After Midnight Mass

Right now, I am alone.  I sit in the living room with the curtains open looking outside.  Every thing is still.  The only noise I hear is quiet, for now.  I sip a glass of wine.  I have prepared snacks for the kids and I to eat.  They are both adults.  Christmases are so different now.  The girl child, who has cancer, is exhausted. So,  she is sound asleep.  I checked in on her after Mass.  The kitties were annoyed that I woke them up, and they turned their backs on me in unison, but she slept.  She did not go to Midnight Mass, so I'm glad she is sleeping.  The boy child went to an earlier Mass so that, after our celebration, he and his friends who were home for Christmas could get together for a couple of beers.  He'll be home in a bit.  He texted me to let me know it would be in about a half an hour, or so.  I'll be up to have some snacks with him before going to sleep.  Pixie, my dog, is snoring on the couch now, but that noise doesn't disturb my peace.

Mass was beautiful!  Advent flew quickly into Christmas.  I hope I pleased God with my efforts to grow spiritually.  I tried, but the season of Advent is, simply, not long enough.  God provides, and there is now time for reflection.

Mass brought me so much joy this year.  The manger was beautiful!  Seeing the baby in the crib with Mama Mary reaching for her new born Son brought tears to my eyes.

God loved the world so much that He gave His only Begotten Son that we might have eternal life!  That thought overwhelms me in this moment. 

One of the kitties has come downstairs and is forcing himself in my lap.  I puts his head under my hand.  I have no other choice but to pet him.  Pixie sees this and turns her head.  It's so quiet right now.  There is a peace in the silence.  Time is passing slowly.  I savor these moments in the dark with only the light of the lit tree.  Peace grows.  The silence continues to envelope me.

The decorations at Mass were beautiful, even the fresh garlands.  I had volunteered to go and fluff the garlands, but I forgot.  The people who decorated made the church feel joyous and welcoming.  My heart was joyous tonight.  The celebration of the Mass was holy.  God poured down His blessings upon us.  I left Mass hopeful, even though I experienced uncontrollable tears at times during the Mass.  Wrongs were righted. Reconciliations were made.  Many people without families nearby had plans to meet together for dinner on Christmas Day. God worked great miracles at midnight Mass.

Kitty has moved over to Pixie.  Pixie just looks at me as kitty forces his way on to Pixie's back.  Pixie does not appreciate kitty at all, but just goes back to sleep.  I glance at my phone.  It's almost 1:30 AM.  That's way past my bedtime, but I'm really not sleepy now. 

I reflect more on the lessons learned this Advent Season. 

God loves me.
More importantly, I learned that I love God!  I know I could love Him more, but I really didn't think I loved Him. 

I thank Him for this gift.

I hear the girl child come down the stairs.  She's amazed that I'm still awake.  She asks if the boy child is home yet. I tell her that he will be home shortly.  She's hungry, so she gets out the snacks.  Then, like a little girl, she comes and puts her head on my shoulder.  I see tears in her eyes.  I can only hold her in my arms.  We seem to breathe in unison.  She decides that it's time to get back to sleep.  Kitty is still on top of Pixie, and does not like being picked up.  We all sigh.

Silence again.  After the girl child is asleep in her childhood room, I weep silently.  This is not easy.  My heart breaks even more. 

I see a car driving into the driveway.  The boy child walks in the door with cookies in his hands.  He is still a Cookie Monster, all 6'4" of him.  He smiles and asks how his sister is doing.  I tell him that she's sleeping again.  He asks how Mass was.  I tell him it was beautiful.  He smiles and digs into the food.  I can't believe he's still hungry!  We both seep into the silence.  It's a beautiful time.

I finish my wine.  He finishes the snacks.  I hug him and tell him I love him,. He tells me that he loves me too.  We're both tired now.  I walk upstairs to go to bed.  I thank God again.  I pray that my children both allow God to work in their hearts.  I pray that they both encounter the living God this Christmas season.

I turn out the lights and roll over.  Sleep is instant and peaceful. 

I dream of the manger.  I dream that I am rocking the sweet baby boy.  Then Christmas Day has dawned.

Women of the Bible I would Like to Meet:: Part 3:: Martha

 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.  But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10: 38-46 

I think, when I meet Martha, I will find her in the kitchen cooking.  She has the Gift of Hospitality.  

Martha, you were good friends with Jesus and His followers, weren't you?  How did you feel about that?

Did Jesus visit you often? 

Were you always busy cooking for Him?

What were His favorite foods that you cooked?

Did you get to meet His Mother, too?

Did Jesus ever help you out in the kitchen?

Did you have many quiet conversations with Jesus?

Were there many who wanted to eat at your home when Jesus was there?

How did Lazarus and Mary feel about Jesus being at your home?

Did you and Lazarus and Mary share a home?

Were you the eldest child?

You must have been very stressed when Jesus was at your home that time.  Were there a lot of people who were hungry or was it just a bad day for you?

How did you feel when Jesus, your Master, reminded you that you were distracted because you had so much to do?

How did you feel when He reminded you that you should relax and follow your sister's lead?

