Yes, Christ Child Come Into Our Hearts!

At the beginning of Advent our community went on a Day of Recollection (a mini retreat day). It was a quiet day for reflection and rest and prayer. It was near the end of the semester so I tried to put school work aside and enter into the gift of a retreat day.

On these days I often grab something to read to help me step away from the regular routine. I had nothing with me that day but once we were at the retreat center I found a magazine. I picked up the Catholic Missions in Canada Winter 2016 Magazine (Praise God for the good people who minister in the North) and leafed through it, the first page caught my attention as I found this beautiful reflection. I love when I read someone else’s reflection and it speaks to my heart and speaks to my journey. Sr. Fay’s reflection below did that for me. I have been holding on to it for these Advent weeks to share it with you at Christmas time.

We stand in a long line of disciples.

Each of us has heard the words to
teach the Good News of a Saviour,
of hope, of the joy of the Gospel.
But how did all this happen? 

Long before there were twelve apostles,

God’s Spirit stirred in the heart of a young woman called Mary.
The broad strokes are simple, clear and heartening.
“God sent an angel… He had a message for a young woman…
Mary said: ‘I am the Lord’s servant.
May it happen to me as you have said.’”
Thus begins the story of Emmanuel, God With Us.

It only remains for me to say:

“May it happen as You will.”
God does not spell out the details
of what this will entail in our daily living.
This is why we read that Mary pondered
these things in her heart, listening, learning, and responding.
We do these things, too. And fear not, for the Lord is with us.

- Sr. Fay Trombley, S.C.I.C.

(Pastoral Administrator of Our Lady of Grace Mission in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT.)

Catholic Missions in Canada Winter 2016 Magazine

The words/lines I have italicized just jump of the page for me and reminded me that the gift of Christmas truly is a gift and the perfect something for each of us.

We stand in a long line of disciples… each of us, we are part of the story, we have a part to play, we have a role in announcing the message of Christmas. This is such good news indeed and so amazing that our God sees us and needs us part of the story. How awesome is that?!

 

Of hope, of the joy of Gospel… these two gifts seem to surface continually in my own journey and for that I am grateful. Hope is the beautiful gift that Emmanuel has planted in my heart and has been fostered by some key people in my life. Joy I continue to discover in new and profound ways. May these two gifts continue to touch all our lives in deep ways.

God’s Spirit stirred… Yes!... it stirred in creation, in stirred in Mary, it stirs in each of us. This stirring has been a beautiful gift I have discovered more fully this autumn and I’m actually excited (maybe for the first time) for where it will lead me and what it is stirring in me to do, to embrace, to be open to. Come Holy Spirit and dwell in me, I am your vessel.

 

Emmanuel – God with Us… Nothing brings greater peace to my heart than the word Emmanuel. In my worries, in my anxiety, in my fears, in my troubles, in my hurts, in my let downs – Emmanuel. God with me, God with us always. If we receive nothing else at Christmas but the gift of recognizing that God is with us that would be more than enough, I continue to see that is truth for me and hear Emmanuel spoken in so many different voices through the journey.

Pondered, listening, learning, responding… So much to ponder… Mary’s yes, Joseph’s trust, hope, joy, God present, deep love, new life, newness, journeys and so on. In all of this we must make time to listen, to learn and to respond. Like Mary our response is key, we must respond to God with us, we must respond to the hope and joy we discover; this is us in the long line of witnesses and this is us awakened to the gift of the Spirit stirring in us.

 

Yes, Christ Child come into my heart,

open me up to see you in the manger

and see that simplicity,

and your gift of trust,

your gift of abandonment,

your gift of hope and joy.

 

Yes, Christ Child come into my heart,

again this Christmas,

so that with Mary & Joseph

I may prepare you room no matter the size,

and ponder all you fill my life with

and embrace you.

 

Yes, Christ Child come into my heart,

so I may be filled with wonder and awe

like the shepherds and magi,

so I may give praise to you for all your goodness,

so I may be strengthened to build the kingdom,

and proclaim: God is With Us Always until the End of Time!

 

Yes, Christ Child come into my heart,

Oh Christ Child you have come again… Thank You!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Christmas Blessings of hope, peace, joy and love

as we gather in the light of the crib,

the light of the world:

Christ Jesus - Emmanuel!

Many Blessings to fill your Christmas Season and all of 2017!

