The Last Hour

~~~ 1 John 2:18-21 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ John 1:1-18 ~~~

Thus we know this is the last hour. 
It seems fitting that on this the last day of the year
scripture reminds us of the last hour.
Jesus is the end, but he also the beginning...
the alpha and the omega.
This year will have a last hour just as our life
will have its last hour one day.
We will have final hour to life as we know it.
What if, what seems to be our final hour
turns out to be our new beginning?

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.

In the book of Genesis it is the word of God that is creation.
His words bring about the fullness of life.
God is always about creating more life,
even our eternal life with him.

And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory...

This Word of all life became flesh...one of us.

It is fitting that we end each year
 with the most incredible mystery...
of the Incarnation...God becoming one of us.

The mystery of the Incarnation keeps
the wonder and awe of God alive in our hearts.

My prayer, as we come to the end of 2014,
is that we never lose our sense of wonder...
that we are the ones that feel small when
 we stand beside the manger.

The God of all creation...
the God who made me...the God who made you
came down from heaven to be one of us.

May you look back on 2014 as a year when you
grew in your relationship with a God who
humbled himself...
a God who emptied himself
of his 'God-ness' just for you.

We have seen His glory all around us through his creation.
May the Lord bless you and keep you safe
as the close of another year draws near.

~~~Peace and Joy~~~

Anna Speaks Piercing Words

~~~ 1 John 2:12-17 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Luke 2:36-40 ~~~

The presentation of the child Jesus in the temple
was much more than simply fulfilling a ritualistic law.
This presentation was a validation of who this child truly was...
it confirmed his heritage as the Messiah.

The one sent by God had indeed come to dwell among his people.
God in all of his divinity took on our humanness to the letter of the law.
It would have been very odd and unusual for Mary and Joseph
to have not taken their son, Jesus, to the temple.

The Gospel today gives us another bone chilling picture
of how significant this temple visit was for all of peoples.

There was a prophetess, Anna...

She was advanced in years, a widow...
She never left the temple...

She worshiped, fasted, and prayed.
Ultimately Anna, like Simeon, believed in the prophecies
they had heard their entire life.
I wonder if I would have had such a steadfast faith.

Would I have been honest enough with Mary to reveal to her
 the sadness slated to come her way?

Would I have been more concerned about ruining her joy
from consecrating her son to God?

In spite the destiny of Jesus he remained with his parents,
just as any normal ordinary child does.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

This was the most private time in the life of Jesus.
We can only presume that his family life was typical
for that time and place.

This was the time Mary got to know and love her son
more and more with each passing day.

He learned about life from Mary and Joseph,
but he also grew in the wisdom from his Father in heaven...
the one who sent him to be one of us.

Anna...
gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

She had one chance to speak about the child to his parents...
She had one chance to give thanks to God for this child.

Mary had years to give thanks to God for giving her this child, Jesus.

How she must have loved him each day.
How she must have pondered in her heart
the things she was told that day in the temple about her son.

Do not love the world or the things of the world. 

Loving the things of the world will, in the end,
 only bring frustration and disappointment.

Follow the lead of Mary.
She loved in the midst of sorrow...
She loved when crushing news about her son was delivered to her..
She loved when most mothers would have become
 too frantic and disturbed to remain in joy.

We are blessed to have holy scriptures to confirm
Jesus as our Savior and Messiah.
We join Anna in giving thanks.
We join Mary in loving her son, Jesus.
~~~Peace & Joy~~~

The Complete Package

~~~ 1 John 2:3-11 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Luke 2:22-35 ~~~

This is the way we may know that 

we are in union with him:

whoever claims to abide in him 

ought to walk just as he walked.

Here is what we so often seem to forget...

Are our actions truly those of Jesus?

Do we ever stop ourselves and observe 

what our actions reveal about our relationship with Jesus?

It is easy to justify whatever our actions reveal.

We say things to ourselves to make ourselves feel better...

like they got what was coming to them...

I was just kidding...

I couldn't help myself...

it happened so quickly, I did not have time to think...

To walk just as Jesus walked is no easy task.

It takes self control and vigilance of ones actions.

It requires that our thoughts come from love.

Whoever says he is in the light,

yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. 

Jesus is the true light. His birth broke the chains of darkness,

yet how often do we find ourselves trapped 

in the darkness...we turn away from the light.

We live in a world where the darkness

 seems to outweigh the light.

We know in our hearts that the light will prevail,

yet the darkness hovers over our world.

We must persevere as bearers of the light.

We must carry our light no matter how it weak it flickers.

We must guard our light from extinction.

We must protect our light by remaining close 

to the primary source, Jesus.

Simeon revealed that Jesus was the light.

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;

your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation

which you prepared in the sight of every people,

a light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people Israel.”

Jesus is the complete package...

he is the salvation and the light for all of mankind.

Since the birth of Jesus there have been no missing pieces.

He was born to deliver to us everything

 we would ever need to attain 

eternal life with him in heaven.

Mary and Joseph followed the prescribed ritual 

of presenting their child Jesus to the Lord in the temple.

Jesus, sent down to dwell among us by the Father, was then

consecrated back to God in the temple.

Let us rejoice with Simeon...

for a child of great light has been born unto us.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Come let us adore the one who brings us the light...

the one who sustains our light.

The closer we are to his light 

the brighter our light will be...

the longer our light will shine for others.

Come close to this child of wonder his blessings 

make the world a better place.

Participate in his light...

