What is a Gift?

                For some reason, gifts are on my mind today!  I spend part of the morning at the post office mailing the last of the out of town gifts for the year.  I am very excited and happy about the gifts that I/we are giving this year. 

Just after Thanksgiving, I saw a contest on the web titled, “My horrible holiday gift” contest sponsored by a hotel chain. In anticipation of the “thousands – if not millions – of awful, embarrassing gifts that will be received” by Americans this Christmas, it will reward gift recipients for sharing their stories on line.  People can trade in less-than-desirable gifts for “valuable prizes”.

This is what we have come to, expecting to receive what we don’t want and finding a way to turn it into what we do want.  Dictionary.com defines gift as “something given voluntarily without payment in return”.  It occurs to me that Christmas gift giving is no longer voluntarily and many of the anticipated “horrible” gifts arise because individuals select gifts out of sheer panic, or because an advertiser has enticed them to purchase the item, or because they feel obligated to give a gift and don’t know what to get.

My favorite gift that I ever gave my mom was a Philadelphia Phillies six dollar coffee mug purchased in San Francisco.  My mom loved baseball and I visited many major league baseball parks with her after my father died.  When we went to a game in Philadelphia in July – in a year long before internet shopping - they didn’t have any mugs.  She was devastated. Yes, she was so sad.  In October that same year, I was in San Francisco for work and had a free evening.  As I walked along the waterfront, I happened upon a store that sold sports souvenirs.  Tucked in a corner, on a shelf that I could not reach, was one Philadelphia Phillies mug.  I bought it, wrapped it securely in my luggage and kept it safe until December 25^th.  I could not wait for her to open it and when she did, she shared my joy! 

This year, due to the economic conditions in my family – we have joined many others in downsizing this Christmas.  I carefully shopped throughout the year when I found something that I thought would be a perfect gift.  Although we spent much less this year, I am very excited about the gifts we are giving.  Most of the gifts I mailed today had been purchased in advanced, I just was not organized enough to get them wrapped and packaged before today!

With just six days before Christmas, maybe it is time to take a time-out from the Christmas (holiday) madness and consider what it is that is really being exchanged.  After all, those original Christmas gifts given to Jesus were things that he would need, given in love.   It is my prayer for you today, that if you are in the middle of the Christmas madness that you take a deep breath and remember that a gift is given voluntarily.  (Just as Jesus gave us the greatest gift – voluntarily!)

Wishing you much peace in these final days of Advent!

Can I be a Stretcher-Bearer?

The well-known narration of man bringing a paralyzed man on a stretcher to Jesus is found in Luke, Chapter 5.  The crowd was great, that they went up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles.  Jesus cures the paralyzed man in front of the scribes and Pharisees.  It is a familiar story.

Today, the priest preached about the faith of the stretcher-bearers.  Once they lowered their friend or relative or perhaps even master through the roof, Jesus saw them.  Luke Chapter 5 says, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to (the men bearing the man), ‘As for you, your sins are forgiven.’” 

I had not focused on the action of those stretcher-bearers until today.  It took effort to bring the paralyzed man; from we do not know what distance.  They so believe that Jesus could help, that they brought the paralyzed man up on the roof, and lowered him in front of Jesus! Because of their faith, that man was in front of Jesus when Jesus wanted to show the scribes and Pharisees that “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”   He told the man to “rise pick up your stretcher, and go home.” Than man did just that, glorifying God.

Somehow, thinking about being a stretcher barer is not as intimidating as being an evangelist.  

Today, our pastor encouraged us to be the ones that bring people to Jesus by our words and actions.  To help them understand the important difference in lives who have Christ as King.  We can be sure that then Jesus will do the rest.  As the priest preached, I could think of two people who have been on my mind for a while who I would like to speak to about my faith.

My resolution during Advent is to be a stretcher-bearer for each of them.  To bring one to church and to speak with the other about how God has changed my life enormously.  I pray that I have the courage and wisdom to be their stretcher-bearer this Advent.

Who can do all things?

                Monday was not a good day for me.  We arrived home on Sunday night at 11:30 pm after a 10 hours drive from Michigan.  We enjoyed festive days of celebrating Thanksgiving with family and catching up with numerous friends.  We lunched with my mom’s best friend, celebrated impending nuptials with a daughter of a friend, golfed in the 60-degree weather, bowled with five sorority sister and their families, and brunched with some college friends in Ann Arbor.  While the pace was not frenetic, we were busy.  My husband had a cold and I got little sleep on Sunday night.

                Others reasons for restless sleep include the fact that I was coming home to the important work of closing as may gifts as possible for my clients before December 31^st and there was a list of volunteer commitments that was nearly as long as my  childhood list to Santa.  Add all of the Christmas activities, including decorating the house and creating our Christmas cards and wanted to hit the ground running!

