Listen and Respond

     “Even though we know that God’s will and commandments apply to everyone, we do not always have the strength to fulfill them. Now, every time we respond faithfully to a motion of the Spirit, out of desire to be docile to what God expects of us, even if it’s something almost insignificant in itself, that may make us capable of one day practicing the commandments that up until then we had not been capable of fulfilling entirely.”                        Fr. Jacques Phillipe


     There is a very good chance that since you are reading this blog, you are striving to grow in your relationship with God. You are trying to grow in grace, holiness and virtue. You are looking deep within yourself, to discover your weaknesses and imperfections. You long so much to change, to please God in all that you do.

Recognize the Gift -- Accept It

     I don’t know about you, but when it comes to the spiritual life, I tend to be a slow learner. But I am blessed to have a “Papa” who loves me unconditionally and is so very patient. He has an image of the woman He has called me to be from all eternity, and realizes that I am a “work in progress.” God usually teaches me a lesson and then uses the events of my life so I can practice each of them – again and again and again – until I finally “get it!” Such was the case this past Advent and Christmas season.

Christ Visible

     “If we approach with faith, we too will see Jesus . . . for the Eucharistic table takes the place of the crib. Here the Body of the Lord is present, wrapped not in swaddling clothes but in the rays of the Holy Spirit.”                                                            St. John Chrysostom


     During the Christmas holidays, our churches look so beautiful with lighted trees, rich altar tapestries, and of course, the stable where baby Jesus lies in the manger. As we sing, “O come let us adore Him,” I am sure many of us would have loved to have been present to experience the birth of Our Lord long ago. If, by some great miracle, God was humanly present in our churches, on a particular day at a particular time, I feel certain we would do whatever was necessary to be there – just to gaze upon our sweet little Jesus.

And the Word Became Flesh

     “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God, all things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. He was in the world and the world came to be through Him, but the world did not know Him. He came to what was His own, but His own people did not accept Him.  (Jn 1 vs 1-5, 14, 10-11).


     When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, it became clear that the Babe in her womb, the Word of God, was to be born. The town was teeming with others who had come to register in the City of David. Every place Joseph turned for shelter, they found rejection. The inns were all filled! They turned them away and sent them off. It was not their problem. Let somebody else help them.

Calming the Hurricane

     “Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope.” Pope Benedict XVI


     Like travelers, who have lost their way, we wander through the Advent season forgetting our blessed destination. Because we have taken our eyes away from the star, which is burning brightly in the dark sky, we feel disoriented. We are like people caught up in a hurricane and there is no peace or serenity. We need to move toward the eye of the storm, where it is calm, and look up. Christ’s light is there shining in the darkness of our emotional night. We must keep our focus on Christ and His light. It will guide us, in spite of our present circumstances.

Peace -- Pass It On

     “The peace of our spirit does not depend on the good nature and kindness of other people. Our neighbor’s good nature and kindness are in no way subject to our control or opinion. That would be absurd. The tranquility of our heart depends on ourselves. The ability to avoid anger, with all its ridiculous effects, has to come from within ourselves and not be dependent on the nature of other people. The power to overcome the evil in our character must not depend on some perfection outside us, but on our own virtue.”                                                                      
                                                              St. Jose Maria Escriva



     The “blame game” started long ago in the garden. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. As children of Adam and Eve, it might be a good time to say, “the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree!”

The Greatest Gift

     “We are called to withdraw at certain intervals into deeper silence and aloneness with God . . . not with our books, thoughts, and memories but completely stripped of everything, to dwell lovingly in God’s presence . . . silent, empty, expectant, and motionless.” Blessed Teresa of Calcutta



     Withdrawing from activity, to spend time with God is something that our souls truly yearn for and need. Taking moments to be in His presence will always be fruitful, whether it’s apparent to us or not.