One of the resources I turn to as I pray and reflect on the readings for the Sunday Mass comes out of St. Louis University. The Center for Sunday Liturgy produces a website that provides both background information and spiritual reflections on the readings. Those that contribute are Fr. Ron Rolheiser, Larry Gillick, John Kavanaugh, John Foley, Sr. Joyce Ann Zimmerman, John Pilch, and many others. You can find it at www.liturgy.slu.edu and I would highly recommend you frequenting this site as a part of your own preparation for Mass on Sunday. Now with that commercial out-of-the-way, back to our regular reflections.
Changing our lives is very concrete and visible
Do you know the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Isn’t that how we live our lives? I know its how I live my life. Right now I am very unhappy with my work situation yet, while I am doing some things to change or move on, I keep hoping that rather than me change the situation will change to make me happy. Now that I am a few years away from my divorce I am finding my weekends empty and lonely. Yet, rather than change my circumstances I would rather hide in my room and feel sorry for myself. And finally on a most practical level, I remain overweight and unhealthy and while I start my day off with the best of intentions I end up falling back to old ways of comforting myself with food. So, how does one change?
We hear in our Gospel this Sunday (Matt 3:1-12) Jesus’ cousin
John the Baptist calling for all to “Repent”. He is calling for us to change our ways and thus prepare for the coming Kingdom of God. Yet, I am the same miserable soul. How do we change? How do we become different? How do we become better? How do we become the people we are meant and want to be? While you can find a million articles on the need to change, I am not surprised to find so few with a plan or suggestions on the how to. Change is not easy especially when we are talking about ourselves.
The one conclusion I have come to is that change requires different choices. I have spoken a bit about this in past blogs. We can’t hang out with the same people, or do the same routines if what we want to change is a big part of the experience. I must choose to do something different. I must choose to do something, other than what I have been doing. Yes, it will be hard and in some cases even painful, but that is why most people require some sort of support community to help them stay strong. I was able to go through my divorce because I had a support community who held me up. But often the changes that we approach in Advent aren’t that huge. Even so, there is a ready-made support community in our parish family.
Advent is about change. Advent is about preparing the world to receive the Christ child but as Victor Frankl said: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Not that I want to disagree with such a great
man but I believe it’s both. We cannot change ourselves without changing our situation and we cannot change our situation without changing ourselves. Advent reminds us that we can no longer wait until the weather gets better, or our situation improves or when the … now is the time. Today is the day. Now if I can only figure out the how.
I remain, your servant in Christ, Theresa
Have you ever tried to break a bad habit? Maybe it was stopping biting your nails or saying certain words… something that for whatever reason you started doing and now you want to stop. For those dealing with addiction… I mean really dealing with addiction there are so many bad habits or just plan habits that one gets into associated with the addiction. So it’s not just having the will and desire to no longer drink, smoke, eat, gamble… it’s also doing away with all the other stuff that goes a long with it. I know of someone who had to get rid of a favorite chair because in her desire to stop smoking she knew she could no longer keep it. Not only did the chair reek of smoke but more importantly it was where she did 80% of her smoking. To sit in the chair meant to light up. Or another friend who had to quit a whole group of associates because of his desire to remain sober. We have a desire to live a healthier life and that is wonderful but it isn’t enough. With every step we take we have to stop and look at what is dragging us down; what associated baggage are we carrying that keeps us from living the way we want or know we should.
back four Sundays from Christmas Day) before Christmas and is meant for reflection and prayer on three ideas:
Advent is, approximately, four weeks in which we try not to “do it all” but to take on one bad habit that keeps us from welcoming Christ into our lives as we should. One thing that consumes our time, attention and energy to the point of making us less of the person we know we should be. For Christians (who really believe) this is our New Years, not January 1st. 
