
Volition
If you or someone you know suffers from the pain and aftermath of abortion know that there are resources available to help you overcome this pain. Christ is waiting for you with open arms. Contact your local parish priest or these resources for help:
Project Rachel
Silent No More
The Healing Place
God Bless!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
New Year Resolution
Happy New Year!
Well, I hope the New Year is off to a wonderful start for all of you. Perhaps some of you have met the first few days of 2009 as I have, battling a hefty flu/cold for the last couple of days. I always like to think that getting sick is God’s way of telling me to slow down.
Not that the holidays were very hectic, but they always seem to be a whirlwind of activity and so the down time to rest and recuperate was welcoming.
However, as I am sure most Moms will agree, we just don’t seem to really know what it means to rest. I have a full time job outside of my home, as most of you know, but the past 2 days I stayed home because I knew that since I felt like I had been hit by a truck I would not be very functional at work.
At first I listened to my bodies cry for extra rest, and did just that. After an hour or so, I felt compelled to clean up, until the dizzy spells come on strong and I rested again. Still not fully giving in to taking this opportunity to rest, as I caught a glimpse of the ever ripening bananas and I know my children thoroughly enjoy home made banana cake, I decide to bake a cake. That will not take too much energy right? Until mid way through I realize I am out of eggs. I call my husband to ask him to pick up some eggs on his way home from work, and reluctantly resign to rest a bit more.
Now as I rest on the living room sofa, I can see that the carpet is in dire need to be vacuumed. This I know will take more energy than I am willing to exert, but I start to think that perhaps I am just being lazy and refuse to give in to this cold. Why do we do this to ourselves, women?
Wouldn’t you know it, within half hour I am dragging the central vacuum hose through the house and as I am vacuuming the unthinkable happens, some how the vacuum stops working. Now I am beat, and I think of the situation with the cake and now the vacuum and realize that God must be telling me that I should be resting, not baking cakes and vacuuming. Did I listen? Well temporarily. My husband informs me it was just a short in the fuse that has to be re-set so there I go again and finish vacuuming.
When my dear husband comes home with eggs and a few extra groceries, together we prepare dinner, he helps the boys with homework and before I know it I am turning into to bed a midnight. Only to awaken the next morning a little worse off then the day before.
Did I listen now? Definitely, I took the day to rest, read and contemplate. Watched a movie with the boys and got to bed early.
This contemplation prompted me to write my first post of the year. I thought it might be original of me to discuss meaningful New Year’s resolutions. Alright, perhaps it’s not that original, but that is all the rage this time of year, and the thought that keeps crossing my mind is how can I make a concrete resolution that I will not fail at in two weeks time?
I am sure that thought crosses most people’s minds, since studies apparently show that most of us will fail at our resolutions.
What if we were to ask God what his will is for us? What does He want to us to add or take away from our lives that could help or could be hindering us from truly living out His will for our lives?
I challenge all of my friends and family, as I am challenging myself to prayerfully consider what God is asking of you. How can we make 2009 different from other years?
Perhaps there is room for a more disciplined prayer life. Individually or as a family, I do rise early to pray and pray before bed. This makes a tremendous difference to my day, try it and see. If you already do this, then perhaps consider adding a scripture meditation to your daily prayer life. Fr. John Bartunek may be of assistance for you in this aspect: Click Here I use his book, The Better Part to assist with my daily meditation.
A resolution I am working on is to pray a daily rosary and grow in my devotion to Mother Mary. I will be reading a book titled, The Secrets of the Rosary.
Another option may be perhaps a call to act. Prayer is always essential, but we are also called to act as people of faith. Perhaps the Holy Spirit may inspire you to join a ministry in your parish community. Another great resolution is to “sharpen your sword” what I mean by this to that you resolve to learn your faith in order to be able to defend it. Get to know St. Paul or the other saints, read formative books.
I am very interested in hearing from you as to what the Holy Spirit inspires you to resolve to do this year. Please comment here or send me an e-mail.
For now, be assured of my prayers for a fruitful and holy New Year!
Well, I hope the New Year is off to a wonderful start for all of you. Perhaps some of you have met the first few days of 2009 as I have, battling a hefty flu/cold for the last couple of days. I always like to think that getting sick is God’s way of telling me to slow down.
Not that the holidays were very hectic, but they always seem to be a whirlwind of activity and so the down time to rest and recuperate was welcoming.
However, as I am sure most Moms will agree, we just don’t seem to really know what it means to rest. I have a full time job outside of my home, as most of you know, but the past 2 days I stayed home because I knew that since I felt like I had been hit by a truck I would not be very functional at work.
