“Will you be happy in the world’s way or in Christ’s way?”

Luke’s Sermon on the Plain and Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount closely correspond. Both start with a series of Beatitudes. There are differences in the two … but there is no question they both are a series of bombshells. It may well be that we have read and/or listened to them so often that we have forgotten how revolutionary they are.

And it would appear that they are even more contrary to our American lifestyle than ever before. Outside of Church or when reading Scripture, when in your lifetime have you ever heard anyone say, in effect: “Happy are the poor and woe to the rich?” It is so antithesis to our capitalistic style of government in the United States.

What Jesus basically saying is this, according to theologian William, Barclay: “If you set your heart and bend your whole energies to obtain the things which the world values, you will get them --- but that is all you will ever get.”

Since we all need to eat, feed our families, keep a roof over our heads and pay our bills, it is a balance that we need to strive for. Keeping us constantly aware of Jesus’ presence in and with us through prayer and receiving Him in the Eucharist, we perform whatever roles our lives have led us to … and go on one day at a time.

There was a time back in the ‘80s that I lost a great deal of focus in “Jesus’ Way” vs. the “Way of the World.” I morphed my site finding efforts for national retailers from the “brokerage” end into “developmental.” The latter has much higher rewards … but also huge financial risks. After co-developing Cranberry Crossing in Kingston at the intersection of Routes 53 & 3A, I bought out my partner and purchased a large home on the water in Duxbury’s Standish Shore.

Then the bottom fell out of the economy around 1990, and my many “mom and pop” tenants started vacating this 60,000 s.f. shopping center. And I could no longer pay my bills. I had over-extended myself on another center in Carver, and it was all over; my wife Mary and I had to file for bankruptcy, and endured having to practically give away our waterfront palace and find a rental home.

It was within a year of that when the Lord called me to apply to become a deacon … and the 5-year process of becoming one and upon receiving the grace of the Sacrament of Holy Orders at ordination turned out re-focusing me.

As weird as it may sound, my loving wife & I have each said more than once that going bankrupt was one of the best things that ever happened to us. The challenge of the Beatitudes is: “Will you be happy in the world’s way or in Christ’s way?”

Reflection by Deacon Art

Are we worthy of holiness?

As I went through the readings for the fifth Sunday in Ordinary time, a few things were resonating with me.  I felt throughout all the readings there was this common theme of unworthiness.  I felt it when Isaiah cried out “woe is me, I am doomed, for I am an unclean man of unclean lips, living among people of unclean lips”.  I felt it from Paul in his letter to the Corinthians when he says “I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God”.  Lastly I noticed it in Luke’s gospel when Simon Peter falls at the knees of Jesus and says “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man”.  

I’m not sure if anyone has had the opportunity to read our parish Christmas gift “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity” by Matthew Kelly.  It’s a very good read and I highly recommend it.  In it Kelly explores that same theme about how unworthy or rather unholy we all might feel and how that feeling paralyzes us in our daily lives.  Kelly says, “The great majority of modern Christians don’t actually believe holiness is possible.” “This lie is diabolical in its subtlety. There is evil genius in its effectiveness.”  Why is Kelly saying this?  He is saying this because this thinking makes us feel unworthy, imperfect and therefore unable to achieve happiness in ourselves, assist our neighbors and give glory to God.  So what do we do?  Do we just throw up our hands and give up?  Do we fall at the feet of Jesus and push him away wallowing in our own imperfections?  This is not how God wants us to be.  He wants us to be happy and He wants us to love Him and love one another.  So yes we are imperfect and flawed and we sin.  But as we see in this week’s readings God has offered a kind of “exit strategy” out of this false catastrophic thinking.  In Isaiah God sends an angel with an ember from the altar that purifies Isaiah’s unclean spirit…ah salvation and relief.  Saint Paul in his infinite wisdom recognizes that yes indeed he has sinned and as he puts it “by the Grace of God I am what I am” and then he further goes on to say that God’s grace has been very effective.   Wow what a great and easy solution, grace from God and it’s so easy to get.  We receive grace in our sacraments, when we receive communion, when we go to confession it’s truly God’s gift to us.  Celebrate it! Enjoy it!  It’s there for you!

Our God is a happy God and he wants us to be happy.  We never hear God say, “I’ll be happy when…”  He never says I’ll be happy when my people worship me or I’ll be happy when my people reject evil in the world and so on.  By that same philosophy, we shouldn’t be caught up in the “I’ll be happy when” game either.  I’ll be happy when I pay off my debt, I’ll be happy when I lose weight, I’ll be happy when I pass that test or complete that project etc.  No, God wants you to be happy now and he wants you to live and love one another joyfully.  You are worthy of his grace, you can be holy, and you can live out the gospel joyfully.

