When Christmas comes, are you ready?

(Updated version of column for church bulletin)

I enjoy reading, so much that I remember having to be told not to bring books to the dinner table when I was a child. Today my reading interest varies depending on the mood I am in. Subjects can range from history, religious and biographies to best selling fiction.  Sometimes I will let the book I read effect my mood. I remember the first time I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I was so sad when I finished the last book. The characters of the books had entered my imagination and become real. We shared grand adventure, become friends; protected each other and now all at once and very quickly they were gone, never to live again unless I read the books again.

Our holidays can be like that sometimes. The memories become alive just like the characters in the books we have read. We may feel that with each passing Advent and Christmas season something has been lost. Memories and feeling have been made that we may never have again. Luckily the unique sights and smells of the holidays draw us back to our own memories. The sweets that are baked and the scented candles we burn all help us remember our own family memories. We recall our childhood and the excitement we felt at this time of the year. We want to remember our past but also create new memories with our own family and friends. We recall the past and use those memories to build on the future.

This is what Advent should be for all of us. We should be looking back at the birth of Jesus, recalling all the events surrounding it and also looking forward to the opportunity the birth of Jesus will bring to us. It is fitting that today’s Collect helps us to look both in the past and to the future. We pray that through the Incarnation of the Son of God, made known to us through the message of the Angel, God’s grace may be poured forth into our hearts. This grace will help us prepare for our own eternal salvation that is shown to us by the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel tells us that the child Elizabeth was carrying leaped for joy when hearing the voice of Mary, causing Elizabeth to cry out: “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” We too must be ready to leap for joy when the birth of Christ comes. Our savior wants us to say “Yes” to the salvation he will one day offer to us which begins with his birth. This is not just something from the past, a memory that only lives when we read or think about but an offer of a future eternal life. Advent has helped us to recall the past and to prepare for the future. When Christmas comes may you too be blessed for having believed the message spoken to Mary “the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

Advent: a Time for Traditions

(Updated version of column for church bulletin)

Each family has their own traditions for the holidays. Think back a few weeks ago to the Thanksgiving holiday. You probably ate the same food and did the same things you do every year. Maybe after dinner you played games together, shared family stories or just stood around in the kitchen visiting with each other as everyone helped to clean the dishes. There is nothing wrong with tradition especially if it brings us together in love and comfort. Our hectic lives could be causing us to slowly lose some of our traditions, especially during the Advent season. Our schedules have become so busy and diverse it is hard to find the time for family traditions. Traditions can build up the family through love and sharing so they are worth keeping despite the effort they require.

My wife and I both had the same tradition when growing up.  Each of our families would gather around the television to watch some of the Christmas shows such as The Charlie Brown Christmas Special, Frosty the Snowman or Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It was a time before DVDs, video recorders and multiple playing of the same show. If you did not plan to watch a Christmas show, you could miss it and would have to wait another year for the chance to see it again. There was comfort in the knowledge that you, your mom, dad, brothers and sisters took the time to come together to enjoy the same show and share laughter, comments and jokes. Though it was not spoken at the time there was a love felt by all by just being together.

Today we should be lighting the second candle of our Advent wreath. I know that not everyone has or uses a wreath during the Advent season but it is a tradition my wife and I have always liked. When our children were young, it was very easy to bring them together for the lighting of the advent wreath. There is something about the lighting of the candles, praying together and anticipating the birth of Christ that they all seemed to enjoy. The Advent wreath was also a countdown clock to Christmas for our children so I will admit that the anticipation of a visit by St. Nick probably played a role in my children’s enjoyment of this daily advent tradition.

One thing my wife and I would do each night when we gathered to light the Advent wreath was to make sure not as many lights were on around the kitchen table. Our children would notice this darkness around the kitchen table.  It was their visual reminder of not just how close Christmas was but also of the darkness the world was in before the birth of Christ. The lighting of an additional candle each week would make the room brighter. Each week we knew it was a little closer to the light of Christ coming into our earthly world.