~~~Peace and Joy~~~

The Mobile of Family

~~~The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph~~~

~~~ Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 ~~Psalm 128~~ Colossians 3:12-21 ~~~
~~~ Luke 2:22-40 ~~~

Saint Paul gives us the necessary qualities
 for every family to strive toward...

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, 
humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.

If we can treat all members of our family with compassion, kindness,
forgiveness, and love we would all have better
a relationship with one another.

This is often more difficult than we think.
The dynamics within families and among individual members
can become strained...unkind words burst forth
and the great chasm is created.

Unfortunately years can go by with family members
 being estranged from one another.

Over all put on love...
Families must first of all love one another
even when it does not come easily.

The family unit is like a delicately balanced mobile.
If one part of a mobile becomes entangled with another part
it causes the whole mobile to be out of balance.
If you have ever watched a mobile move
in space it is a beautiful balance of dance...peace.
Each level of a mobile depends on the other
levels to be in harmony.

So it is with family...
when one member does not bear
 with another in heartfelt compassion.

May the Lord's Holy Family
 teach us to be more loving
 to our own family members.
Come, Let us Adore Him.
~~~Peace~~~

Rose Colored Glasses

~~~ Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist~~~

~~~ 1 John 1:1-4 ~~~ Psalm 97 ~~~ John 20:1A AND 2-8 ~~~

Beloved:

What was from the beginning,

what we have heard,

what we have seen with our eyes,

what we looked upon

and touched with our hands

concerns the Word of life —

for the life was made visible...

The Word became flesh...this is the Word of Life.

The child Jesus made visible all that life contains...

This God in human infant form is creation itself.

The Words of God brought forth the heavens and the earth

the stars, the animals, man and woman...

What Child is This?

This is the Child of all life.

This is the Child... 

who restores life to those trapped in darkness.

This is the Child...

who saves us from the grasp of evil.

This is the Child...

who brings us life eternal.

What Child is This?

This is the Child who brings forth the essence of all Life.

Without this child there is no life eternal.

John was the beloved apostle.

John loved Jesus with all of his being.

John ached with the desire to tell the 

whole world about the person of Jesus, his friend.

We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

Once you have this Joy you will never

 be satisfied to keep it to yourself.

The joy from this Child is meant to be shared.

This joy is like seeing the world through rose colored 

glasses even if for just a few moments.

Blessed with Joy that comes from the love of a child.

This is the Babe of life and Joy.

Rejoice...rejoice...

~~~Peace~~~

Believing, Crib to Cross

~~~Feast of Saint Stephen, First Martyr~~~
~~~ Acts of the Apostles 6:8-10; 7:54-59 ~~~ Psalm 31 ~~~
~~~ Matthew 10:17-22

Amid the Joy of the Birth of Jesus
 we are confronted with the death
of Saint Stephen, the first martyr.

The manger is still warm from our swaddled king...
a man is stoned to death for believing.
The death was not in vain for the good works
 of the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped by death.

Saul, who later became known by his new name Paul,
saw the horrific stoning of Stephen.
He must have been in a state of shock at what had happened.
Later his conversion and subsequent fervor
would lead to his own cruel death.

I am pretty sure that I am not strong enough to be a martyr,
but their deaths continue to give us real evidence
of what it means to be a true believer.

Not one martyr has lost his/her life in vain.

Their death inevitably brings forth new life in the days to come.
Their death gives us the courage to move forward
toward greater faith in our God.

Our faith must grow, just as the child Jesus grows from
the Baby of Bethlehem we adore today.

