Comfort & Hope in the Lord

Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

                                                                -      Psalm 31

Yes Lord, comfort us for you are our hope,

comfort us as we hear of more sensless killings,
comfort us as we deal with fear and indifference,
comfort us as we struggle to be welcoming communities.

Yes Lord, comfort us for you are our hope,

you are hope when the world seems dark,
you are hope when the shouts of anger seem too much,
you are hope when peace seems so far away.

Yes Lord, comfort us for you are our hope,

comfort our loved ones and friends who are ill and hurting,
comfort our communities who are devasted and fragile,
comfort our families who are broken and in pain.

Yes Lord, comfort us for you are our hope,

your are hope today, tomorrow and always,
you are hope that is stength and courage,
you are hope which lights our journey.


Yes Lord, our hearts take comfort in you,
for you are the way, the truth and life,
we place all our worries, fears and anxieties in you,
for we hope in you and find life,
for your love is a shelter which is steadfast and merciful.

Take a Breath: Blessings

This past week has been one of those weeks, busy, curve balls, new experiences, more learning, and so on.

Our world continues to face new challenges, deal with old hurts, seek peace, strive for unity and find good and healthy ways to support each other especially the poor, hurting and broken.

There has been a lot of loud voices this past week and when that consumes our time, I often feel it is important to step back, take breath, turn off the noise of our lives and count our blessings.

As we begin a new week and face new challenges may we count our blessings and remember that Jesus said, "I am with you always until the end of time."

Peace in the journey.

Peace in the living.

Peace in the life given.

Hope in the discoveries.

Hope in the experiences.

Hope in the gift of life.

Love in the relationships.

Love in the sharing.

Love in the beautiful life.

Joy in the path trodden.

Joy in the growth and building.

Joy in the awe of life.

Christ in the all of each day.

Christ in the challenges and blessings.

Christ in the life that is ours.

May peace fill our hearts, may the hope that is ours always light the way, may we know the love of both friend and stranger, may joy - simple and pure touch our lives and may we never forget that Christ our brother and savior is deeply in love with each one of us.

New Year Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit,

as this New Year begins to take shape,

come and dwell in me

so that like Mary and Joseph

I may welcome Christ

and allow him to dwell in me more fully.

Come Holy Spirit,

guide me as I open the vessel of my life

to your very breath and life

that brings Christ into me

and works through me.

Come Holy Spirit,

be at work in my

gifts, talents, skills, opportunities,

abilities, learning and living,

so I may truly radiate Christ

and by my blessings be a blessing for others.

Come Holy Spirit,

fill me - the vessel of my life

with much joy, peace and the hope

that is always at my core.

Come Holy Spirit,

direct me in ways of life and openness,

so I may remain rooted in hope,

rooted in Christ,

rooted in my learning, growing, interacting,

sharing of the journey, being, doing…

in tasks great and tasks small.

Come Holy Spirit,

come and be present

so I may keep my eyes on Christ

and humbly and graciously

be a vessel and a servant

open to encountering Christ always.

Come Holy Spirit,

come and continue to do something new in me,

come and be in my openness,

come and fill my heart,

come and help me to let go

so as to open the vessel of my life more

to the power of the Triune love

alive and awake in me.

Amen.

Epiphany Joy, Transformation, Roads

 

Overwhelmed with Joy

Transformed

By Another Road

Epiphany is the great celebration that reminds us that Christ was born for everyone. The journey of the magi is our story, it is about encounter, it is about discovery, and it is about new life.

The above three phrases stand out for me this Epiphany. The first and third one are taken from the gospel of Matthew (2.1-12) and the second one came from reflection, hearing one of my brothers preach and the realization that the magi had to be transformed after encounter Christ. They simply did not just come to drop off presents because they were late for a birthday party, no they encountered a gift far greater than the ones they brought.

Overwhelmed with Joy.

Just these three words alone sound wonderful. They are full of life, they summarize the birth of Christ beautifully for those who first encountered him that night. Just think of the shepherds, the curious town folk, the wise men – how the drudge of their lives was transformed because of the baby in a manger.  

Overwhelmed by joy should also be how Christmas still touches our lives today. As we are in the early days of this New Year and as we look back on our Christmas celebrations, we must ask ourselves what overwhelmed us with joy this Christmas and this past year?

We are so often overwhelmed with burdens, worries, struggles, problems and pains we forget to look at what overwhelms us with joy. For me as a ponder these last few weeks alone, I am overwhelmed with joy that I had time with my family, I enjoyed moments with my nephews and nieces, my Grandparents, Godparents, Godchildren and relatives and at the same time I am overwhelmed with joy in the quiet moments I spent by the Christmas tree and crèche. Joy is so powerful, it is a sister to hope and love and is infused in our days. May the year ahead be one that overwhelms us with joy!

Transformed.

I know how my own life has been transformed time and time again. I know how each Christmas transforms me as I encounter the birth of Christ in a new way, as I hear a part of the story as if for the first time and as I look ahead to the journey of a new year. Being transformed can be a scary thing, it can be challenging, it should always be life-giving.

I think of the three wise men, how they simply were looking for a king to honor and how upon encountering a baby in the manger their lives must have be filled with new meaning, a fullness that had been missing, an answer to questions they didn’t know how to ask.

I don’t always like praying with being transformed, yet I know it is part of the Christian journey and part of seeking the Christ Child in my life. When I stop and ponder transformation it leads me to greater discoveries and deeper encounters with Christ. Christ only desires to transform me and each one of us into the fullness of the person God  has created us to be.

By Another Road.

I think this is the most beautiful part of the story of the Magi. That because of their encounter with a baby; with the Christ Child overwhelming them with joy and transforming them they knew that they must go about telling their story by another way. And in case that wasn’t enough God used a dream to confirm what they had encountered.

We are each called to go by another road, especially after an encounter with Christ. The start of a new year is a great time to ponder the paths we have travelled and what new ones we are being called to take. Which roads have led to dead ends and which are just beginning to emerge? Which are going to be challenging and life-giving and which are going to consume our energies and steal our life? Like the wise men the choice is ours on which road we will take.

By another road does not mean easy or simple, but by another road because of Christ does mean a path that leads to the everlasting kingdom.

As Epiphany leads us deeper into 2017, may the light of the Christmas star shine brightly on our new paths, may joy continue to overwhelm more of our days than not and may we be open to transformation when we encounter Christ in our daily living.

Praise the Lord, all you nations!

Christ manifested in the flesh,

Christ justified in the Spirit.

Christ contemplated by the angels,

Christ proclaimed by the peoples.

Christ who is believed in the world,

Christ exalted in glory.

Praise the Lord, all you nations.

- based 1 Timothy 3.16 (from Evening Prayer 1 for Epiphany)

Blessings of hope, peace, joy and love

as we walk into 2017 guided by the light of the world:

Christ Jesus - Emmanuel!