There are many other Advent traditions that can be done; the blessing of your Christmas tree and nativity scene, Advent countdown calendars, the Jesse tree, fasting, attending daily Masses and meditating on the great "O Antiphons" of Advent are just a few. Advent offers us many traditions for preparing for the birth of Christ. Find that special Advent tradition for your family or for yourself and start it today.

Preparing for the Birth of Christ

(Updated version of column for church bulletin)

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

This is the Collect for the today’s Mass; the First Sunday of Advent. We are called to run to forth to meet Christ with righteous deeds. Advent is a time of preparation. We are to prepare for the coming birth of Christ by our righteous deeds. How well we prepared can be shown by how well we wait.

When I was younger, there were three types of waiting I did for a parent. The first was with trepidation. There was a feeling of apprehension; I knew something was wrong. The problem was this feeling was brought about by my own mistakes. I had probably disobeyed either a parent or teacher and did not want to face the consequences. I hoped my mistake was forgotten or not known. Neither was usually the case.

The second type of waiting is with indifference. I just did not think about when my mother or father would be home. I may not have done anything wrong but neither had I done anything outstanding. There was no reason to anticipate their arrival. I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts, plans and desires.

The third type of waiting is one of joyful anticipation. The anticipation is not in an opportunistic way as if waiting to proclaim personal accomplishments but one of joy as one waits to see a loved one. It is the joy that comes from knowing that you wait for someone who desires to see you as much as you desire their presence.

The Advent season gives us a time to prepare for the coming birth of Jesus. We must decide now how we will prepare during this time. Is it with indifference; not giving any thought to how the birth of Christ effected us? Will it be with the trepidation of knowing that we could have done more to better appreciate what the birth of Jesus means to our salvation? Will it be with joyful anticipation that comes from the knowledge that we have truly taken the time to prepare for the birth of Christ?

There will be a multitude of deeds you can do to be ready for the joyous birth we celebrate at Christmas. Participate in the opportunities your Church will offer. Journey through the Advent season using one of the many spiritual Advent books being offered. Budget your time wisely so you will be able to reflect on scripture. Visit the home-bound and those in nursing homes. Donate your time, talent and treasure to those in need. These good deeds will have you prepared and waiting for the birth of Christ with joyful anticipation.

We are all called to a Vocation

(Originally written for my church bulletin)

A few weeks ago I was standing at the top of a hill, facing in a northerly direction.  There was a sheer drop of 30 to 40 feet just beyond where I stood. This gave me a wonderful view of a small valley that lay before me. Cattle were in the valley and they grazed on the green grass oblivious to the fog that hung around them. I could just make out the mountains that rose up on the other side of the valley. To my right the fog was slowly lifting as the sun climbed over the small mountainous hills on the southeast side of the valley. You could see blue sky peak through the fog. It was going to be a beautiful day. I thanked the Lord.

I did not thank the Lord for allowing me to see the beautiful example of His creation. I did not thank Him for the cool sunny fall morning that was about to burst forth out of the fog. I did not thank Him for the retreat that brought me to this spot. At that moment, I recalled how much my life had changed over the last 13 years; the friends that I have made and the friends I may have lost. I thought of the moments of joy I have been part of at baptisms and weddings and the moments of sadness at hospitals and funerals. I thought of all the people I have met who come from all walks of life and yet I did not thank the Lord for this either.

God calls all of us to a vocation. It has been through my vocational call to the Diaconate that I have been able to experience these things I write about. What is your vocation? Even if you have found joy and happiness, do you still feel a lack contentment or fulfillment? That emptiness could be coming from your heart. A vocation is God's invitation to love and serve him. If we do not follow the vocation God has called us to, then we will always have that feeling of emptiness or lack of completeness. 