We adore you Jesus,
from the wood of your crib to the wood of your cross.
Come let us adore him and remember those who die for loving him.
Christmas Blessings of Peace and Joy.

Beneath the Hay

(2013)

The Babe of Bethlehem

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

~~~ Isaiah 9:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Titus 2:11-14 ~~~ Luke 2:1-14 ~~~

We are no longer doomed to walk in darkness.
A great light has come to dwell with us.
Let us rejoice,
his dominion is forever peaceful.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us;

upon his shoulder dominion rests.

They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,

Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.

Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Come let us adore him...
What Child is this that lays before us so small and helpless?
The breath of heaven gazes into his mother's eyes.
They share amazing love...creator, mother, infant, savior.

Beloved:

The grace of God 
has appeared, saving all

and training us to reject godless 
ways and worldly desires... 

Today as you gaze upon the Nativity Scene
believe that you are seeing the realization of God's grace.

"This is the true Nativity: the feast of poverty,
of God who annihilated Himself, assuming the nature of a slave;
of God who served at the table; of God who hid Himself
from the intelligent and the wise and instead
revealed Himself to the smallest,
the simple and the poor.”
POPE FRANCIS December 22, 2014

This Babe of Bethlehem, as Saint Francis of Assisi called Jesus,
went from the wood of the crib to suspended high upon
the wood of the cross in just a few short years.

St. Francis is credited with creating the first Nativity scene
 because his little church was too small to hold all of the congregation.

Thank you Francis for this beautiful birth scene as our
annual reminder of God's love for us.
The Birth was as normal as any other birth...
The Baby was anything but normal.
This Baby, Jesus, was sent down from heaven...

Joy to the World...the Lord is born...
Let every heart prepare to receive him.

It is a Silent Night a Holy Night.

May Christmas be bright and filled with Joy.
~~~Peace~~~

Make Room...

Christmas Eve

~~~ 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16 ~~~ Psalm 89 ~~~
~~~ Luke 1:67-79 ~~~

“My kindness is established forever”;

in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

Mary and Joseph confirmed 

their faithfulness in humble surroundings.

They had faith in God...they had faith in one another.

The Inn was crowded. They shared space with smelly live stock.

The straw strewn ground was far from sanitary.

The heavens opened up with songs of rejoicing bursting forth.

We are invited to join in this wondrous chorus.

The Lord is kind and merciful forever.

O Radiant Dawn,

splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:

come and shine on those who dwell in darkness

 and in the shadow of death.

Let every heart prepare room in silence and stillness.
The silent light of the child Jesus
 seeps into every hidden space of our heart.

We long for his light
to break the chains of darkness.

This is the holy night of our Lord's birth...
the silent night when the world in stillness lays waiting.

This is the eve of our dear Savior's birth.
In the hustle and bustle of last minute details
let us pause for a moment to be still.
Make room, not just in your heart
 but in your day to welcome Jesus.

Imagine the joy of Mary and Joseph as they
eagerly anticipate the birth of their baby, Jesus.
They have waited patiently for nine months.
They have been faithfully obedient to God's plan
 for the salvation of all peoples.

We have been Blessed beyond comprehension
by those who have gone before us.

The Breath of Heaven is very near to us once again.
In stillness we wait for his coming.
Let us rejoice and be glad.
There is no greater love.
God sent himself to be one of us...
to be with us.
~~~Peace~~~

Purified for His Reflection

~~~ Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 ~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~ Luke 1:57-66 ~~~

Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts...

He will sit refining and purifying silver...

It takes many generations to prepare the way of the Lord, 

because none who had come before could compare with him.

His ways would revolutionize all that had been previously held.

Make way for the coming of the Lord.

He too is preparing us just as gold

 and silver is prepared.

Gold and silver are often found in the same ores.

It was necessary for a process of separation

 to be completed to extract the gold from the silver.

During this purifying process the metal is watched very closely

The process is done to purge away the impurities.

Before we come before the Lord

 we too must be purified from all of our impurities.

The closer the hour comes to our meeting 

with the Lord the greater our need to be purified.

God alone knows what impurities

must be removed from our soul.

This purification does not destroy rather

 it makes the soul more beautiful and pleasing to God.

I have heard that when the purifying process is completed 

the silversmith is able to see his own image reflected in the silver.

When God has finished purifying us his image will be reflected.

God must increase and we must decrease...

this is one way in which we can reflect his image.

Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

May the Lord guide us in his ways of truth.

May the Lord teach us to be like him.

May the Lord show us the way to more complete union with him.

May we humbly allow him to lead our us.

The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him...

It is with patient wonder and awe 

that we anticipate his coming.