Now I don’t know about you but I don’t think I’m as bad as Saint Paul was during his persecuting days.  He certainly abused and persecuted Christians and yet today he is called a Saint.  Paul didn’t even think he was worthy of the title apostle imagine what he’d think of himself being known as saint today.  If that’s not grace in action, I don’t know what is.  We may not go through such a transformation as Paul and people in the future may not call us “saint” but we can certainly do our small part to create holy moments that show our love for one another, our love of our “happy” God and our worthiness of his gift of grace.

Reflection by Mary Juliano Hayes

A prophet is not welcome in his hometown

As the Mom of three children, I have often said that I have enjoyed my children at each age and stage of their lives.  Every stage has challenges and blessings and I continue to see that in our family’s current stage.  My children are 9, 12, and 13 and I call it a sweet spot.  They are independent, free from nap time and diapers, but still not driving and spending large amounts of time away from my husband and I.   I know the clock is ticking and although I am sure that I will enjoy the next stage as well, I worry about launching these three into the world out of the cocoon of our home and where they will need to make decisions on their own.  Will they live as we have taught them?  Will love conquer all?  Have I loved them well enough and given them the tools to prosper in the world? While I worry about these things, each day I feel a little more like Jesus in today’s Gospel.  “..no prophet is accepted in his native place.”  Just a few years ago my kids turned to me with every questions concern and decision and my word was uncontestable.  But little by little the uncontestability of my word is waning.  Jesus' statement that no prophet is accepted in his home town reminds us that it is often difficult to hear a challenging message from those who know us best, even if it is true. Perhaps we remember and even regret this aspect of our own adolescence. It’s my job to teach my children values and right from wrong and how to make decisions but I know I did exactly the opposite of my parents’ advice on more than one occasion and of course I regretted it.  I try to convince myself that this developmental stage is a natural part of life!  Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it any easier and often drives me to frustration where I try to force my kids to hear me and hear my perspective the way they did in earlier stages of life.    But I know as time goes on my voice is only one among many and it may not be the coolest or the most current way of thinking in their opinion.    I will continue to offer a perspective that is often in contrast to the culture.  Despite my frustration, I know I will never give up trying. I will continue to try to be a prophet in my native land. Not surprisingly, unlike me, Jesus responds with calm and grace and the folks “rose up, drove him out of town…”  Jesus wasn’t the Messiah they expected.  They were not going to accept teaching on a new way of life from the son of a carpenter. They were challenging him.  They wanted to expel him from town and potentially kill him if necessary.  I like to think of myself as above this.  I assure myself that obviously I would recognize Jesus as the Messiah if I were there and soaked in his teachings… But would I? Have I changed that much from my adolescent ways of assuming my parents didn’t know best? How different am I from my children?  Do I soak in Jesus’ teachings in all areas of life?  How many times have I considered the way of life Jesus has presented in the Gospels to me and done it my way instead?  How many times have I pushed Jesus away so I don’t have to struggle to follow His way?  I know better! I expel him from my heart and mind at times because it is easier! We call it sin… we expel Jesus from the town of our hearts and minds… luckily like a loving parent our Messiah never gives up.  He “calmly passes through” and continues to offer us chance after chance to accept his invitation and take his words into our hearts!  Luckily Jesus’ love is like the love of a parent.  It is patient and kind.  The second reading is all about Love and how true love wants the best for the other above ourselves.  It is that love that keeps me from giving up on my children despite their rejection and keeps Jesus from giving up on me (or us) when I reject him and true Gospel Living!

Reflection by Jeanne Cregan

We are one body in Christ

This Sunday’s second reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians is one of his better known messages, one that many of us have heard on numerous occasions but I think often times don’t contemplate what it fully means.  We hear Paul say:

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.

But what does that really mean?  How does that affect me or change my life?  What does it mean that we are all part of Christ’s body?

I think there are two important ways to look at this passage; one that is easy and pleasant to think about and one that is a lot harder and potentially more painful.

