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Almost Christmas

‘Twas the week before Christmas
And all over the place
Unfinished projects
Stare us right in the face

The shopping’s not done
The wrapping – forget it
The living room, once clean,
Looks like a hurricane hit it

The tree is up,
So is the wreath.
It will all come together
By the skin of our teeth

But it snowed this weekend,
Our first in this state
Five inches in all
The kids couldn’t wait

To go out and play
And sled down the hill
And then sit by the fire
To shake off the chill

So the troops are quite happy
School’s almost done
Then we celebrate Christmas
And the birth of the Son

Who brings us great Joy
And good will and His peace
May He live in your hearts
With a love that won’t cease

May your week be quite blessed
And your halls be all decked
May your list be all finished
Your to-dos all checked

May the Love that we celebrate
Warm your heart and your home
May you take the spirit of Christmas
Wherever you roam

 

 

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Mary On My Mind

On this feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I have Mary on my mind.

I am reminded of my father and the many, many days we prayed the Rosary on the way to school. I remember coming home from school to find his car in the driveway – an oddity for so early in the day – and being told of a death in the family and then sitting in the living room reciting my father’s favorite prayer. I remember praying the Rosary every afternoon at the Grotto at Notre Dame. I remember talking with dad about new Mysteries of the Rosary he wanted to make up because he had run out of prayers. I remember dividing up the decades of the Rosary at dad’s wake among all the siblings and my older brother forgetting the words.

I remember Mary.

So on this day, I offer one of my favorite poems by Ruth Mary Fox, which is based on the alternative Gospel reading for today. May we be more like Mary, carrying Christ on life’s busy, crowded highways.

Into the hillside country Mary went

Carrying Christ.

And all along the road the Christ she carried

Generously bestowed His grace on those she met.

 

But she had not meant to tell she carried Christ

She was content to hide His love for her.

But about her glowed such joy that into stony hearts

Love flowed

And even to the unborn John, Christ’s love was sent.

 

Christ, in the sacrament of love each day, dwells in my soul

A little space.

So as I walk life’s crowded highways

Jostling men who seldom think of God

To these, I pray, that I may carry Christ

For it may be

Some may not know of him

Except through me.

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Five to One

Those of us in ministry have gotten used to ratios. We know how many adults need to chaperone a field trip. We know how many young people we can invite to something before we start recruiting more cleared adults. As parents, we know what to ask when our children are invited to parties about the number of adults who might be present.

Chap Clark, author of great books like Sticky Faith turned the ratios around about 15 years ago when he first suggested that every child needs five adults investing in their lives. In a 2004 article in Decision Magazine, he wrote, “Here’s the bottom line: every kid needs five adult fans. Any young person who shows any interest in Christ needs a minimum of five people of various ages who will say, ‘I’m going to love that kid until they are fully walking as an adult member of this congregation.’”

Substitute “congregation” for “parish,” “faith community,” or even “family” and you start to see what could happen if each of our children are guided by responsible adults until they themselves can guide others. Pope Francis calls it “accompaniment.” The latest research shows that young people who have five such adults are three times more likely to live happy, healthier, more Spirit-filled, God-centered lives.

Kara Powell, who gave a great presentation at the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry, which Maureen helped coordinate and from which I just returned, mentioned this ratio in her talk. It got Maureen and I thinking: “Who are the five adults, outside mom and dad and grandparents, who will accompany our children?” Some of the answers came quickly. There’s Mary and Madeline. Vanessa and Fr. Joe. Charlotte. Mrs. Brady from school. Patrick from work. Mr. Mark who makes great pancakes. Aunt Cathy on dad’s side. Kathleen in England.

There are others too. But those are our answers. That’s our list.

This Advent we will sit down and make lists with the children. Who are the adults in their lives they want on their list? Who do they want to walk beside? Who do they admire in faithfulness? Who will accompany them on their journey to and with Christ? My guess is that the lists will have overlapping names and that they will name people mom and dad haven’t even thought about.

I think we all need a list. I think we all need guides – at any age. So this week, make your own list. Write it down. Then tell those people you are counting on them to lead you to Christ. But be forewarned. You might be on someone’s list too.

Let us pray together that we share in the responsibility to carry one another to the manger, to the Temple, to the garden, to the cross, and to the empty tomb.

May your week be blessed.

 

 

 

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Waiting

We have lots of projects at home that are almost finished.

The sunroom is waiting for trim around the windows and tile around the doors. The attic is waiting for the access door for the under-the-eaves storage and trim around the baseboards. The basement is waiting for trim and a few doors. All of them are waiting for funding.