He comes this week into our hearts under the appearance of an infant.

He comes to us every day even if we miss his arrival.

He comes to us in the Eucharist every time we receive.

Open your hearts.

The refiner is coming to make you more holy...

to purify your soul...

Blessings in the longing to reflect the image of God.

Come, Jesus, Come.

I humbly desire a greater friendship with you.

In stillness we wait for his Peace.

A Mother's Heart

~~~ 1 Samuel 1:24-28 ~~~ 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8ABCD ~~~ 

~~~ Luke 1:46-56 ~~~

Hannah prayed for a child.

God blessed her with a son, Samuel.

Out of gratitude for Samuel she presented him in the temple.

She dedicated him back to the Lord and left him there.

I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. 

Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;

as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”

She left Samuel there.

This must have been a great sacrifice

 for Hannah;

to give up her son.

It must have been equally 

as difficult for young Samuel to understand.

Why would his mother leave him in the temple?

The Gospel brings us to Mary as she visits with Elizabeth.

A young expectant mother with an aging expectant mother...both 

equally in awe of the power of God.

These three mothers receive the grace to bear their sons

 to fulfill the word of the Lord.

Samuel served Eli faithfully for many years to come.

John served God until his beheading,

 ordered by Herod.

Jesus serves all who come to him to be saved.

Jesus came to die for those whom his father loved.

Three mothers whose sons accomplished great 

things under the direction of God.

We may not be asked to dedicate our son to the Lord,

but we are asked to make sacrifices for God.

We are asked to dedicate ourselves to back to the Lord

 in thanksgiving for his wondrous deeds.

Hannah and Mary express their prayer using similar words...

Hannah prays...

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Mary prays...

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord...

The time is now for us to align our prayer with these holy women.

How has God manifest wonders for you this Advent?

What causes your heart and soul to proclaim his greatness?

The Blessings of the Lord

come to us so that we too may exult in the Lord.

Come, Jesus, Come!

The Obedience of Faith

~~~ Fourth Sunday of Advent ~~~

~~~ 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16 ~~~ Psalm 89 ~~~
~~~ Romans 16:25-27 ~~~ Luke 1:26-38 ~~~

We have been given readings all week
 confirming the presence of the Lord.
Throughout the generations leading to the birth of Jesus
God has made his presence known to those he chose
to accomplish our salvation.
In each time the power and the humility of God
were woven together as one.
The kings of old lived in lavish structures
while the house set aside for God was just a tent.

...ark of God dwells in a tent!

Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”

Paul speaks to the Romans...

...according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ...

Had not each person chosen by God not complied
in obedience of faith to the salvation plan of God,
where would we be today?

The one person who made the greatest
commitment to her faith was Mary.
She was young, innocent
and truly had the most to lose
 by being with child out of wedlock. 

Sometimes God asks us to accept
things that are very difficult.
We can never see the total plan of God.
Just as in the case of Jesus...
what happens in our life today may affect something
or someone many generations after we are gone.

 For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

May we live in such a manner
 that we might hear God say to us...
Hold this sentence close to your soul...
put your name into this short prayer.
Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

The day is near...
Come, Jesus, Come...
bring us into the light of your face.
God is with us!

Blessings of Joy and Peace.

Freed From Darkness

~~~ Isaiah 7:10-14 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Luke 1:26-38 ~~~ 

O Key of David,
opening the gates of God's eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!

The light of Christ is emanating from the heavens.
The light of Christ is his radiant glory.
God put the stars in the sky to shine in the dark sky.

Mary was filled with grace.
She was filled with the light of the Lord.
She began to radiate the light with her song of joy...
the magnificat.

 “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”

Jesus, come free us from the darkness.
Give us your light to shine in our hearts.
Give us your light to illuminate the goodness in our life.
Give us your light so that we may be a light
 to at least one other person.

You only need to share your light with one other person
 to make this world a better place.

Jesus came as the Light of the World.
Jesus brought the light into our lives so that
we could see his truth clearly.

 Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.

The Lord is coming to you.
Are you willing to let him enter into your heart?
The king of glory frees us from the chains of darkness.

Let you light shine for all to see.
Blessed with the his pure light all the days of our life.

Come, Jesus, Come
fill us with your light and peace!