 

 

Please continue to offer your prayers for our world as you gaze upon your Christmas Tree this Christmas Season. Each twinkling light for those mentioned in my last post and let us also pray for the people of Bethlehem, those abandoned, children in broken homes, those held in captivity, places where violence has erupted, those caught in human trafficking, hurting families, the children of the world, and so on...

Advent Ending

 

Our Advent shoes are by now well worn,

Our Advent backpack has hopefully not been filled with unnecessary things, and

Our Advent road is leading us very close to Christmas.

Have you ever noticed that the fourth week of Advent, even if we get a full fourth week always seems to slip by so quickly? I was struck by that as we all try to do the right thing to have the perfect Christmas and then I was struck by What is the perfect Christmas? Each of us would claim a perfect Christmas in different ways: a trimmed tree, all the cookies made, lots of snow, time with family, a getaway, the right carols sung, the outside lights blinking to welcome neighbors, another Christmas party to attend, someone to spend Christmas with, lots of gifts, and on and on the list could go.

Our Advent road must lead us beyond this and to the perfect Christmas which is Christ. Think of that first Christmas. What was perfect about it? Mary and Joseph were travellers away from family, the busy streets did not need to see one more person, there was no welcome at any door, animals and a barn offered warmth and complete strangers came to see what was going on. Does that sound perfect to you?

There was however, something that was perfect. It was true gifts – love, strength, courage and hope. When we ponder the imperfections of God coming among us we see that love wins out, strength comes from trusting in God, courage allows for simple ordinary people to be open and do God’s will and hope allows for the imperfections to slip away and for Christ to enter our lives. It really is perfect.

As we shift from preparation to celebrations, as the year comes to and end and we ponder our many blessings let us give thanks that God enters into imperfections and does great things for and with us. Emmanuel – God with us in the perfection we seek, in the brokenness we encounter, in the journey of life and faith.

 

 

As we gather around our Christmas trees and celebrate with family and friends, happy to be together and feeling safe, I would like to place a Christmas challenge before us. As you look at each ornament or each twinkling light offer a prayer for someone who is not experiencing true light this season… we think of those who lost loved ones this year (whether from natural deaths or tragedy); for families broken; for those who are trapped in additions or depression: for those that lost everything this year because of fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, greed, or unemployment; for those who are sick in hospital or care homes; for those who call the streets their home; for parents longing to have a child and they cannot; for the lonely; for refugees; for immigrants seeking a better home; for the people of the Middle East including Syria and Aleppo; for communities that live in terror because of extremists; for communities dealing with the aftermath of terror; for those who do not have access to water; for the hungry; for those who are bullied; for those who can’t go home; for those hurting for reasons we will never know and for so many others. Let us, those who believe that God is Emmanuel – God with us, let us unite ourselves with our brothers and sisters in prayer and offer love, strength, courage and hope.

If God chose to enter into our imperfections by the birth of his Son in a manger stall, then even in our imperfections God will enter. No matter what our Christmas celebrations will look like, God is with us for love wins out, strength and courage are ours and hope never dies.

Continued Blessings of hope, peace, joy and love

as we journey to the light of the crib,

the light of the world:

Christ Jesus - Emmanuel!

 

Advent Road

The right shoes and the properly packed backpack have had me thinking about the actual Advent road/path/journey. I have been thinking about the many paths we are on and the people we encounter. We do not walk this path alone, no, we walk it with people from all walks of life who “await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity.”

The prophet Isaiah (35.1-6a, 10) gives us some idea of who we might encounter on this Advent trip. He suggests that we are among the weak, feeble, fearful, blind, lame, deaf and mute. Yes, you and I are counted among this group! That is not always easy to embrace but it is so true.

How often are we:

the weak because we are tired of the obstacles of the journey?

the fearful because we feel inadequate or that we lack skills?

the feeble because we stumble along uncertain of where we are going?

the blind because we close ourselves off from the light of Christ?

the lame because we choose to limit ourselves and others around us?

the deaf because we do not hear the words of God spoken in our daily life?

the mute because we close ourselves off to life-giving gifts that our poured daily into our lives?

I look at my own Advent path and know that I can easily let obstacles weigh me down from entering in. I know that I can be afraid that I won’t get it all done or I’m not doing it correctly or I am not skilled enough to be on the path (which is a total lie – we are all called to the path no matter what and can each offer who we are). I ponder if I put up my own blinders up so that I do not see those around me who need some light shed on their path. I wonder how often I limit myself because it is safer than embracing how the Spirit is at work in me. My own Advent path has called me to be attentive to others, to listen to them and how God is speaking through them (like God always has through those around us), yet I seem to stuff my ears full so I can’t hear what I need to hear. And finally I wonder if I let myself be mute instead of sharing a kind word, forgiving a hurt or being supportive.