But the important pieces are together. We made a conscious decision when we moved in that the first projects we would tackle would be the ones that benefited the kids most. The sunroom and attic only got tossed in because, let’s face it, when you have the guy here doing windows in one room, he might as well do both rooms. Same for the drywall guy.

Maureen and I will frame a room without hesitation. We’ll even insulate and conquer the electricity. Our good friend Fr. Joe comes to visit and we put him to work with a drill. But doing drywall is an art and we have a guy, Yves, who does it like no other. Unfortunately, that means he also is booked way in advance. We have used a substitute for some other projects and always end up going back to Yves. So this time we are waiting for him, at least for the pieces of drywall needed around the windows in the sunroom.

But the basement has come together nicely. Fr. Joe and I hung the screen a few weeks ago and we wired all the speakers before we put the walls up, so those are finished too. The carpet went in a few weeks ago and this weekend we painted the shelving we built and unpacked the rest of the toys. With the unpacking of the Tonka trucks and Fisher Price Little People houses, airports, and village, the seven year old announced, “Finally, it’s our basement.”

They waited a long time to unpack their toys and since the toys are filled the shelves, I announced there is really no room for any new ones, so Christmas should be easy. That was not well received.

Still, for Christmas in our new house we have adopted a new tradition. Four gifts: one thing you want, one thing you need, one thing you wear, and one thing you read. The kids have had a great time narrowing the choices down and discerning between “need” and “want” – (i.e., “You want a puppy. You don’t need a puppy.”)

We are still in negotiations about whether Santa will bring an additional gift. Since dad tends to buy anytime there is a sale and then store things in a closet, Santa’s chances are looking good.

When all was done and we settled down to watch a Sunday night (extra) movie, the eldest child commented that Advent should be easy for us. It’s been a year of waiting. Waiting for house, waiting to be reunited, waiting for rooms to be ready, waiting to unpack, waiting for people to visit. There are still many boxes to go and not enough pictures on the wall to satisfy all the children, but we are still sorting out furniture and what goes where. It seems that the waiting will continue.

May your week be blessed and your Advent patience be abundant.

 

 

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Giving Thanks

This Thursday when we gather as a family, we do so in a new home in a new town in a new state. So I asked for the list of “things we are thankful for” a little early.

The nine year old is grateful for the roof over our heads. Her mother is grateful that the construction projects under said roof are almost at an end.

The eleven year old is grateful that we are together under one roof again, having lived apart from February through June. She added that she is also grateful that the house in Delaware sold so quickly (to which her parents nodded in agreement).

The ten year old if grateful for new friends and her new school while the seven year old is just grateful for everything.

Dad is grateful that he gets to go to a job he loves every day and return home to a family he loves even more.

This week, may you gather with those you love, ignore politics, and talk about family, friends, good health, and important things, like whether cranberries should be served with or without the berries.

Let us reflect together:

To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him.  

Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.

― Thomas Merton

 

 

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Needs

I was really afraid I would have to write about politics this morning. Everyone is still talking about the election. As Fr. John said at Mass on Sunday, it happens every year: If you backed the winner, you are elated. If you backed the loser, you can’t understand how everyone else could be so thick headed. Still, the Republic stands.

But this year seemed different. The campaign was uglier than usual, filled with fear-mongering, comments we would never repeat to our children, and promises that, if carried out, seemed just as un-American as they are un-Christian. A generation used to getting its way has taken to the streets. Up is down. Apples are oranges. Politics has become the ultimate reality show and the person who could out punch, out last, out tweet, and out manipulate their opponent has won.

But I don’t want to write about politics. So I look to this morning’s Gospel reading for hope.

There it is, Luke’s version of the blind man on the side of the road. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks.

The man replied, “Please, I want to see.”

This reading always makes me chuckle. The man was blind. The people on the side of the streets knew it (they had to tell him what all the fuss along the road was about). My guess is the townspeople knew it. He certainly knew he was blind. And Jesus likely knew too, if not as he entered the town, surely Jesus was smart enough as others led the man to him to realize the man was blind.

Still, he asked the question, “What do you want me to do for you?”

I always imagined Peter, who struggled to understand so many things, slapping himself on the forehead at the question and then leaning in to whisper to Jesus, “Dude, he’s blind. You really had to ask?”

But yes, Jesus has to ask. Because the question demands an answer – just as much now as then.

What do you need? What do you want? What can the Master Teacher do for you today? How can I heal you? How can I serve you? What do you want me to do for you?

The story is not about a man born blind. The story is about a Messiah who wants to know our needs.

So name your needs. Tell Jesus what’s bothering you. Pray your story, your frustrations, your fears, and your hopes.