                During morning mass and my prayer/journaling time, I was very distracted by the list of things that I need to accomplish this week.  Now, the truth is that the world will not come to the end if this work is not completed, but this is what was on MY agenda for the week.  I worked to get through the glut of emails.  At noon, I had finished very little.  I simply could not focus on one thing!

                I felt myself on the edge of an abyss of despair and depression.  Depression had been a continual companion of mine in the years before I came back to God. This feeling was alarming to me. What is going on with me? I thought.

                I pulled up mid-day prayers on my smart phone and in the first reading, the Psalmist was crying out to God for help.  I prayed the mid-day prayers, then went back to the first Psalm, and prayed it twice over, knowing that I needed God’s help.  On my drive to a client’s office in the afternoon, I prayed the Joyful Mysteries and on the way back the Sorrowful Mysteries – this time for those dealing with depression.

                In the evening, I received encouragement from a couple of sources including the book that I was just beginning.   I learned that St. Teresa of Jesus wrote Interior Castle at the request of her superiors because her previous book was in the hands of the Inquisition.  This happened while her local superiors and Rome were questioning many the reforms she had made within her community.  In spite of this, she wrote this great classic on prayer.

                The next day, I found more encouragement in the morning prayers. Then it dawned on me.  Who can do all things?  Is it I?  Of course not.  In all of the activity of celebrating and working, I was forgetting to give thanks and praise to our Lord.  I was not allowing Him to work in me.  My unrealistic schedule of things to do made me feel overwhelmed.  I went to morning Mass and spent nearly an hour in prayer and study.  What a difference it made!  This just might be the “wake up “call that I needed to slow down this Advent and enjoy this time of waiting.

Lazy Journalism

Lazy Journalism

As my husband drives our car across Ohio to join my extended family for Thanksgiving, I read the USA Today that was outside our hotel door this morning. I enjoy reading about the new Muppet Movie. I am a true Muppet fan, so much so that as a recent college grad I wouldn‘t go out on Saturday night until I watched, the Muppet Show. I also have a small Beeker on my dresser that my husband gave me one Christmas!. The article was a delightful interview between the actor and Kermit. We hope to go see this movie as a family this weekend.

I peruse the front section of the newspaper and am interested to see that they have an article on the Third Edition of the Roman Missal that will be used beginning this Sunday. I am dismayed to find that two-thirds of the article focuses on those who are not happy about the revisions in the Mass. According to the article, a lay person claims that “the liturgy is the prayer of the people and we had had no say in the change”. A priest doesn’t like the change. Some Irish priests asked the Vatican to slow down the process.

USA Today and this journalist decides to use this article to criticize the changes in the Catholic mass. The article does not include any statistics, only anecdotal comments on the changes. The revised Missal will mean a change for the laity and the priests. I am looking forward to the changes. Those who have taken the time to learn about the new words and what they mean  understand that English speaking Catholics will now worship with the same words as the rest of the world. Isn’t that exciting?

I, for one am excited about praising God by saying, “We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you…”.during the Gloria. My parish has been singing parts of the new mass for several weeks. On Monday, during the daily mass, when we said the Sanctus, my brain twinged a little when repeating the current words. The change is small, but my brain is learning the new way, little by little.

It is a change and change is never easy for anyone. Our world is filled with change and you would think that we would realize that the norm for our lives is change. It is easy to find examples of people who want to criticize any type of change and easy to find people who want to criticize the church. In recent years, the media seems to excel in both areas.

Instead of considering the wonderful opportunities in front of the millions of Catholic Christians who will worship in a slightly different way beginning on Sunday, USA Today chose to editorialize with this article about the Church. Perhaps their message is that they do a great job writing feature articles on movies - but that is where their expertise ends. This article is simply an example of lazy journalism. I’ll find something else to read tomorrow morning.

　

Sleigh Bells?

               The Corner Bakery was unusually quiet as Noon approached last Friday.  It was Veteran’s Day, a legal US holiday.  Many of the buildings around this restaurant are government buildings, so it was a great day to meet my sister for lunch.  Although we live only 20 miles from each other, it had been a while since we were able to catch up on our lives.

                I ordered food and found a booth to sit.  As I slid into the booth, I shook my head.  Are they really playing Sleigh Bells?  It’s November 11, nearly two weeks before Thanksgiving and 45 days until Christmas begins.  They are not the only food emporium pushing the holidays.  The red coffee cups at Starbucks came out around Halloween, not Thanksgiving this year. 

                Maybe it is the economy and the news in general.  Perhaps the thinking is that Christmas music (if Sleigh Bells even qualifies) and red coffee cups create festive and cheerful surroundings.  If people are cheerful, will they buy more?

                This early exposure to Christmas celebration seems to bother me more and more each year.  In our house, we celebrate Advent.  We light the Advent wreath each night and read from an Advent book after dinner.  This tradition helps us stay focused on the Advent journey.  My fourteen-year-old son still enjoys lighting the candles.  At a time of year, when darkness arrives at five in the evening, the light and warmth on the table will be welcome.