Jesus tells us we are to love our neighbor as our self. Pope Benedict Emeritus wrote that our neighbor is anyone we can help. Maybe you have a vocation already and do not realize it. Do you check on an elderly neighbor? Maybe you help watch neighborhood children. Do you assist the home-bound or the homeless? Any of these things could be the vocation that God is calling you to. Open yourself up to the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Find the vocation God has for you. It does not matter how important you think it is. If God is calling you to a certain vocation, then it is important to Him.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta is quoted as saying: "Not all of us can do great things. We can only do small things with great love." That is all God wants from you; to do what He asks of you and to do it with love. Standing on that hill, I thought of all the blessings that I have received through my vocation and I thanked the Lord. Find your vocation and you will find what I thanked the Lord for.

Thoughts on my Deacon Retreat

 Early evening at Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas

My wife and I just returned from the annual Diocese of Shreveport Deacon retreat. This year we were again at the Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas. It is a beautifully place with space to walk; from a valley floor to a wonderful overlook.  The retreat allowed us time to take advantage of the grounds at the abbey, experience spiritual growth and visit with fellow deacons and their wives. Like most people we always tell ourselves that we will make more time for each other and like most people it never seems to happen. The benefit of being away from home is that we cannot attend to our normal daily duties nor address the feeling of immediacy that seems to emanate from the emails, phone calls and texts we receive.  This freed up time for my wife and I to reminisce, make future plans, examine our present lives and laugh at some of our crazy adventures.

Our retreat director was excellent. He gave us a wonderful message that I will be able to use and recall for a long time. We were reminded that all people are walking in a wilderness and to find our way through that wilderness we must trust our guide. His example was the Israelite’s journey to the Promise Land. The Israelites had to learn through Moses to trust in God. One thing I did notice was that our retreat director never spoke of avoiding the wilderness or shortcuts through it. The wilderness is the journey we take on this earth and it cannot be avoided. This retreat has been a good reminder for me to never stop prayerfully discerning where God is guiding me.

Another benefit derived from our retreat has been the chance for all of the deacons and their wives to gather together again.  It was in the relaxed atmosphere of the abbey that we shared our thoughts, our joys and our struggles. I quickly discovered that we have a very talented group of husbands and wives. There are those who can sing and others who play musical instruments. There are deacons and wives who are wonderful speakers while others have a great knowledge of Church teachings. The sharing of talents by the deacons and their wives made our retreat so much better.

The one common denominator between all the deacons and all the wives was their love for God.  It does not matter what talent God has given you, there is a common bond that unites all people.  Is this bond due to our love of God or is it the shared wilderness journey we take? Whatever the reason that unites us, I feel blessed to have shared a few days of my journey with my fellow deacons and their wives.  May each of you be blessed with others to share your wilderness journey.

Exaltation of the Cross

(Originally posted on my Facebook Page)

Today in the Catholic Church is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Some may wonder how the cross, the instrument of death for the Son of God, could be exalted. The cross is the wood that Jesus hung from and died on but it is so much more than that. To Catholics and for many Christians the cross is also the instrument of salvation that Jesus used to redeem us.

Jesus tells us that no one has greater love then to lay down his own life for one’s friends. The cross represents the greatest sacrifice that can be made by someone. It represents the greatest act of love that can be shown. Jesus went even farther, his resurrection changed the cross from a sign of death and despair into a sign of love and everlasting life. We exalt the cross today because God sacrificed his son on it so all may have eternal life.

The second antiphon of this morning’s Liturgy of the Hours is “The Lord hung upon the cross to wash away our sins in his own blood. How splendid is that blessed cross.” I could not but recall and have hope in this antiphon as I walked outside this morning. The light of the sun was shining behind the dark clouds trying to hide it. There are dark clouds of sins hovering over our Church today. They will not go away soon and will probably become even thicker and darker before they do. God made the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years for their sins against Him. Only after they atoned for their sins were they were allowed to enter the Promised Land. It is time for the Church to atone for her sins. I plan, in my own way, to help the Church atone for her sins. It will start tonight by attending our Diocese’s Prayer Vigil of Reparation and continue other with other forms of private reparation over the next 40 days.