Were you embarrassed?

What did you do after Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part?

How did you feel when Jesus refused to tell Mary to go and help you?

Did you cry?

Did you forget about the kitchen and sit down with Jesus and Mary?
 
Did you continue to work in the kitchen?

How was the meal?  

Did Jesus enjoy the lovingly cooked meal you prepared?

Did Mary help?



 
 

Pray for the Souls in Purgatory

St. Maximilian Kolbe

Jesus Fell Three Times

I fell once, and the pain was great for me.
My foot swelled up, and, when I tried to walk, I winced with pain.
My foot, bruised, turned purple.
My foot, injured, swelled, so that I could not fit in my shoes.
I yelped in pain and refused to walk.

Jesus fell three times.
His feet, which carried Our Savior, were wounded and beaten.
His precious feet were bruised and swollen,
screamed in pain as they tried to bear the weight of Our God and His Cross of Love.
His sandals were gone.
Each step an exercise in pain,
but He uttered not a word.
He took His beatings.
He bore the pain.
His love for us,
His mission of Love,
bore the pain, the injustice, the brutal torture, the death on the cross.
Even when His own body betrayed Him for lack of blood,
for the pain He felt,
for the knowledge of what was finally going to end His life.
There was no one to wash and care for His feet as He walked the path of death.
There were no pain relievers to help Him bear His pain.

He walked,
finally with the help of Simeon carrying the instrument of torture and death,
He walked with love for us.
He bore the weight of our sins as he suffered
He walked and fell three times.

Thoughts on the Resurrection

“After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.  For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.  But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. “
Matthew 28: 1-6



“Therefore the Eucharistic Celebration is much more than simple banquet: it is exactly the memorial of Jesus’ Pascal Sacrifice, the mystery at the center of salvation. Memorial does not simply mean a remembrance, a mere memory; it means that every time we celebrate this Sacrament we participate in the mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.”
Pope Francis


“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren't true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.” 
Charles Colson

"Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song." - Pope John Paul II

“Easter is very important to me, it's a second chance.”   
Reba McEntire

Halfway through Lent - Are You Walking the Camino Del Rey?

God always seeks out His children.  Like the Shepherd who searches for the lost sheep, God seeks to bring us closer to Him.  God might be silent so that we may hear.  God might give us signs of His Love so that we may believe.  God might bind us close in His Love, so that we do not stray.  God might remind us of our sinfulness so that we may be saved.  God might make us uncomfortable as He shapes us in the Flames of His Unending Love.  God might pull back so that we may learn to trust.  God, the Lord of Creation, does what He needs to do so that when time has ended, we will share heaven with Him.

Lent is a time in which we can, through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, grow closer to God.  As we have walked this Camino del Rey, we have improved our prayer lives, we have fasted, and we have given alms.  Some of us have been strict in our adherence to these practices.  Some  of us have fallen.  (Yes, I have!)  Some have not practiced any of the pillars of Lent.  As Pope Francis has said, “Who am I to judge?” Yet, in some way, we have all walked the Camino del Ray during this Lenten season. 

If you have practiced prayer, fasting and almsgiving during Lent, and you have grown closer to God through these practices, I pray that God blesses you abundantly!  If you have fallen, as I did, then I pray that we be strengthened through these ancient practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  If you have not practiced any or all of these pillars of Lent, then I pray that you begin at this moment and walk this Camino Del Rey with us remembering that God’s love is unending, and God wants us to Love Him, to Talk to Him, to Hold Him Closer to our Hearts.  God wants us to sacrifice little bits and pieces of our lives to Him for love of Him, through fasting.  God wants us to give to others of our bounty.  God wants to be first in our lives.  These practices help us to put Him first.

The Camino del Rey is not easy to walk, but Jesus, our King and Savior, has already walked the Camino, carrying His cross of love for us.  Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, gave His all for us, down to the last drops of blood when He died on that tree.  The Father withdrew from the Son, and Jesus was humiliated.  He was punished unjustly.  He was tortured.  He was beaten.  His flesh was ripped off of His body by the torturous whips.  Jesus carried the weight of our sins on His back.  Jesus loved us enough to do the Father’s Will, even when He knew the pain and the suffering He would be forced to endure.  He accepted and completed His Mission of salvation.  Jesus walked the Camino.  Now, let us join Him by walking our camino with love, joy, and peace in our hearts. 

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

Jesus, we trust in You.

Ordinary Time Ordinary Life

Living in ordinary time

Jesus lived the majority of His earthly life in ordinary time.  He was the son of Joseph and Mary.  Joseph was a carpenter.  Mary was Joseph's wife.  Joseph was the father, the  earthly father, of Jesus.  Mary was the mother of Jesus.  They were an ordinary family living an ordinary life. 

The world saw nothing extraordinary about this family.  The sun rose and set.  The rain fell.  They were good neighbors.  Joseph had friends.  Mary had friends.  Jesus had friends.  Nothing was out of the ordinary.   Jesus, Mary and Joseph were a family.