At first I listened to my bodies cry for extra rest, and did just that. After an hour or so, I felt compelled to clean up, until the dizzy spells come on strong and I rested again. Still not fully giving in to taking this opportunity to rest, as I caught a glimpse of the ever ripening bananas and I know my children thoroughly enjoy home made banana cake, I decide to bake a cake. That will not take too much energy right? Until mid way through I realize I am out of eggs. I call my husband to ask him to pick up some eggs on his way home from work, and reluctantly resign to rest a bit more.
Now as I rest on the living room sofa, I can see that the carpet is in dire need to be vacuumed. This I know will take more energy than I am willing to exert, but I start to think that perhaps I am just being lazy and refuse to give in to this cold. Why do we do this to ourselves, women?
Wouldn’t you know it, within half hour I am dragging the central vacuum hose through the house and as I am vacuuming the unthinkable happens, some how the vacuum stops working. Now I am beat, and I think of the situation with the cake and now the vacuum and realize that God must be telling me that I should be resting, not baking cakes and vacuuming. Did I listen? Well temporarily. My husband informs me it was just a short in the fuse that has to be re-set so there I go again and finish vacuuming.
When my dear husband comes home with eggs and a few extra groceries, together we prepare dinner, he helps the boys with homework and before I know it I am turning into to bed a midnight. Only to awaken the next morning a little worse off then the day before.
Did I listen now? Definitely, I took the day to rest, read and contemplate. Watched a movie with the boys and got to bed early.
This contemplation prompted me to write my first post of the year. I thought it might be original of me to discuss meaningful New Year’s resolutions. Alright, perhaps it’s not that original, but that is all the rage this time of year, and the thought that keeps crossing my mind is how can I make a concrete resolution that I will not fail at in two weeks time?
I am sure that thought crosses most people’s minds, since studies apparently show that most of us will fail at our resolutions.
What if we were to ask God what his will is for us? What does He want to us to add or take away from our lives that could help or could be hindering us from truly living out His will for our lives?
I challenge all of my friends and family, as I am challenging myself to prayerfully consider what God is asking of you. How can we make 2009 different from other years?
Perhaps there is room for a more disciplined prayer life. Individually or as a family, I do rise early to pray and pray before bed. This makes a tremendous difference to my day, try it and see. If you already do this, then perhaps consider adding a scripture meditation to your daily prayer life. Fr. John Bartunek may be of assistance for you in this aspect: Click Here I use his book, The Better Part to assist with my daily meditation.
A resolution I am working on is to pray a daily rosary and grow in my devotion to Mother Mary. I will be reading a book titled, The Secrets of the Rosary.
Another option may be perhaps a call to act. Prayer is always essential, but we are also called to act as people of faith. Perhaps the Holy Spirit may inspire you to join a ministry in your parish community. Another great resolution is to “sharpen your sword” what I mean by this to that you resolve to learn your faith in order to be able to defend it. Get to know St. Paul or the other saints, read formative books.
I am very interested in hearing from you as to what the Holy Spirit inspires you to resolve to do this year. Please comment here or send me an e-mail.
For now, be assured of my prayers for a fruitful and holy New Year!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!
We have a special visitor coming to our home this Christmas! I am so excited!
We are part of an apostolate with 9 other families, called Pilgrim Queen of the Family, in which we each welcome a shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe into our home for 3 days a month. While she is in our home we pray a daily family rosary. When we received the schedule for December, it was an extra special treat to anticipate having her with us on Christmas Day.
This Christmas I will pray for each of my family members and friends. As our Blessed Mother knows each of our desires, challenges and struggles, we will entrust these to her loving arms, so she can present them to her Son. I will pray the Lord will increase our faith, increase our hope and open our hearts to say “YES” to the inspirations we receive from the Holy Spirit through our Blessed Mother’s intercession.
This Advent, our family journeyed through the Old Testament from creation to the birth of Christ by creating a Jesse tree. It is a wonderful gift to be able to pass this on to our children, while truly learning these ourselves. Tracing Jesus’ family tree has given us a new found appreciation of how faithful God is to us; He kept His promise to send us a Saviour. We break our promises, time and time again, but God is always faithful.
We look forward to attending Christmas Eve mass in a special location this year, and my husband and eldest son are assisting with the liturgy. In the passed, at this celebration I struggle with deep sadness as the pews fill up with families who seem to forget Christ during the remainder of the year. This year, by the grace of God I have a new found hope for those families who will attend; I have a certainty that those who attend will leave the celebration with a sense of renewal, I pray they will open their hearts to respond to the call of Christ and with deep gratitude that they will start their Christmas celebration by seeking out Christ in the Eucharist.
