Third Sunday of Advent

(Modified from a reflection originally written for my Church bulletin)

When I was young, every Sunday we would drive by a drugstore on the way to Mass. This was an old-fashioned drugstore in Cedar Grove.  It had large storefront windows on which were painted seasonal scenes and where sales were advertised. Inside the drugstore there was a food counter where you could eat a meal, have pie, ice cream and even a root-beer float.

Each Sunday we would check to see what had been drawn on the drugstore windows. The best day was always the Sunday we saw Santa Claus painted on one of the store’s large windows. It was our sign that Christmas was close and it brought joy to me, my brothers and my sisters.

Today the Catholic Church brings us joy. It has changed what we see. The vestments the clergy wear are not the normal advent purple but rose in color. We light the rose colored candle on our advent wreaths. Just as that drugstore changed the depictions on its windows to advertise a different season, today the Church is advertising joy! We hear the word “Rejoice” at the beginning of the Mass and rightly we should for the advent season is more than half over. Our preparation for the coming of the Lord will not be in vain. The Responsorial Psalm tells us that the Lord keeps faith forever.
Rejoice! God is sending us his saving Word.

Using Advent as a time of Preparation

(Modified from a column originally written for my Church bulletin)

The Advent season is like that of the of the Lenten season, both seasons can have a penitential feel to them. Advent is the time for us to reassess the state of our spiritual life with the knowledge that Christ will return. We are not only to examine our spiritual readiness for the coming of Christ, but we are to make the necessary changes based on that spiritual examination.

There are numerous ways to prepare spiritually for the coming of Christ. One way is a personal sacrifice, giving up something we enjoy. This self-denial can be a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for us.  A second way to prepare for the coming of Christ is to start or increase our own prayer life. Adding some of the beautiful traditions that have been passed down through generations is a good way to quickly increase our prayer life.

I would describe tradition as an action or a belief that is passed on from one generation to the next. It must be worthy of being continued from one generation to the next or it will stop and be forgotten. No one will continue a tradition if it does not have a deeper and desirable meaning. Each family probably has its own Advent and Christmas traditions already. It could be a certain day the Christmas tree is decorated, the use of an advent wreath or a Christmas calendar with Bible verses.  Usually family traditions have been tested by time so do not discard some of your family or Church traditions too quickly.

Whichever way you choose to prepare for Christmas make sure there is time for the spiritual side of your life.  You could be the one that starts a new tradition in your family. May this Advent season bring you many blessings as you prepare for the coming of Christ.

Having a conversation with God

(Originally written for Church bulletin)

In our Gospel for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus tells us “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” What is this calling out that Jesus is telling us to do? The answer is prayer.

We communicate with God through prayer. When there is communication between two beings, a conversation is taking place. When we pray, we are conversing with God. Conversation is how we grow in knowledge; it is how we learn about others and it is how we fall in love. These are all the things Jesus desires us to do with his Father. Honest prayer will keep us grounded in humility as we acknowledge our weaknesses. Prayer will build us up in faith as we allow God to work through us in our humility. God is waiting to hear you call out to him through daily prayer. You will be blessed by many graces when He answers your call.

Does Social Media Manage my Time? (Updated)

I have been bothered lately by my social media usage. The problem is not the posts, the pictures or even security issues. Most of my family and friends post news about family events, beautiful family pictures and inspirational reflections. As to security concerns, it is too late to worry about that. We are only fooling ourselves if we think we can control our privacy.  My social media problem is me.

I do not post that much on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms but I still try to stay current with family and friends by reading their posts.  Whenever one of my family or friends posts something, a little circle appears on the appropriate social media icon. This circle will contain the number of new post since I last opened the app.  My curiosity will usually get the best of me and I will open the app to read the new post.  This habit is starting to make me feel uneasy.  It is as if my time is being managed by social media.

Today’s Mass reading crystallized my thoughts on this unease.  The reading is from the First Letter to Timothy.

Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word with the
imposition of hands by the presbyterate.
Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,
so that your progress may be evident to everyone.
Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks,
for by doing so you will save
both yourself and those who listen to you.

This reading brings up some questions I must ask myself.  Am I using my time wisely? Have I neglected the gifts God has given me?  Should my time be used for things more conducive to my spiritual well being?  These are just some of the questions we can all ask ourselves.

Maybe it is time to for us to evaluate our own lives and how much social media effects it.  Do we let social media comments influence our decisions?  Does social media determine how we feel about ourselves and others?  Are we using our time on social media wisely and for the greater glory of God?  One thing we can all do is evaluate our social media usage.  Are we managing our usage of social media or is social media managing us?

I will continue to use the various social media programs I have joined but I want to cut back on the time I use these programs.  One way for me to do this is by deleting these apps from my phone.  If I need to use social media, it will require the deliberate act of me signing in on my laptop.  No more app opening just because I have been shown something new has been posted.

UPDATE: Since I wrote this post, I have discovered you can turn off those little notifications that show up on the app icon.  I have done this and it has made a world of difference.  I do not look at Facebook nearly as much as I did in the past.  Do I miss some of the wonderful things you share? Yes and I regret not sharing in your excitement but now it is my decision when I look at Facebook.  As each day passes, Facebook becomes less and less of a part of my life and guess what?  I still feel connected to the world.