 

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut in our path. Sometimes we let the pressures of society guide our Advent journey. Sometimes we have a blowout and are left stranded on the side of the road wondering what to do next. Sometimes we forget that we are journeying to the One who strengthens the weak, makes firm the feeble, gives courage to the fearful, opens the eyes of the blind, makes the lame leap, makes the deaf to hear and the mute to sing (see the above Isaiah quote).

Yes it is he, Emmanuel who comes to us and does not leave us on the path but rather draws us to himself and invites to embrace the good news of our salvation.

 

Where are we on our Advent path?

Who is traveling with us?

How are we traveling?

What do we need to let go of so we can make the rest of the journey (approximately 12 days)?

Who do we see around us on the path?

Who needs us to bring hope to them so they can make it to the crib? Who is weak, afraid, blind, lame or deaf this season and needs us to walk with them (remember we are not alone)?

Like John the Baptist, we must hear that Jesus is indeed the One who gives sight, makes the lame walk, cleanses the leper, makes the deaf hear and proclaims good news to the poor (Matthew 11.2-11). We must let Christ enter into the journey with us so we indeed may find him at the crib and in our hearts.

Think of Mary and Joseph, that is exactly what they did. They let Christ enter their journey and hearts well before they held him as their son, and they let his light guide their saying ‘yes’ and to journeying with them to the Bethlehem stall. They choose not to remain in darkness, we are offered the same on this Advent journey.

What step do we need to make next?

What is holding us back?

Where is the light being shed on our path?

We have nothing to fear, for God is with us and says, “Be strong and do not fear.”

We are called to walk in the light and the light grows brighter by the week (3 candles now aglow on the Advent wreath).

Let us continue to tread the Advent path together, for we all desire to make it the crib. Some of us may need a bit more support (let us be aware of those around us), but together is the best way to journey to Christmas.

Continued Blessings of hope, peace, joy and love

as we journey to the light of the crib,

the light of the world:

Christ Jesus - Emmanuel!

 

 

 

Advent Backpack

The Advent shoes now has me thinking about an Advent Backpack or Saddlebag. The journey for Advent must be light as the journey is a short one, we must not pack too many items or it will just add clutter to the purpose of the journey.

When I was ministering as a Youth Minister there was a prayer we used to lead with the youth called Prayer in a Backpack. The prayer has been crossing my mind over the past few days. Now that we are in Week 2 of Advent, and we got the right pair of shoes on (or we have changed them a few times), I think we should look in our Advent Backpacks.

In our Advent Backpack/Saddlebag we carry a:

Map – Lord, help us on this Advent journey to be open to the path you are calling us to instead of us always telling where we want to go.

Mirror – Lord, help us to look at each person we encounter in the hustle and bustle and see you and the light they offer.

Cash – Lord, help us as we go about our shopping for the perfect gift to realize that the things of real value in life are not measured by how much they cost.

Ball of String – Lord, help us to set aside any grudges or petty jealousies that tangle up our hearts and steal joy from us this season. Show us that you are the tie that binds.

Scissors – Lord, help us to reflect on the ways we act and things we say so that we may cut out our bad habits and dependencies and depend only on you.

MP3 player – Lord, help us to tune into you and tune out the distractions that try and rob from us the gift of this holy season.

Jewelry – Lord, help us to remember generosity this Advent, keep us from wanting more and more and putting things before people.

Watch – Lord, help us to slow down and walk this Advent path with purpose and meaning. Teach us to value the time we have with loved ones and friends, enjoying the moments of the season and to make time for you. Yes Lord, to make time for you and with you this season is key to the journey.

 

There it is... our backpack is not too full and it’s fairly light. May these hand little items remind us to stay focused on Emmanuel as we journey towards Christmas. May Mary and Joseph (fellow travellers who were open to where the path may lead) inspire us on the rest of this Advent journey.

 

Continued Blessings of hope, peace, joy and love

as we journey to the light of the crib,

the light of the world:

Christ Jesus - Emmanuel!

 

 

 

 

*Prayer in a Backpack item ideas from Pathways to Prayer Booklet