Let’s start off with the easy, pleasant thought – We are all part of Christ’s body and when we come together we work as Christ would.  We all have different talents and abilities that God has given us and we are called to use them to the fullest.  When we do that, everyone thrives: the Church thrives, the community thrives, we are happy.  No matter who you are: the 3 year old that is having trouble sitting through Mass, the teenager that doesn’t know if they really believe in all of this “Jesus stuff”, the high school or college student who just had an amazing retreat experience who thinks they have it all figured out, the young married couple who just had their first baby, or the couple who is struggling with infertility, the old married couple who just celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary, the family who just went through a painful divorce, the varsity athlete, the shy introvert, the person struggling with their sexuality; the list could go on and on, but no matter who you are or where you are at in life, you have a special gift to contribute to the body of Christ. And that is awesome.  Together we all make up Christ’s body, no matter how different we may be, we are one in Christ together.

Now comes the hard part of that message: 

            “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.” 

When one of our brothers or sisters is hurting, we hurt.  That is why social justice issues are so important in the Church.  When we see people struggling with hunger, we hurt.  When people are homeless, especially in these freezing temperatures, we hurt.  When someone is killed before they have a chance to be born, we hurt.  When someone is bullied or ostracized at school, we hurt.  When a child is kicked out of their house because they tell their parents they are gay, we hurt.  When someone is sick and can’t receive medical care, we hurt.  When an elderly person isn’t seen as having any value or worth, so they are tossed to the side and left to die, we hurt.  When a person is persecuted because of the color of their skin, or country they are from, or language they speak, or religion they practice, we hurt. 

So what do we do when part of our body hurts?  We try to help it heal and feel better.  That is what we are called to do for our brothers and sisters in Christ and it all starts with love.  Love one another.  Give generously, not only out of your surplus but your need as well.  If you see someone being bullied or persecuted, stand up and say something.  Be the voice for the voiceless.  Fight for those who can’t fight for themselves.  March for those who can’t march for themselves.

If we really want to be a part of Christ’s body, we must care for all members of his body and love like Christ loved.

Thoughts on the Wedding Feast of Cana

Imagine the scene… everyone is rocking out to the latest re-mix of The Horah. The bride and groom are getting their groove on in the center of a circle of happy party-goers. Delicious trays of dates, figs and lamb kabobs are everywhere.  Heaps of hummus and olives entice the guests. And then- THE WINE IS GONE!

The hosts of the party would be disgraced. The celebration would end. The wedding would be ruined.

So, being the quintessential Jewish mom, Mary looks at Jesus from across the room and beckons Him with one finger (as only your mom can).  Jesus sees his mother and begrudgingly tells His friends to, “Hold that thought!” and he trudges over to Mary.

“Mom! I was talking to my friends,” He bemoans.

Mary smiles and says, “They have no more wine.”

Jesus looks at her and thinks, “And…” 

Mary does not say anything else.

Then Jesus realizes what she is saying.

Here? Now?  He thinks to Himself.

“But, Mom! No way! That is not my problem! Nuh-uh!  It is not time yet!”

Mary smiles at Jesus. She looks at the servants and tells them, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Jesus could never deny His mom. His love for His mother is so great.  Even though He might not have wanted to perform His first miracle at the wedding-He did. He saw that it was for the good of the bride and groom and it was what His mother wanted.

I have always loved this story.  It is my favorite in the whole Bible. When I was young, I loved it because I thought Jesus was being cool and did not want the party to stop-LOL!

When I became a mom, the significance changed as I felt Jesus’ overwhelming love for Mary through my babies.

And now?  Now I love this this story even more and I reflect on it often. I know with absolute certainty that when we bring our prayers and petitions to Mary, she will bring them to her Son. She will tell Him what we need and if our petitions are for our good, Jesus will not deny His mom’s requests.

If Jesus can turn water into wine, imagine what He can do for us when His mom asks.  

Reflection by: Jackie Halpin Curran

Baptism of Jesus

Baptism of Jesus

I don’t know about you, but as a child growing up and being the youngest and only one still in our family home, when my mother or father spoke with authority, I definitely listened and sometimes shook wondering what the message was going to be this time.

As we read in Luke’s Gospel on the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, he hears the voice of the Father.  In the Entrance Antiphon this weekend, the message is even stronger……‘the voice of the Lord thundered’!  God had Jesus’ attention without a question of a doubt.  And the message you ask?? 
“This is my beloved Son, with whom (you) I am well pleased.”

Now if my parents had proclaimed such an outspoken affirmation to me, I think I would have fainted on the spot.  However, even though my loving parents were not big on verbal expressions of affection, the love was always there.

