Going Deeper in the New Year

Hanging up the January calendar is exciting! We see a NEW YEAR ahead of us, full of unknown opportunities and possibilities! It inspires us to toss aside our old, destructive attitudes and habits and start the year with new optimism and loving habits.

“I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them.’ And he who sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” –Revelation 21:3, 5

God is with us! He wants to renew us, our relationship with Him, and our relationships with each other. He wants to take us deeper into His presence to experience His magnificent love, power, and peace! As we begin the new year, let’s resolve to do our part to deepen our relationship with God through prayer -- not by using more words but by being more mindful and receptive in our prayer time. We may do this through meditation and contemplation. Meditation is prayer that involves work done by us using imagery, reasoning, and other mental activity. Contemplation is a deeper silence initiated by God. In contemplation we’re quiet, immersed in God’s peace, and basking in His love. Though we can’t force contemplation to happen, meditation is intended to lead us to contemplation. When we meditate, we think about God and open our hearts to receive His love and grace. 

Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s Examen is a meditation designed for people of all walks of life to mindfully reflect on our day and open our hearts to God. Here’s the basic format; take as much time on each point as you wish:

* Relax your mind and body, slow your breathing, and be aware of God’s presence.

* Look back on the day; notice what you’re especially thankful for. Thank God for whatever comes to mind.

* Recall specific moments and interactions with others. What were your feelings at these times?

* Reflect on what you did, said, or thought in those instances. Is there anything you would do differently next time, or anything you need to ask forgiveness for? Open your heart to a ‘gut feeling’ you may be getting from the Holy Spirit, directing you toward a specific situation.

* Look ahead to tomorrow and thank God for being with you in whatever you have planned. Know that with God there is no time, so He’s already there, blessing your tomorrow.  

Sit quietly in His presence as long as you feel moved to do so to allow for contemplation: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Thank God for loving you, and for this time with Him.

“Lord, open my heart to listen to You. Be with me; renew me; take me deeper with You.”

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Lessons of Humble Stables and Smelly Mangers

“She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” –Luke 2:7 

Imagine Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. They’re exhausted, Mary has gone into labor, and all the rooms in town are taken. Did they kick themselves for not getting there a day or two earlier? As they were turned away from one full inn after another, they certainly prayed, “God, help us find a place to stay!” Did they hope for a miraculous ‘last-minute cancellation’ that would give them a room? They trusted that God would provide for them; did they wonder why He didn’t intervene?

God, in His wisdom, wanted to use the circumstances of Jesus’ birth to teach us the holiness of humility. Jesus was born in a humble stable and laid in a smelly manger to unite Himself with the poorest of the poor, to prove that all people are precious to Him, regardless of their wealth or status. Mary and Joseph might not have realized this at the time, but they did trust that even the stable was part of God’s plan. Who knows? Maybe in Bethlehem there was another family praying desperately for lodging, and God’s plan was to let them experience the miracle of a ‘last-minute cancellation.’ Maybe their experience increased their faith in Him and brought them a joy they had never known before.

Have you ever asked God to help you, to take away a particular struggle, and you felt like He wasn’t listening because you didn’t see a change? Jesus’ birth in the stable shows us that, sometimes, God doesn’t intervene because He has a better plan. He knows the lessons He wants to teach us through our own ‘humble stables’ and ‘smelly mangers.’ Maybe one experience taught you that what needed to change wasn’t your situation but your attitude. Or maybe, when you trusted our Lord to provide for you and you followed the ‘gut feelings’ He gave you as to what steps to take next, you found a new course of action; maybe that experience took you on a path closer toward Him. Maybe you looked honestly at the messiness in your own heart and gained a new, humble perspective that softened how you relate to others.

The stable and manger became holy because the Son of God dwelt there. This Christmas, invite Jesus deeper into your heart. Let Him make holy the ‘humble stable’ of your day-to-day experience and the ‘smelly manger’ in your heart. Trust that He will use them to bring His Love, Peace, and Joy to the world.

Merry Christmas!

“Lord, come into my heart!” 