Samson...John...Jesus...

~~~ Judges 13:2-7, 24-25A ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ Luke 1:5-25 ~~~   

Samson and John...
Both born of barren parents...
Both visited by an angel of the Lord.

Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard... 

When you want something as much as these
 two couples wanted to have a child
each passing day increases the tension.

It would have been understandable
for them to have gotten very frustrated.

God senses their feeling of loss.
Of course when the angel appears to deliver the good news
of their conception they react with fear.

Fear masks joy and smothers happiness.
The angel quickly wipes away their anxieties with
words of answered prayers.
We all want to hear words of answered prayers.

The angel visited Samson's mother giving
 her the glad tidings of her pregnancy.

With John's parents the angel came to his father, Zechariah.

Zechariah spent much of his time inside the temple,
his job was to keep the incense burning.
...he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.  

Chosen to enter the sanctuary...a great honor...
but to remain childless was an equally great disappointment.
Two barren wives loved by their husbands
with or without a child.

Samson... 
...grew up and the LORD blessed him;
the Spirit of the LORD stirred him.

When the time is right God comes into our life
 and works miracles beyond our imagination.

Two couples blessed just when they
 had reason to believe their age was against them.

Be not afraid your prayer has been answered.
Blessings overcoming all fears.
~~~Peace~~~

Look to the East

~~~ Jeremiah 23:5-8 ~~~ Psalm 72 ~~~ Matthew 1:18-25 ~~~

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
...which means “God is with us.” 

Behold the day is coming...look to the east...
It is the coming of the Lord.
The one we long for is coming...
he is coming to be with us...to be one of us.
God is truly with us...
He comes to us in the silence and stillness of our heart.

The Lord is coming to save us with truth and justice.
He is the sprout from the shoot of Jesse.
He is the blossom, the pure flower of love.

God used the prophets, relatives, angels and dreams
to prepare the way of the Lord.
How are your preparations going for his coming?
This is not just another holiday celebration.
This is evidence of the greatest love ever known to mankind.
Even those who do not believe come to the manger
and gaze upon the loveliness.

The manger scene is frozen in time, but the coming
of the Lord has never been more real.

He comes to save us. to love us, and to be loved by us.
Who does not love a baby?

Look to the East a new day is dawning...
a day of Blessing is about to unfold in our soul.
Come, Jesus, Come.
We wait in stillness for your presence.
~~~Peace~~~

Fourteen Generations

~~~ Genesis 49:2, 8-10 ~~~ Psalm 72 ~~~ Matthew 1:1-17 ~~~

The genealogy of Jesus is lengthy and thorough enough to convince
 anyone who has questions about where Jesus came from.

 ...the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.

Having spent some time researching my own family genealogy
going back fourteen generations is quite far.
The genealogy of Jesus was important...
It had to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies.
But does it really matter today for us to know this list of people?
Personally, I do not need proof of the blood line to believe in Jesus.
This long list of names does not influence my beliefs.
Not to mention they are some challenging names to pronounce.

The genealogy of Jesus directly connects with the Genesis reading...

Jacob called his sons and said to them:
“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.

Generations before the birth of Jesus
 were preparing for this special event.
They had been vested with the responsibility
 of carrying on the prophecy.

As the birth of Jesus is only a week away it is good
 for us to be reminded of the many years before his coming.

How different would your life be today if you knew
 hundreds of years from now someone in your family
would discover the cure for cancer?

Having this knowledge passed down from
generation to generation might be very important.

Drawing upon both biblical tradition and Jewish stories,
Matthew portrays Jesus as reliving the Exodus experience of Israel
 and the persecutions of Moses. His rejection by his own people
and his passion are foreshadowed by the troubled reaction of “all Jerusalem”
to the question of the magi who are seeking the “newborn king of the Jews” 

The birth of Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies
 and in effect ended the genealogy line.

Contrary to some beliefs we have no reason
 to believe that Jesus fostered any children.

Today might be a good time to consider your own genealogy.
A day to be grateful to what has been passed down.
Today our faith is strengthened through
the listing of fourteen generations.

Blessings passed to us from history.
~~~Peace~~~