The cross reminds us that Jesus died for our sins. The Light of Christ can never be extinguished. Those who dwell in darkness may not see the light but it is there, shining brightly, calling all of us to live a life worthy of the sacrifice God asked of his Son.

God's free Gift of Love

I will never forget the first time my wife told me she loved me. We had been dating each other exclusively for a year when she told me to sit down; she had something to tell me. Not the most encouraging way to start a conversation so I was not prepared to hear “I love you”. I was not expecting it for she had always hesitated to say these words. They meant too much for her to just casually say. For my wife, to tell someone you loved them was an ultimate declaration not lightly said and not to be taken back once said.

Her love gave my feelings value. It was a wonderful feeling but with love comes a great responsibility. My next thought was one of apprehension. I had to be worthy of that love. I had to respond in such a way that conveyed my feelings for her and to the love she has for me.

I cannot make my wife love me nor can my wife make me love her. These are choices we both freely make. God’s love is given to us freely. St. Paul tells us God’s love is a gift. It is not something we can earn. God’s love for us is so great that he gave his only Son for our salvation. Through the Son’s death and resurrection, God has made a place for us in heaven. Accepting God’s love is our choice but it can be hard for some. We may spend too much time thinking of our flaws and imperfections. We may not feel worthy of God’s love. We have to remember that Jesus tells us he did not come into the world to condemn. He came into the world to save us. Jesus knows our flaws, he know our imperfections and still he came; freely.

God’s gift of love can be accepted or rejected. God does not make or demand we love him. We are not forced into a decision to love God. God has given us the freedom to respond to his love. Has God's free gift of love been accepted? How are we responding to the acceptance of God's love? Is it heard in our words? It is shown in our deeds? It is the mercy we show to others? Are we feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty and sheltering the homeless? Are we keeping the commandments?

Let this be your prayer today; that your words and deeds be always a reflection of your acceptance of God’s love for you. (Modified version of Bulletin Column dated March 11, 2018)

The Quiet Voice of the Lord

We woke up today to snow.  Something we do not experience too often in this area.  The world we normally interact with has changed for a day or two.  To some it is a beautiful time.  To others it can be beautiful but also an inconvenience, for daily duties will require them to navigate through the snow.  Whatever the reason you go outside you cannot help but notice the quietness. There are no automobile sounds in the distant background. The snow is muffling what little sound there is, for even the birds are quiet; hunkering down to preserve body heat. I am reminded of the bible verses about the Lord passing by:

“Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face.”                                                    (1 Kings 19: 11-13)

Below is last Sunday's comic from Family Circus, one of my favorites strips.  It is so appropriate for us today.  Sometimes we let the noise of our life get in the way of hearing God.  In the quietness that is all around you today, listen for the voice of the Lord.  May you be blessed in your trying.

The Epiphany of the Lord

Ebenezer Scrooge with Tiny Tim

This Sunday is The Epiphany of the Lord. We read of the magi that followed a star to worship a newborn King. These magi are very important to us and to the world. They represent more than just learned men that have studied the ancient prophets; they represent each one of us. The revelation that comes through the magi is that God is not just calling a chosen few but the whole world. The epiphany is that Christ’s kingship extends to all nations.

The magi gave the baby Jesus gifts. Each gift was probably carefully thought out as befitting a king. Recall the Christmas gifts you gave to those you love. You used time, thought and even expense in considering the gift. It did not matter; the gifts were given out of love. The Christmas season is ending but do not forget those gifts you gave. Remember the effort they required and the love you put into them. We should use that same effort and love to shed the message of the newborn King to everyone we meet. Be the light that shows that Christ’s kingship truly does extend to the whole world and that it does not stop with the end of the Christmas season.

You still have gifts to give. Reach out to others and share the gifts God has given you. Be as it was said of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: “And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!”--(This post is also on my Facebook page)