                I’m not a purest.  Our Christmas tree goes up about 10 days before Christmas.  Much of my shopping done, (as I like to get gifts for family members from places where I’ve travelled) and I do enjoy listening to Christmas music before December 25^th. (I also have two CD’s with Advent music!)  When the radio stations stop playing Christmas music, (or maybe they call it holiday music) at midnight on December 25^th, I have my own CD’s in my car and at home.

                We also celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas.  The readings for the masses between Christmas and Epiphany are beautiful.  Our new family tradition is to have a celebration on Epiphany – the REAL Epiphany – January 6^th, not the day celebrated by our church.

                This week, I’ll buy my Advent candles, plan the family Thanksgiving visit to Michigan, (my home state), look for my Advent CD’s  and enjoy the beautiful fall weather that is forecast . This is the week to enjoy the final days of trees decorated with beautiful color and to walk along Sligo Creek, hearing the crunch of leaves under my feet. 

I’ll spend my time during the season of hope, walking with Mary. When the music begins for mass at Midnight on December 25^th, I’ll be ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior, and thank God for the gift of His Son to us. 

Colorful Leaves and Simple Pleasures

                Last Thursday, I sat in the warm afternoon sun, watching my son’s final high school football game of the season.  It was a beautiful afternoon and I noticed how colorful the leaves were turning on the trees in the background. 

The moment gave me a chance to reflect on the weeks that had passed since the summer time.  I thought back to those mid-August practices with so much heat and humidity.  The days and weeks have flown by so quickly.  My son is now acclimated to the challenges of high school.  We are used to the transportation schedule.  My new clients now are friends. My family has adjusted to the loss of our father-in-law, Jim to complications of diabetes in early August.

How is it that the season has changed, and I am just noticing it?  I know if I don’t take the time to enjoy it, the trees will be barren. The activities of the days blend into each other as the years barrels toward the holidays and the end of the year. 

As I felt the warm sun on my back and looked again at the trees, it dawned on me that was the perfect moment to thank God for these simple pleasures.  They are many! Only God made the trees that turn these beautiful colors.  We truly believe as a family that my son is at his current high school only because of prayer and God's will. My clients have wonderful missions and are making a difference for tens of thousands of children and adults - and I get to be a part of that! My father –in-law is peaceful and not in pain anymore and is enjoying his Eternal reward! My son survived his first year of high school football physically unscathed, and mentally and emotionally stronger.

To God I give thanks and praise for all of these things.  For He “gives us all these gifts. He fills them with life and goodness, blesses them and makes them holy.”[i]  In this crazy-busy world, it I often forget to take time to enjoy simple pleasures.  For today, that simple pleasure is watching 100 fourteen-year-old boys play football, in the warm afternoon autumn sun, while gazing at the beautiful leaves on the trees.  Thank you Lord for these simple pleasures, and for nudging me to enjoy them!

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[i]  From the Eucharistic payer I (Roman canon).

Being Open

                While talking to a friend this morning about a family issue, he said, “It is good to be open (to God’s will).”  Maybe it is good, but it can also be daunting, intimidating and even terrifying, especially for me, who is most comfortable having a plan to execute, not a blank canvas of opportunities.

 

That is where my husband and I are on a current issue.  We haven’t been getting the results in a matter where we were so sure that we were in the place that God wanted us.  So sure, that the potential of looking at other alternatives didn’t even cross our mind.

                So sure, that even when other possibilities were mentioned that we didn’t consider them.  Then a series of encounters, over a short period of time caused me to pray about the possibility.  By not opening that door, and being so sure that we are in the “right” place, are we following God’s plan for us?  The question was unnerving and life changing.  When I discussed it with my husband, opening that door seemed like the right thing to consider.

                Nevertheless, isn’t that always the case with being willing to follow God’s plan for us?  As a child of the 70’s, the goal was to get a good education, find a well paying job, marry a good man, buy a house in a good neighborhood. ... Well, you get the idea.

Here my husband and I are in mid-life with all of those things that we thought were important in life.  Evaluating our future and asking if God has something else for us, something very different, is unnerving.  Will He take us to a place that will completely change our lives?  If we choose not to “be open”, will we miss out on the opportunity for something not only good for us, but also for others?   

We have become “open”.  Open to more than having good jobs to pay the bills.  Open to wanting to do His will.  While neither of us is like Peter, enthusiastically jumping out of the boat to walk on water, we have taken the tentative first steps of trusting in God for the next step in our lives. It has been two weeks since we “became open” and the possibility is still daunting, but not terrifying or even intimidating.  It has brought us closer to each other and to our Lord.

That blank canvas that could be our future doesn’t look empty at all.  It looks filled with opportunities.