Remnants Of...

~~~ Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 21:28-32 ~~~

Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted,

to the tyrannical city!

The city of Jerusalem is being rebuked by God.

They have failed because of their arrogance and their pride.

God could only satisfy their needs temporarily.

They were constantly looking for more.

When you are constantly looking for more you 

remove any chance of appreciating what 

you have been given.

 I will leave as a remnant in your midst

a people humble and lowly,

Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD:

the remnant of Israel.

Remnant...a small remaining quantity of something...leftovers.

During the years when I was sewing,  I always 

 went to check out the fabrics on the remnant table.

Sometimes a couple yards of fabric was enough to make something,

even if it was just colorful place mats for the two of us.

Whenever carpet is installed the remnant carpet pieces

 make perfect rugs for the doorways. 

Shopping and using remnants helps

 to stretch your dollar

a little farther. 

Some dictionaries define remnants as a fragment or scrap.

You might say that Jesus reached out to the remnant people 

when he chose to hang out with the tax collectors and the prostitutes.

...tax collectors and prostitutes

are entering the Kingdom of God before you. 

Perhaps we ourselves might be considered

 to be a part of the 'remnant' peoples.

God was focused on saving the Israelites,

 but the plan did not work out too well.

Instead they rejected him with great vigor.

So he turned his focus for salvation on those who were not Israelites...

he chose to bring the gift of salvation to us.

Scientists rejoice when they uncover

 the remnants of a prior civilization.

Much can be learned from the time period by carefully

 studying the remnants.

Sometimes our whole society seems 

like a container for the remnants of the past.

When you consider how so many of the values within

 our society have deteriorated...

Today if you have strong values you are treated 

like you are from another era. 

Actually a remnant from the past.

Courtesy and simple human kindness 

have been shoved aside;

instead everyone just looks out 

for themselves at the cost of another.

Jesus reached out to the remnants of society...

he Blessed them with his love.

He Blesses us during this time of Advent.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

In stillness we wait for you to come.

~~~Peace~~~

"Stalemate"

~~~Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17A ~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~ Matthew 21:23-27 ~~~

Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Jesus had so many chances to teach the elders his ways,
but they threw up road blocks.
It is only years later that the whole picture
can be seen through the gospels.

The elders were too concerned about their own
 reputations than to learn the truth.

Jesus did not try to argue with them...
he did not try to belittle them...
Jesus simply responded to them in their own style.
He reflected back to them their own image.

As Jesus was teaching the elders questioned his authority.
He was not one of them...he had not come up through
 the ranks alongside them.
Jesus was a stranger...a visitor...a foreigner...
They considered him to be a self appointed teacher.

How dare he speak with such authority.
So Jesus poses a question to them about John the Baptist
concerning the origin of his baptism.
After discussing their answer among themselves
they decided to reply with a non answer.

So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” 
He himself said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Jesus accepted their reply of ignorance by responding
in the same manner.
The conversation ended in stalemate.
The elders did not get what they wanted
 and they were unable to tell Jesus to stop teaching.

Today we too can be confused by the teachings of Jesus,
we are fortunate to have theologians help

us better understand.

The elders were betting they could outsmart Jesus.
In chess terms they wanted to claim 'checkmate',
of course they did not fully understand who Jesus was.
Perhaps they departed confused and scratching their heads.
They had not been able to win the 'game'.
It ended in a 'stalemate'...

Stalemate is the relatively rare situation when a player whose king
 isn’t in check has no legal move to make. 
Stalemate is considered a draw. 
Neither player wins, but the game is over.

The elders expected to depart as winners
instead they left shaking their heads.

Jesus was the winner yet he did not claim victory.

Blessed to have a 'teacher' who is humble...
a teacher who is not about 'winning' the game.
Our teacher is patient, kind, and all knowing.
~~~Peace~~~

The Greatest Joy

~~~ Third Sunday of Advent ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 61:1-2A, 10-11 ~~~ (Psalm) Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54 ~~~

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 ~~~  John 1:6-8, 19-28

My soul rejoices in my God.

John was so filled with joy that he was excited 

to be the voice crying in the desert.

He was so filled with joy that he did not feel worthy

 to untie the strap of the sandal of Jesus.

This is the Advent Sunday of joy.

Mary was filled with joy as she spoke the words of the Magnificat...

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked upon his lowly servant.

What brings the most joy into your heart.

How do you go about searching for joy?

Do you wait for joy to surprise you?

Where do you experience the most joy?

My soul rejoices in my God.

Paul connects praying and giving thanks with joy.

Prayer places us in the presence of God.

Prayer is our opportunity to tap into the joy of the Lord.

Prayer certainly gives us a reason to express joy.

Giving thanks to God for all that he has done 

in our life is more reason to have joy.

Giving thanks for the beauty of nature acknowledges our joy.

Giving thanks for the creativity of the various forms of art

acknowledges our joy.

Giving thanks for family and friends

evokes profound joy.

Sometimes joy can be so great that it washes

 over your heart in wave after wave.

The Spirit of the Lord

brings forth the greatest joy of joy.

As the we get closer to the celebration of the birth of Jesus...

we have the occasion to view this event with great joy. 

Jesus loved us so much that he was willing

to empty himself of being pure God.

He became fully human.

Loving Jesus in return for his coming to save us

is wherein lies the greatest Joy.

Today is all about

JOY.

Blessings found in joys great and small.

Sit back enjoy the twinkling lights and the music of joy.