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Bringing Peace to the Impossible

 “Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.  Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’”

–Matthew 1:18-21

Joseph didn’t let himself become overwhelmed by his pain and confusion. Instead, he was proactive in bringing love and peace to a seemingly impossible situation. It’s possible that, from his perspective, divorcing Mary without anyone knowing why would free her to marry the baby’s father and thereby protect her from shame and certain death by stoning. Joseph’s selfless solution meant that he would lose her as his spouse, but he would also save her life. Notice that it wasn’t until after his decision to protect Mary that the angel came to reassure him of God’s plan. Joseph didn’t pray, “God, give me proof that Mary’s telling the truth and then I’ll protect her.” He acted in love and hope for her first; he found a way to bring peace to his circumstances. The angel saw his integrity and love, and relieved him of his fears.

Together, Mary and Joseph held fast to hope -- the confident trust that God would make things work out for the best. They let Love be their guide as they gratefully accepted shelter in a stable, fled from Herod, and returned to Galilee to raise the child Jesus. Hope was their inspiration, Love led the way, and Peace followed.

If you’re struggling, resist the temptation to let fear and anxiety overpower you. Feel them, and then place your hope in the Prince of Peace. Follow Joseph’s example: find a way to be proactive, and bring love and peace to the situation. Let God’s Love guide your actions, one step at a time. Trust that He may want to accomplish something through you and your circumstances.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” –Romans 15:13

 “Lord, inspire me to bring peace to even my most difficult circumstances.”

 

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Making Room for Christmas

God’s Gift of Love was born on Christmas Day. During Advent, we prepare our hearts to receive more of His Loving Gifts on Christmas while sharing them with others:

While you carefully consider what to give to someone special… while you’re making, baking, or buying a gift that will make them smile… while you’re giving them your time, energy, and funds... you’re sharing God’s Love and making room in your heart for more.

When you’re kind, patient, and cheerful with the harried cashier… when you over-tip the stressed-out wait staff…. when you let someone go ahead of you in line and even strike up a friendly conversation with them… you’re sharing God’s Love, Peace, and Joy, and making room for more.

When you put something in the red kettle… when you participate in a community Giving Tree… when you give in any way to people in need… you’re offering God’s Love and Hope, and making room for more.

When you bake Christmas cookies for your coworkers or family… when you participate in a gift exchange… when you decorate your work space or home… you’re sharing God’s Love and Joy, and making room for more.

When you send out Christmas cards or e-cards, and include a person with whom you’ve had difficulty… when you ask God to bless them… when you open the door to the possibility of smoothing the bumpy road between you… you’re offering His Love, Hope, and Peace, and making room for more.

When you listen to Christmas music… when you thank God for coming to Earth to show us the way to heaven… when you ask Him to bless each person as you wrap their gift or address their card… you’re giving them and yourself His Love and Joy, and making room for more.

“Lord, prepare my heart this Advent to receive more of Your Love, Hope, Peace, and Joy this Christmas.”

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A Wedding, a Baptism, and Christmas

 In the 2002 romantic comedy, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," Toula and Ian fall in love and want to get married. The problem is, Toula and her family are Greek, her father wants her to marry a Greek man, and Ian is not Greek. Ian wants to show Toula how much he loves her. He wants to share his life with her; he wants to share in everything that makes her her. He will do anything to be with her forever. So, he decides to become Greek.

In the scene of Ian's baptism into the Greek Church, the priest prays and dunks Ian's head under water three times. Toula and her brother Nicko are standing nearby, watching. Toula murmurs to her brother, "I'm just waiting for him to stop the ceremony and say to me, 'You are so not worth this.'" Nicko looks over at her, smiles, and says, "Yes you are."

Though there's an obvious difference of scale between them, we may draw an analogy between this part of the movie and Jesus' coming to Earth. God loves YOU so much that He became one of us; He shared in our humanity in every way except sin. Jesus, 'Immanuel,' 'God With Us,' lived among us and showed us His Love. He wants you to be with Him for all eternity and so He offered Himself as a sacrifice for you and for your salvation. While we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we also see His cross and resurrection. Through them, Jesus showed us that Love is more powerful than evil, and that even death itself couldn't put an end to Him -- His Spirit is still with us. In all of this, He lets us know, 'I'm doing this for YOU. I love you so much that I want you to be with Me forever. I'm offering Myself for you. You are so worth it.'

"No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven -- the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." --John 3:13-17

"Lord, thank You for becoming one of us and crushing the power of death. Help me to love as You love."

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