Then let Jesus give you the ability to see and enjoy the unmerited grace that comes from simply naming your needs.

 

 

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When All Else Fails…Pray

Lord God, as the election approaches,
we seek to better understand the issues and concerns that confront our city/state/country, and how the Gospel compels us to respond as faithful citizens in our community.

We ask for eyes that are free from blindness
so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters,
one and equal in dignity, especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty.

We ask for ears that will hear the cries of children unborn and those abandoned, men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender.

We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders who will bring us closer to your Kingdom.

We pray for discernment so that we may choose leaders who hear your Word, live your love, and keep in the ways of your truth
as they follow in the steps of Jesus and his Apostles
and guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace.

We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

 

Now…go vote.

 

 

Source: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prayer-before-an-election.cfm

 

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Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Thirty seven percent of all statistics are made up.

Believe me?

You shouldn’t. I made that up.

I read an article this weekend about the rise of fake news sites. It seems that in this age of social media, more and more people are simply making up the news and spreading it around. Case in point, one of the characters in the election year tragedy playing out in our country tweeted something this weekend as news. Two hundred and fifty thousand people retweeted it (forwarded the message) or hit the “like” button to show their support.

The problem? The original tweet had no basis in fact. The candidate had simply made it up.

To be fair, both sides use social media to highlight their competitor’s faults and oversell their own version of truth. That’s politics.

But in this hyperpartisan age of campaigning, we would all be wise to do our research before believing what we read or before passing something on.

I suppose turning off the television and ignoring the whole thing is another option.

Then again, maybe history can teach us.

Two thousand years ago, a weary band of men and women met a man who changed their world. His message was love over hate, forgiveness over revenge, mercy over murder, light over darkness, justice over expediency.

No social media. No Twitter. No Facebook. No Instagram. Just the power of a positive message.

Maybe therein lies the lesson. Seek the Truth where it may be found. Spread the news that renews. Live in a way that shows others we recognize God’s presence so that in our touch, our words, our actions, God may touch, and speak, and act.

Then, perhaps, others may sense God’s presence when we pass by and, seeing us, know with little effort, they catch a glimpse of God.

No online presence is necessary.

Come Holy Spirit, renew the face of the Earth…

 

 

Artwork source: http://hoshanarabbah.org

 

 

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St. Paul and the Election Season

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians

Brothers and sisters:

That means everyone. All of us. No one is excluded.

Be kind to one another, compassionate,

No name calling.

forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

Help us, Lord, to understand and forgive – or simply to forgive – to comfort the sorrowful and heal the scars of division.

 Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,

That doesn’t say, “act like children,” it says imitate God like children do, free of animosity and hatred.

as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

We may have to suffer for a bit, but offer the suffering up for the needs of others who have less than you, suffer more than you, are more forgotten than you.

Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones,

This may require us to turn off the television.

no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place,

In public or in private. In verbal or electronic form.

but instead, thanksgiving.

You are an ambassador of others. Your needs are secondary. You are running for an office that serves, not saves.

Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person,

Oh, Lord give us strength.

that is, an idolater,

Help me form my conscious sincerely.

has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

Give me courage discern the essential from the merely desirable, the good from the less good, the less good from the bad.

Let no one deceive you with empty arguments,

But doesn’t that cover most of the arguments I hear.

for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.

God will sort it out in the end.

So do not be associated with them.

Help me reflect the Light, oh Lord.

For you were once darkness,

Sometimes it feels that I still am.

but now you are light in the Lord.

Thank you, Jesus.

Live as children of light.

And invite others to do the same.

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Plans

So as I look at the week ahead and review my to do lists, what we will cook for dinner, what still needs to be done around the house, and what will occupy my time at work and at home, I look to this morning’s Gospel for direction.

And, as usual, Luke interrupts my thoughts with a challenge. We have all been the man in the story from this morning’s Gospel reading. He has a wonderful harvest and makes plans to build bigger barns. But then something comes along and ruins those plans – or in his case, his own death gets in the way of the new barns he wanted to build.

In the story, the man is chastised not because he plans but because his plans do not include God. “Here is what I will do…I shall tear down…I shall build… I shall store…then I shall say to myself…”

He keeps his wealth instead of sharing it. He plans to take care of himself and forgets those in need around him. He looks out for number one and avoids eye contact with the man or woman standing next to him, those standing on the corner, those sitting across from him or suffering across the world.

It’s a story to which we can all relate.

But, as the poet reminds us, “No man is an island…”

So I go back over my schedule for the week. When is time for prayer? When will I make sure I am present to others? When will I go out of my way to share the harvest, limited though it may be at times, with others?

Planning is good. Plans that include God are better.