I re-read the scripture for this feast, and each time kept coming back to the Father’s words to his Son.  Jesus, being fully human, must have LOVED that message. Only God knew what Jesus was on earth to do.  To suffer and die in order to save us.  So the Lord gave his Son a very loud loving message so Jesus would know just how much he was loved for all that he was going to sacrifice for us. 

The message this weekend is one of gratefulness.  The Father proclaimed his words of love and thankfulness to Jesus.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if we heard God say to us, ‘with you I am well pleased’. Strangely enough, as I began writing this blog, I found buried on my desk a reflection that began, “A friend dared me to start counting one thousand things I love……one thousand gifts, one thousand graces…… Before I knew it, thankfulness to God began fully to change me…..to usher me into a fuller life, one of joy.” 

The year is new. Plenty of time to start afresh. My youngest granddaughter gave me a “gratitude box”, filled with small note paper and a little pen and said she had one also, writing a note each day for something she was thankful for. She encouraged me to do the same.  With Brooke’s encouragement and the words of God in our readings this week, I will start anew – once again. 

“We are his and he forever is our God and he alone”     (Christ the Lord, by Sarah Hart)

By Mary Keefe

 

National Migration Week

This Sunday, the Church in the United States marks National Migration Week (January 6 – 12).  It usually coincides with the Feast of the Epiphany when we celebrate the time when the three strangers from the East came to do homage to the newborn King, Jesus.  I share with you below information from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website about this week.

For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week, which is an opportunity for the Church to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, children, and victims and survivors of human trafficking.  The theme for National Migration Week 2019, “Building Communities of Welcome” draws attention to the fact that each of our families have a migration story, some recent and others in the distant past.  Regardless of where we are and where we came from, we remain part of the human family and are called to live in solidarity with one another.   Unfortunately, in our contemporary culture we often fail to encounter migrants as persons, and instead look at them as unknown others, if we even notice them at all.  We do not take the time to engage migrants in a meaningful way, as fellow children of God, but remain aloof to their presence and suspicious or fearful of them.  During this National Migration Week, let us all take the opportunity to engage migrants as community members, neighbors, and friends.  To do so, we will look at the important role that foster care plays in the lives of unaccompanied immigrants and refugees, highlight MRS’ Parishes Organized to Welcome Refugees, and examine local initiatives that are making important contributions in this regard.  For more information, visit:

https://justiceforimmigrants.org/take-action/national-migration-week/.

                                   

Fr. Bob

Lost and Found

As I was reading this week’s Gospel it reminded me of an incident that occurred many years ago while at Duxbury beach with my son and niece.  My son was about three years old, and my niece five.  The kids were at the waters edge chasing the waves and having fun.  I was about 3 feet away just watching them.  For what seemed like a moment, my eyes gazed towards the horizon as I watched a beautiful sail boat in the distance.  When I looked back, my son was gone.  I jumped up, and frantically began scanning the water.  I looked up and down the beach, but saw nothing.  My heart was pounding.  Suddenly I heard a voice saying “miss, miss he ran down there” I ran in the direction that she was pointing, and found him.  Whew!  I have never felt such fear. 

How fearful Mary and Joseph must have felt when they realized that Jesus was not with them.  I wondered what went through their minds as they searched through the crowds of people in their caravan, and then on the day’s journey back to Jerusalem, and then another three days before eventually finding Him in the temple.  By the end of that first day, I would have been a basket case, and I’m sure many parents can relate to that.  According to the Gospel reading, they did experience “great anxiety” during their search.  Once they found Jesus, his response to their question “why have you done this to us”, leaves them somewhat confused.  They did not understand what he was saying to them. 

I’ve read this scripture many times, but I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that this holy couple, who were handpicked by God, didn’t always understand what the Lord was saying to them.  They too had to live in faith and trust that everything would work out. 

Do you ever question what the Lord is doing in your life?  I know I do.  Sometimes the answers to my questions are crystal clear, and at other times not so much.  Listening to what God is trying to tell us is so important.  I’ve really tried during this past advent season to spend more time listening to God.  It has been a challenge. I must admit I’ve slacked in this area of my prayer life during the past few years.   

God speaks to us in many ways.  Sometimes it’s through Scripture, another person, a thought or an inspiration.  We will never know what he’s trying to say if we don’t stop and listen.  Now that the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is coming to an end, I’m hoping to carve out some time each day to just sit in silent meditation and listen.  I hope you can spend a few quiet minutes each day to find Jesus in the silence of your heart too. 