God Bless!
We have a special visitor coming to our home this Christmas! I am so excited!
We are part of an apostolate with 9 other families, called Pilgrim Queen of the Family, in which we each welcome a shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe into our home for 3 days a month. While she is in our home we pray a daily family rosary. When we received the schedule for December, it was an extra special treat to anticipate having her with us on Christmas Day.
This Christmas I will pray for each of my family members and friends. As our Blessed Mother knows each of our desires, challenges and struggles, we will entrust these to her loving arms, so she can present them to her Son. I will pray the Lord will increase our faith, increase our hope and open our hearts to say “YES” to the inspirations we receive from the Holy Spirit through our Blessed Mother’s intercession.
This Advent, our family journeyed through the Old Testament from creation to the birth of Christ by creating a Jesse tree. It is a wonderful gift to be able to pass this on to our children, while truly learning these ourselves. Tracing Jesus’ family tree has given us a new found appreciation of how faithful God is to us; He kept His promise to send us a Saviour. We break our promises, time and time again, but God is always faithful.
We look forward to attending Christmas Eve mass in a special location this year, and my husband and eldest son are assisting with the liturgy. In the passed, at this celebration I struggle with deep sadness as the pews fill up with families who seem to forget Christ during the remainder of the year. This year, by the grace of God I have a new found hope for those families who will attend; I have a certainty that those who attend will leave the celebration with a sense of renewal, I pray they will open their hearts to respond to the call of Christ and with deep gratitude that they will start their Christmas celebration by seeking out Christ in the Eucharist.
God Bless!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Are You Ready for Christmas?
Are you ready for Christmas?
What is really implied by this question is; have you finished your Christmas shopping, decorated your house, sent out Christmas cards, and baked your cookies? For any number of us the list will vary slightly.
Last Christmas I had an enlightening moment. It was about 10 days to Christmas and I was asked “Are you ready for Christmas?” I replied “NO” I am not. By this time, I had completed my shopping, baked all my cookies, my house was decorated and all my Christmas cards were sent out. Why wasn’t I ready?
Being ready for Christmas is not about all the trimmings and parties. Well, what is Christmas really about, then? I am sure most of you know where I am going with this.
I wasn’t ready for Christmas because I had not taken the time to purchase Advent candles, we were not reflecting on the birth of Christ in our daily routine as a family; I hadn’t yet gone to confession and I hadn’t yet made a donation to a charity or family in need in our community.
So I vowed that next year would be different. Is it? So far, I have not started shopping or baking yet. It’s still early isn’t? I am not fretting, in the end all these things get done somehow anyway. I have already purchased my Advent candles, and I have signed up to receive daily e-mail with Advent prayers and activities for the kids from Advent Adventures at: http://www.holyheroes.com/?Click=670
We have our information for the family we are adopting this Christmas, and we’ve signed up to participate in the Christmas Eve liturgy at our parish.
The start of Advent is a special time of year. This time of year especially it’s important, that we contemplate and reflect on “the word made flesh” and I attempt to ensure that together with my family we will make special time for reflection every day.
Why would God, who is a supreme being, perfect in every way. Looking down on us from Heaven, where there is joy and peace and love, surrounded by His angels and saints be so concerned with us, that He would send His son to become one of us. A God, become human. We all know as much as we may be dignified creatures, there are some very unpleasant human traits that Jesus had to contend with, fatigue, hunger, physical illness and pain- just to mention a few. Why leave heaven to become on of us?
A week ago, I took some time to watch a movie with my husband. While this movie is not one I would recommend for the squeamish viewers, and it is definitely NOT a family movie. The end of movie really struck me. Perhaps some of you may have seen it, “30 Days of Night.” Well, it takes place in a small town in Alaska, where the sun will not shine for 30 days, so of course, some ghastly vampire like zombies come to town to feast on the town’s people. While a few of the characters attempt to hide out and fight back, there is one particular character named Eben, who stands out above the rest. His strong family ties and values are apparent throughout the film. He comes to the conclusion that the only way to defeat this evil and to save his friends and family is to become one of the ghastly creatures. To become one of them also means he must die like one of them. He makes this decision, with no concern as to what it means for himself, all that matters is saving others. This self sacrificing choice is driven out of his love for his family and friends. Sound familiar?
Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Secondly, this time of year presents a unique opportunity to look at the Mother of Jesus. There are a few feast days coming up commemorating the Mother of our Lord: December 8th – Immaculate Conception; December 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe; January 1st – Mary Mother of God. As we look to Mary we see her quietness, her humility and her strength. She would have to have had a strong faith and great courage to say “YES’ to bearing a child who is the son of God. Mary would have to have been without sin, God would not have chosen any woman to be the earthly Mother of his son. She was highly favored with God and therefore we too should look to her as an example of faith, humility and strength. Contemplate our own willingness to say “YES” to all the Lord asks of us.
And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. Luke 1:28-30
One of the ways I am recommending my friends and family to contemplate Mary this advent, is by working with a team to plan a Morning of Spiritual Renewal in Brampton ON on December 13th. Please contact me if you would like to attend and I’ll provide the details for you.
Thirdly, with my husband and the children we have started a sacrifice list - one of the many great ideas from “Advent Adventures”. Every day/week they choose a sacrifice out a handful of folded papers in a Christmas box. On this little paper there will be a concrete task or additional prayer idea for them to fulfill that day/week. They actually look forward to getting a new paper from the Sacrifice list – imagine finding joy in the midst of making sacrifices
Of course, we have decorated our home, we will attend a select few Christmas gatherings and company Christmas parties and perhaps even host a party in our home, but our focus always is on keeping Christ as our centre, contemplating His birth and allowing him to be born in our hearts once again!
Have a blessed Advent season!
What is really implied by this question is; have you finished your Christmas shopping, decorated your house, sent out Christmas cards, and baked your cookies? For any number of us the list will vary slightly.
Last Christmas I had an enlightening moment. It was about 10 days to Christmas and I was asked “Are you ready for Christmas?” I replied “NO” I am not. By this time, I had completed my shopping, baked all my cookies, my house was decorated and all my Christmas cards were sent out. Why wasn’t I ready?
Being ready for Christmas is not about all the trimmings and parties. Well, what is Christmas really about, then? I am sure most of you know where I am going with this.
I wasn’t ready for Christmas because I had not taken the time to purchase Advent candles, we were not reflecting on the birth of Christ in our daily routine as a family; I hadn’t yet gone to confession and I hadn’t yet made a donation to a charity or family in need in our community.
So I vowed that next year would be different. Is it? So far, I have not started shopping or baking yet. It’s still early isn’t? I am not fretting, in the end all these things get done somehow anyway. I have already purchased my Advent candles, and I have signed up to receive daily e-mail with Advent prayers and activities for the kids from Advent Adventures at: http://www.holyheroes.com/?Click=670
We have our information for the family we are adopting this Christmas, and we’ve signed up to participate in the Christmas Eve liturgy at our parish.
The start of Advent is a special time of year. This time of year especially it’s important, that we contemplate and reflect on “the word made flesh” and I attempt to ensure that together with my family we will make special time for reflection every day.
Why would God, who is a supreme being, perfect in every way. Looking down on us from Heaven, where there is joy and peace and love, surrounded by His angels and saints be so concerned with us, that He would send His son to become one of us. A God, become human. We all know as much as we may be dignified creatures, there are some very unpleasant human traits that Jesus had to contend with, fatigue, hunger, physical illness and pain- just to mention a few. Why leave heaven to become on of us?
A week ago, I took some time to watch a movie with my husband. While this movie is not one I would recommend for the squeamish viewers, and it is definitely NOT a family movie. The end of movie really struck me. Perhaps some of you may have seen it, “30 Days of Night.” Well, it takes place in a small town in Alaska, where the sun will not shine for 30 days, so of course, some ghastly vampire like zombies come to town to feast on the town’s people. While a few of the characters attempt to hide out and fight back, there is one particular character named Eben, who stands out above the rest. His strong family ties and values are apparent throughout the film. He comes to the conclusion that the only way to defeat this evil and to save his friends and family is to become one of the ghastly creatures. To become one of them also means he must die like one of them. He makes this decision, with no concern as to what it means for himself, all that matters is saving others. This self sacrificing choice is driven out of his love for his family and friends. Sound familiar?
Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Secondly, this time of year presents a unique opportunity to look at the Mother of Jesus. There are a few feast days coming up commemorating the Mother of our Lord: December 8th – Immaculate Conception; December 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe; January 1st – Mary Mother of God. As we look to Mary we see her quietness, her humility and her strength. She would have to have had a strong faith and great courage to say “YES’ to bearing a child who is the son of God. Mary would have to have been without sin, God would not have chosen any woman to be the earthly Mother of his son. She was highly favored with God and therefore we too should look to her as an example of faith, humility and strength. Contemplate our own willingness to say “YES” to all the Lord asks of us.