~~~Peace~~~

Joyful Noise

~~~ Memorial of Saint Lucy ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 41:13-20 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Matthew 11:11-15 ~~~

John the Baptist was the link between
 the Old Testament and the New Testament.
He foretold the coming of the Lord and when the appointed time came
 he took Jesus into the Jordan river, submerged him,
and proclaimed him to be the Son of God.
The heavens opened and God exclaimed joy for his Beloved Son.

The trees and all that is living flourish in the presence of the Lord.

As you decorate your Christmas tree this year let it be a reminder of how God
is there for you in his roll as shepherd and as the one who brings forth
the living water in joyful fountains, perhaps even dancing fountains.

Saint Lucy knew what it meant to listen for the voice of the Lord.
She models for us what it means to be joyful in the Lord,
even in the face of death.

St. Lucy, Pray for us!

Fountains in the Desert

(2012)

Guadalupe Loveliness

~~~ Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe ~~~

~~~ Revelation 12:1-6a, 10a,b ~~~ Psalm: Judith 13-18 ~~~
~~~ Luke 1:26-38 ~~~

Over time Mary is so loved that she has appeared
 in many different types of clothing.
Who would have thought Mary to be such a typical woman.
I am smiling as I write this because Mary
 truly was a typical woman.
All kidding aside...
She was a typical woman chosen and blessed by God.

He chooses each of us to carry on the work
he started here on earth.
He has chosen us to carry on the work
 that Mary so courageously
continued after he was crucified.

We do not have any writings that I know of
 of Mary going out and teaching.
But we could certainly expect that she told his stories
of love, care, compassion, and healing to anyone who would listen.

Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.

It is so fitting that during the Advent season we would be blessed with
two occasions to honor Mary just a few days apart.

Mary is a key figure in our salvation.

Mary is a model person for all of us, men and women alike.

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior."

She never let her 'special' motherhood
go to her head.
She remained convicted by what God had done in her.
She was the vessel now; the new ark of the covenant.

Mary understands the grace and Blessings
which pour forth from the heart of her Son, Jesus.
She guides us to him with her loveliness.
~~~Peace~~~

Blessed Above All Women

(2012)

Music of the Season

~~~ Isaiah 41:13-20 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Matthew 11:11-15 ~~~

Whoever has ears ought to hear.

During this time of Advent there are many opportunities to hear,
but are you truly listening?

Music is playing everywhere we go.
The message is of joy, love, and happiness.
The music of the season brings joy to the heart...
it lifts the soul to a higher place.
We sing of good will toward men...all men.
We sing of the silent night when all of creation
 broke into a chorus of joy.

The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.

It is good that we are reminded during this hectic time of year
to also be slow to anger.
It is during Advent that we should make
the effort to show even
grater kindness toward others.

Blessings of kindness and mercy
are coming to us from the manger.

~~~Peace~~~

Let Him Help You

~~~ Isaiah 40:25-31 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Matthew 11:28-30 ~~~

O bless the Lord, my soul!

This is the time of year when we have so many reasons
 to remember all the ways God has blessed our soul.

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves. 
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Mary went into labor and God the father was present
 to help give her courage and strength.
Jesus is calling to us to come to him when we are burdened
with the trials and tribulations of life.

Jesus is not too proud to take on our burdens.
We need to trust that when we release our burdens to him
he will indeed take care of them for us.

If you find it challenging to give your worries to God
make the intention to give ten or fifteen minutes.
Enjoy a few minutes each day when you
do not carry your burdens.
This time of freedom and trust will bring renewal to your soul.

If we let God take our burdens for a little while
we will be better able to pick them up again.
If we let God take our burdens when we pick them up
he will have resolved some of our fears.

We are Blessed to have a God that never leaves
 us to fend for ourselves.

Peace
your burdens are lighter.

Steady Heart Beat

~~~ Isaiah 40:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Matthew 18:12-14

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray? 
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 

When you find yourself in the awkward position of being
 the one sheep who is lost do not despair...do not be embarrassed...
do not give up or become discouraged.

You belong to the Lord and he will not give up
 trying to find you and gather you up into his arms.
He will scoop you up into his arms.
He will carry you back to the flock with joy in his heart.

He will take great delight in bringing you comfort.
In his arms you will safe...
In his arms you will rest and relax.
In his arms you will find the comfort of a child
 in its mother's arms.

In his arms he will Bless you for he has found you
 and brought you home with him.

There is much peace and comfort
 in hearing his heart beat steady for you.

Chosen to be Holy

~~~ Feast of the Immaculate Conception ~~~

~~~Genesis 3:9-15, 20~~~Psalm 98~~~Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12~~~

 ~~~ Luke 1:26-38~~~

He asks the question
"Where are you?"
hoping that you will come forward and come to him yourself.

