Feast of the Holy Family

 Merry Christmas and Happy Feast of the Holy Family! (though I think my blog posts usually post the day after.)

It is a beautiful time of year, as we continue through the Christmas Octave, and prepare our resolutions for the New Year.  There is something awe-striking but also mysterious, as we meditate on the life of the holy family.  What was it like to be the mother/father of Jesus Christ Himself?  We can pray to Our Lady "Blessed are you among women!" as we ponder her motherhood.  To Joseph, to pray that our fathers may be good, holy fathers.  We hear so little from either parent in the Bible, yet their example rings out during those first days of Our Lord's life on earth.  

I pray that all families may be blessed with the wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Family, who always sought out God's will and perfect charity.

Second Week of Advent

 Here we are, entering into the Second Week of Advent!  I like to meditate on this Sunday's gospel, with the appearance of John the Baptist in the wilderness.  What does he say?  "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"  St Matthew (the writer of this gospel account) also quotes the prophet Isaiah in exclaiming: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.  

Advent is definitely a time of preparation.  And John the Baptist wants to prepare everyone for something new: the Messiah is coming, as foretold!  We may have decorated our houses for Christmas, but have we prepared our hearts afresh for the entering of something- Someone - new?  The Hebrew people have been eagerly awaiting Our Lord, but did not know how to look for Him.  So John makes his proclamation to be ready!  

Are we ready?

Reminders

 As we approach Holy Week, I have become more intentional in pausing before images of Our Lord that my husband and I have on display throughout the house: a crucifix, a divine mercy image, etc.  I slow down from chores and rushing to get ready for work.  Jesus is waiting to be noticed.  Do I stop and acknowledge His Presence?  Do I reflect on the rays coming from His Hands in the divine mercy image?  Do I whisper, "Jesus, I trust in You."  

I have especially found meaning behind seeing Jesus in the crucifix.  Do I realize the pain, the agony, that He goes through for us?  He is literally hanging there, but also loving me.  It reminds me to go beyond the comfortable.  And the choosing to forgive when I might not "feel" like forgiving.  Or doing an extra act of love because I want to save souls.  Jesus teaches me what it means to suffer and to love.

Our Lord waits for me to notice Him not only during my set prayer times, but throughout the day.  So I remember to slow down and acknowledge, love, and lean on Him; because He is the great I AM.

This is only "A Scratch Off the Surface" in living "In The Presence of God."

New Beginnings

 What is my purpose in life?  In the Baltimore Catechism, it states that "God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven." (Lesson First)  

So what are the basics of being a practicing Catholic?  There are the "usual" things we think of, such as going to Mass on Sundays, going to Confession during Advent and Lent, and being a good example to others.

But why not strive to do more, and not settle for less?  I would like to share what I have been "up to" lately, as a newlywed.

After getting married to my wonderful, loving husband, I officially moved to a different parish.  It has been like starting from scratch, but in a good way.  My focus has been on entering into this new vocation we had established together, as husband and wife.  

The past couple of weeks have been a time of renewal for me.  I'm still getting to know my parish and the people, but I returned to going to daily Mass as often as possible, and made a point of going to Confession again.  

With no ministry to be a part of yet, I reflected on how I can live out the Faith as a housewife.  I pray with my spouse (yes, my spouse!) every morning, every night, and on my own throughout the day. God willing, I will soon resume my videos on A Catholic Presence's Youtube channel.  I try to set a good example, and love my husband in countless ways.

This has also been a time of renewal in faith, reverence in church, and, as already mentioned, accustoming myself to my vocation.

We shall see where the Lord leads, and I encourage you to join me on this journey of being reignited and in love with Him.

Being Present

    It is so easy to live in the past or future, rather than in the present.  I can say this from my own experience. Without realizing it, I had been thinking, “I’ll be happy when I win that contest.”  “I will do better when I become a nun.” “I’ll be happy when I’m married.”  These are all good things to look forward to; but it is even more important to live in the Present. 

    Even in the past, I would get so caught up in a failed achievement, and dwell on the “failure.”  It has taken me a lot to Learn, Trust, and Move On. 

    I capitalize these key pointers to bring to our attention to the importance of living in the Present, even as awesome as some upcoming, beautiful life events can be.  Why wait until later to be truly happy?

    Something I have also learned is the mindset of living with Gratitude.  It has changed my self-talk to be more positive, and grounds me in the Present.  As a couple of examples, noticing the changing fall colors, or appreciate the warmth of a cup of hot tea on a chilly morning.  It’s the little things that add up to living in the Present! 

    Living in the Present is one of the many things that keep me focused and on fire for God.  Because He is not God of the past or future.   The Father is always Present. Let us be Present to Him too!

 

In the gospel two days ago, Jesus starts off by acclaiming “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”  There is this strong desire to change the world, and that is through His proclamation of the Kingdom, and in His works of redemption. 

For me lately, I have been shyer about explaining the faith to others.  But what kind of difference does that make?  While writing this, it has made me recall my early days in helping at youth group, and how much more “on fire” I was.  But now I see the great need to keep this fire going, these flames of love.  From my own spiritual reading, I see the responsibility as a Catholic to proclaim the faith both in word and deed.

I invite you to join me in this self-examination of conscience: How am I bringing the love of Christ to others?

New Beginnings

 God be Praised! At long last, I am writing another blog post.  My heart still sings praise to God as I enter into a newness of life; that of being recently wed to my husband.  It causes me to reflect on what the gentleness of God must look like, in a more tangible way- as a newlywed.

Sometimes, we need this fresh start in order to see things in a different light.  For so many years, I had been in a state of grieving when things were beyond my expectation from leaving religious life.  But now, I see how my loving God- and my husband- have been so gentle, and patiently waiting for me, to be ready for my actual vocation. 

Let us begin each day anew, with a curiosity, rather than a demand, of what God may have in store for us.

Let us find rest in our loving God.

Let us answer the call to holiness, whichever our vocation may be. God loves our little acts of love too, as St. Therese came to realize and share with us.

Let me end this post with a quote from St. Benedict: “Let us set out on our way with the gospel as our guide.”