The question I always ask myself at this time of year is: “Who or What do I worship?” May sound like a funny question but if we understand worship in broader terms then we look at things like:
beginning, a new opportunity to start fresh and new.
are becoming more and more selfish and self-absorbed. There is a good way to be selfish — taking care of yourself and making sure those around you give you the respect that is deserved — but that is not what I am talking about. There seems to be this growing myopic sense around the people in my life so I can only assume it is everywhere. What am I talking about? Why are people so selfish? Why is it that we want what we want regardless of the cost to the people around us?
death after a month struggle with cancer of the brain. My daughter needed someone to lean on and her boyfriend was more than happy to provide that resting place for her. They were inseparable but miserable during the many and varied family Christmas celebration as they spent most of their time in the car driving.
And I am not going to give them the responsibility of making my happiness. I am sure I will feel somewhat different when there are grandchildren but for now its enough to know that they love me and that they are well.
gthened in us at Confirmation. We are meant to be “afraid” of God. But how can that be? If we are to understand that love is the absence of fear and above all we are to love God… how can we fear God along side of loving God? Well, the problem is in our understanding of fear.
prepare. What do you do? Certainly you plan for your physical appearance — hair cut and style… new clothes… maybe new make-up. You want to look your best. Why? Because you are afraid of them? Or, because your admiration and respect is so great you show your honor for them by looking your best, being on your best behavior.
us are pre-Copernican spiritually. God’s job is to circle around us, we think, as if we were the center of the universe.
holy scriptures that the intention of 90% of, especially the New Testament is clear. But today’s Gospel (Friday, 31st week) is one that has perplexed me.
man. Think of it not in terms of commerce but in terms of life. Do we begrudge the dishonest person who in their last hours comes to realize the idiocy of their choices and turns their lives over to Christ? No, of course not. We welcome and embrace our new brother or sister in Christ and celebrate that even though their earthly walk with our Lord will be short, they are now on the right path. Why did they convert? Most probably because deep in their hearts they knew that what they were taught in Sunday school as a child was right and they faced eternal damnation if they didn’t do something quick… the same motive as the servant.
Romero. He was the Bishop of the Catholic Church of El Salvador in Central America from 1977 to 1980. On March 24th, 1980, while celebrating Mass, as he elevated the host during the consecration, Archbishop Romero was shot and killed. His crime? He lived and preached the gospel which put him at odds with the civil and military authorities. I would ask that as we listen and reflect on the reading this weekend we put aside the politics and simply think about the courage it takes to continue to teach and preach gospel values in the face of such hatred.
oday we deal with small matters… making sure we get to Church on Sunday, saying our prayers, responding kindly when someone offends our beliefs but saying something. Now is the time to ask ourselves how are we doing. Would we be convicted by our neighbors if faith was outlawed tomorrow? Are we living our faith well enough that we can be readily identified as believers? Today is small matters but if we don’t live in the small matters a strong and convicted faith then we will crumble in the big moments. Do you think the Jews knew from the moment of its inception what would be the outcome of the Nazi Party?
Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
have a pretty good idea of the parent simple spending time with their child. They watch and they learn. That is the child’s job.
that don’t want to be fooled.
r of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
because of who he was at his core these were not conversations, they were battles in which there must always be a clear winner… him. Truth was not truth unless he sees it that way. Personal experience and perception of the other was something to be aware of but to never take seriously unless it resonates with his own. Eventually I stopped trying and I stopped talking. I mean what is the point if my feelings, perceptions, beliefs, understandings, priorities are never going to be taken seriously and at best will always be an afterthought to his own. And now, a bit wiser, I must once again go into battle with yet another ongoing relationship in my life that is all too familiar. Knowing what I know I realize that I can pray and hope that a we will both come out of this heard, understood and respected but my experience tells me that I need to prepare for the worse.
, year… May it help you as you deal with the evil in your life. No, I am not saying this person is evil, but what they can do to others, to me, can be evil. I will no longer let myself, or others around me be fodder for the arrogance and injustice of others. But I don’t want to become them either and the only way to assure that what I do and say is right and just is to lean on the Lord. I remain,