They would attend Temple together.  They would gather with family and friends to celebrate the feast days.  Joseph, Mary, and Jesus would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem each year.  They traveled in a caravan.  They ate.  They slept.  They lived an ordinary life in ordinary time. 

Babies were born.  New families were made joyful with the arrivals.  Grandparents cooed at the new babies.  Mary held the new babies close to her.  She would help the new mothers when grandparents could not.  Joseph would help those who needed help.  Joseph often sent Jesus on errands to help those who could not help themselves.  Jesus would give His food to the poor.  Jesus would bring home stray animals.  Mary gave up trying to control the number of God’s creatures who would follow Jesus.  She knew He would always be safe with them.  God provided them with food for these animals and birds.  

Mary and Joseph would watch Jesus comfort anyone who was sad.  He would remind them of the goodness of God.  The adults would smile when they heard Jesus talk.  Mary and Joseph would look at each other in awe and wonder.  Often, they did not know what to say.  At night, after Jesus was asleep, they would look at their Son and wonder.  Joseph would pray to the Father and ask Him for guidance.  Jesus was the Son of God and Mary.  Joseph was overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift he had been given by the Father.  Joseph was the guardian of these precious lives. To the world,  this family was an ordinary family.

Joseph would ask advice of the elders about raising a Son.  The elders would smile and give their advice.  Grandmothers would give their advice to Mary about her beautiful Son.  She would smile and listen with care, always honoring their intentions to help her with love.  Their was nothing extraordinary about this family.

The village watched as Jesus grew into manhood.  When Joseph died in the arms of Jesus and Mary, the villagers brought food, love and support for the grieving family.  Jesus became the provider for His Mother.  Most in the village assumed that she would seek another husband, but they knew that Jesus would provide for her if she did not.  Matchmakers tried to find a wife for Jesus, but they were just an ordinary family.

So, when Jesus unrolled the scrolls and told the villagers that the prophesy of Isaiah had been fulfilled in Him, He was not surprised when everyone asked, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?  Is not Mary His Mother?”

He was not ordinary, but He lived in ordinary time.

Walking on Water

Matthew 14: 22-33

    The crowds had been large.  The group needed to travel to the other side of the lake to minister to the people in other towns.  They had a boat, so Jesus sent His men on ahead to be ready for the crowds who would be gathering there in the morning.  Jesus continued His ministry with the people and slowly sent them away.  Since Jesus was so tired when His children had gone to their homes, He went up on the mountain to pray.  He knew He would be refreshed when He began His journey to the other side of the lake.
   
As the Apostles continued on their journey across the lake, the winds began to blow.  Seasoned sailors, they made adjustments as they steered across the lake.  It was late into the night. 

"Peter," said Matthew, " Do you think he'll be there?" 

Peter replied, "The Master said that He would be there, and He will." 

"How is He getting there?"  John asked. 

"I don't know," said Peter, "But He will.  He promised.  The Master does not go back on His promises."

    The waves began to crash on the deck.  The Apostles were getting soaked as they tried to steer the boat in the storm.  The boat was taking on water.  "If the Master were here..." Thomas began.  Peter cut him off, "The Master is not here, so we have to steer the boat."  Peter was sounding angry.
   
    The men were working hard to stay afloat.  In the distance, they saw a light coming towards them.  "Peter," shouted Judas, "What is that?" 
   
    "How should I know!" shouted Peter.  He truly did not like Judas, but the Master had called Judas to walk with them.  "Steer the boat!  Steer the boat!" 
   
    The light grew brighter as it came closer to them.  They could make out the figure of a man in the light.  "It's a ghost!  It's a ghost!"  Great fear began to overtake them.  The men began to panic.  The waves seemed to be even higher than before.  "It's a ghost!"  Then they heard the Master's calm voice in the heart of the storm, "It is I."  He said it again, "It is I."

    Peter, soaked to the bone from the storm, shouted back to Jesus in the storm, "Master, if it is truly You, allow me to come to You."  Jesus, very calmly said, "Come."
Peter, shaking from cold and fear, looked at the other Apostles whose eyes were filled with fear.  He could not retreat now.  He even thought he felt someone push him towards the edge of the boat.  He stood on the edge and jumped into the water.  Peter fully expected to sink into the water, but he didn't.  He stayed on the water.  Filled with even more fear, Peter looked at the waves crashing into the boat.  He took one step forward towards the Master.  He took another step on the water.  He could hear the men into the boat gasp as he began to walk on the water.  The Master stood where He was holding a welcoming hand out to Peter.  Then Peter saw the waves.  They were bigger than he was, and he felt more fear than he had ever known before.  He took a step forward, but he began to sink into the black, murky water.

    "Lord," screamed Peter, "Save me!"

    The Master leaned forward and helped him up with His Hands.  "Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

    The Master and Peter got into the boat.  Immediately, the storm calmed.  The waves no longer broke over the boat.  The sea suddenly reflected the moon as if the sea were crystal.  In the distance, the sky was beginning to lighten.

    The men in the boat began to worship their King.

    "Truly," they exclaimed, "You are the Son of God!"