God has given us everything that we could
 imagine to ask him for
including every spiritual blessing.

He chose us to be holy without flaws,
but our pride gets us into trouble.
It is pride that causes us to eat from the forbidden tree.
Once we have eaten the fruit we discover how silly it was for us
to think that what we wanted was more important than
what God desires for us.

Only nakedness before God can heal the soul
from the torment of pride.
In order to come out of hiding we must strip ourselves of pride
and stand before God as he created us to be in the Garden of Eden.

Wherever you are  hiding; come back into the garden.
Join in the celebration...
dance around the tree of life singing his praises.

The Blessings are received in the light...


Find the complete text through the link below...

Hide and Seek

(2012)

The Overture of Comfort

~~~ Second Sunday of Advent ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 ~~~ Psalm 85 ~~~ 2 Peter 3:8-14 ~~~

~~~ Mark 1:1-8 ~~~

Comfort, give comfort to my people,

says your God.

Just the sound of the word comfort is calming to me.
It conjures up feelings of being wrapped up
 in a soft down filled comforter.
Comfort to intended to ease the pain...to console.
God cares enough for us to swaddle us with his words of comfort.
The former days of distress dissolve in his love.
He sends us messengers as proof of his consolation.

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!

John the Baptist was the equivalent of the town crier.
His words told of the coming of the Lord.
One greater than he was, even as revered as he was to the people.
Make ready the way of the Lord.
If you do not prepare you just might miss the entire event.
I would hate to miss the entire event of the salvation of all of mankind.

Advent is the Overture for all of Christianity and Salvation.
An overture is the opening piece of music played
before the larger body of music.
In the overture one is allowed to hear a sample,
if you will, of some of the melodic themes.
Later these musical themes are developed and expanded.

Advent is the beginning of our spiritual
 survival....our musical existence.
The beautiful song of Mary's 'yes' the first few notes.

Advent is a time of wonder and awe
as the love song God has composed for us begins.

Our Blessings of comfort are secure
within the voice crying out in the desert.
Prepare the way...
~~~Peace~~~

The Waiting Room

~~~ Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 ~~~ Psalm 147 ~~~ Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5A, 6-8 ~~~

 Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Waiting is sometime a tedious task to undertake.
So many times we wait for news of medical tests filled with anxiety.
We wait for a return phone call with the test results.

Just this week I was waiting
 in the doctor's office with my mother.
The man sitting across was also waiting when his phone rang
cracking open the silence in the room.
The voice on the other end was a doctor informing him that his wife
of many years was being referred to hospice.
Hospice...not many people are waiting
to receive that kind of news.

The man initially listened intently
but soon his tense face gave way to tears.
His waiting was now becoming a very different type of waiting.
His waiting from that moment forward
was the waiting for his wife's last breath.

He would no longer be the witness to her pain, now his wait
was going to be one of letting go of the love of his life.
Letting go of the mother of his children.
Letting go of his lover.

This is not the joyful waiting of an infant birth
 this is the resigned waiting of the end.
This poor man whom we did not know
was waiting on the Lord
to accept his wife back to heaven.
This man was plunged into this period of waiting
 sitting in a roomful of strangers.

All I could do, as the tears ran down his cheeks,
was to offer him some tissues and express my sorrow for him.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

His heart was broken...there were no
 thoughts of healing right now.
His only thoughts were I knew this was coming.
He did not know his time of waiting was over.
He no longer waited to hear if she would get better.
He no longer waited to hear the doctor say he had a cancer cure.

He no longer waited for their happy times together.

We wait for many different reasons;
sometimes we wait for good, happy things...
sometimes we wait to hear what we do not want to hear.

This man will now be waiting for God
to bind up his broken heart...
to bind up his wounds of loss.
This man will wait for God
to fill the emptiness within his heart.

Advent is a time of waiting.
Waiting is not as passive as we might expect.
Waiting is time we can use to pause...to take a long look inside.
Waiting in stillness
 relying on God because
nothing else really matters.

Waiting
precedes either joy or sorrow
Waiting.

Look for the Blessings as you wait.
May we wait in peace.