And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. Luke 1:28-30
One of the ways I am recommending my friends and family to contemplate Mary this advent, is by working with a team to plan a Morning of Spiritual Renewal in Brampton ON on December 13th. Please contact me if you would like to attend and I’ll provide the details for you.
Thirdly, with my husband and the children we have started a sacrifice list - one of the many great ideas from “Advent Adventures”. Every day/week they choose a sacrifice out a handful of folded papers in a Christmas box. On this little paper there will be a concrete task or additional prayer idea for them to fulfill that day/week. They actually look forward to getting a new paper from the Sacrifice list – imagine finding joy in the midst of making sacrifices
Of course, we have decorated our home, we will attend a select few Christmas gatherings and company Christmas parties and perhaps even host a party in our home, but our focus always is on keeping Christ as our centre, contemplating His birth and allowing him to be born in our hearts once again!
Have a blessed Advent season!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Time Is A Gift
As I plan out my days and try to fit in so many tasks, i.e. working, caring for my family, volunteer work, writing, planning events, etc. I realized I also have to plan for Christmas, which is now only about 1 month away.
Overhearing friends and family talking about “finding time” to do this or that, go shopping or bake in order to prepare for Christmas, has inspired me to write about this, I think its “timely” considering the season we are preparing for.
I recall something a good friend of mine shared with me “time is a gift”
If time is a gift, why do we struggle with time? Why do we all seem to never have enough time? Can we really ever “find” time?
The reality of it is we have all the time we need to accomplish what we need to accomplish. Like any great gift we are given, it’s not the gift itself that makes it valuable but how we use it and how we care for it. How do I manage my time?
I’d recommend some reflection on this. When I sat down to truly look at how I was spending my time, I realized that so much of it was spent on things that were not helping me; in fact, many things were hindering me. Spending time idling on the internet, watching TV shows, and being a bit of a scatter brain when I attempted housework. While I was working on one task, I was thinking of the 20 other things I need to get done, losing focus and becoming sidetracked. Certainly, leisure activities like, watching TV and internet are not in themselves totally wrong, but they can easily use up hours worth of time that can be spent on more productive tasks.
First I found myself making a list of priorities: a sort of to do list in order of importance. Then I have to ask myself a few questions: What do I want to accomplish today or this week? What tasks have to be done to accomplish it?
Then what I did was create a daily schedule, holding myself accountable for every moment of the day, from the time I awake to the moment I go to bed at night.
We all have to be accountable and responsible for how we spend our time. I start my day by entrusting it to God in prayer and end the day in thanksgiving, reflecting on what I did and how I can do better tomorrow.
God created time, when he created day and night; therefore He is outside of time. He created us for heaven, therefore we are naturally meant to be with Him outside of time, as well. This brings much consolation to me, as I realize I will not “find” time, instead I must make good use of the time God has given me.
In my next post I will share what comes to mind when I hear the question: “Are you ready for Christmas?”
Overhearing friends and family talking about “finding time” to do this or that, go shopping or bake in order to prepare for Christmas, has inspired me to write about this, I think its “timely” considering the season we are preparing for.
I recall something a good friend of mine shared with me “time is a gift”
If time is a gift, why do we struggle with time? Why do we all seem to never have enough time? Can we really ever “find” time?
The reality of it is we have all the time we need to accomplish what we need to accomplish. Like any great gift we are given, it’s not the gift itself that makes it valuable but how we use it and how we care for it. How do I manage my time?
I’d recommend some reflection on this. When I sat down to truly look at how I was spending my time, I realized that so much of it was spent on things that were not helping me; in fact, many things were hindering me. Spending time idling on the internet, watching TV shows, and being a bit of a scatter brain when I attempted housework. While I was working on one task, I was thinking of the 20 other things I need to get done, losing focus and becoming sidetracked. Certainly, leisure activities like, watching TV and internet are not in themselves totally wrong, but they can easily use up hours worth of time that can be spent on more productive tasks.
First I found myself making a list of priorities: a sort of to do list in order of importance. Then I have to ask myself a few questions: What do I want to accomplish today or this week? What tasks have to be done to accomplish it?
Then what I did was create a daily schedule, holding myself accountable for every moment of the day, from the time I awake to the moment I go to bed at night.
We all have to be accountable and responsible for how we spend our time. I start my day by entrusting it to God in prayer and end the day in thanksgiving, reflecting on what I did and how I can do better tomorrow.
God created time, when he created day and night; therefore He is outside of time. He created us for heaven, therefore we are naturally meant to be with Him outside of time, as well. This brings much consolation to me, as I realize I will not “find” time, instead I must make good use of the time God has given me.
In my next post I will share what comes to mind when I hear the question: “Are you ready for Christmas?”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)