Reflection by Cheryl Provost

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Although it may be hard to tell now, when I was younger I was quite the runner.  My parents were crazy and started making me run competitively when I was four years old.  By the age of seven we were traveling across the country to compete in national cross country and track races.  This continued through my childhood and into my teenage and high school years, until my knees and legs decided they had enough pounding.  Being that immersed in running, one of my idols growing up was Steve Prefontaine.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Steve Prefontaine, he was a US Olympian from the University of Oregon who finished 4^th in the 5,000m at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and died tragically in a car accident before the next Olympics.  At the time of his death at the age of 24, Prefontaine held every American distance record between the 2,000m and 10,000m.  Even in his short life, he became the greatest American distance runner in history and if it wasn’t for his tragic death, he may have become the greatest distance runner in the world.  There have been multiple movies made about his life, but my favorite is simply titled “Prefontaine.”  There is a scene in the movie where he is talking about what motivates him and drives him and he says “All my life people have been telling me ‘you’re too small Pre,’ ‘you’re not fast enough Pre,’ ‘give up your foolish dreams Steve.’” But he didn’t listen to those critics, he knew that he was destined for greatest. 

You may be thinking, that’s great Matt but its 4 days before Christmas, why are you talking about some random runner from the 70s?  Great question – this weekend in our first reading we hear the passage from Micah foretelling the greatness that would come from the town of Bethlehem.  When the people heard the prophet Micah first speak that message, they must have thought he was crazy. Bethlehem? Nothing good will ever come from Bethlehem, it’s too small, it’s the smallest of the towns of Judah, no one knows Bethlehem, and no one cares about Bethlehem.  Why would God choose Bethlehem?  Little did they know that one day, Jesus, the Son of God, would be born to a virgin, in a stable, in that little, unimportant town.

God doesn’t care if you are the biggest or the smallest, the fastest or slowest, the richest or poorest.  God loves you because you are you.  You are enough.  You are a beautiful child of God.  He is calling each one of us to greatness.  Every day he calls you to be the greatest version of yourself that you can be. Let me say that again, You are enough.  You are enough. You are enough.

One of my favorite sayings that I reflect on often is that “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.” No one is too small, too young, too little or too unimportant to do amazing things if they are open to God’s will.  God chose little, unimportant Bethlehem to be the birthplace of the Savior of the World, just think what great things he is choosing you for!

May you and your loved ones all have a very Merry Christmas and a happy and blessed New Year!

Matthew Bensman

Rejoice!

It’s the third Sunday of Advent, yikes!  Where does the time go?  Are all my gifts bought and wrapped? Are all my homemade goodies made?  Do I have my dinner planned or at least have all my ingredients? Have I forgotten someone I need to get a gift for? Did I get that gift for the giving tree?  Am I ready? 

It’s a lot to think about but if you look at this weekend’s readings the message is clear…It’s all going to be okay.  Thank heavens for the soothing and supportive words from this weekend’s readings, they couldn’t have come at a better time.  The first reading from Zephaniah says “The King of Israel is in your midst you have no further misfortune or fear”, have no fear for God is with you, what a welcoming thought. Try to remember that when you’re standing in line at the check-out  counter waiting patiently while in the back of your mind you’re thinking about having to pick up the kids or get something before the store closes or be on time to meet your friends.  Have no fear! God is with you! 

The psalm again tries to allay our worries and our fears by reminding us that “God is indeed our savior; I am confident and unafraid”.  Be confident and unafraid?  The holidays are really nothing to fear however the immense pressure we put on ourselves to get it all in is stressful and can be overwhelming.  How about adding to that phrase by holding on to the thought that God is good and to “be confident and unafraid” that it will all get done, you won’t miss anything and if you do it will still be okay!  If that isn’t enough to help you through the often stressful preparation for the holidays then you should take a look at the second reading to the Philippians which says “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  Have no anxiety? That’s a tall order you’re thinking.  It’s the holidays and stress comes with the territory.  That may be so but remind yourself how wonderful it is that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding is protecting your heart and mind with all there is to do and think about.  

And if you’re still missing the message then go straight to the Gospel of Luke 3:10-18.  The crowds are bewildered as they don’t know what to do. They need guidance and focus.  John the Baptist instructs them, he tells them to share what they have, he tells tax collectors to “stop collecting more than what is prescribed” he tells them to “be satisfied with your wages”.    We are not tax collectors and we have every intention of being the best givers this Christmas so what would John tell us if he were here right now? He would probably say, stop running about trying to do everything, be mindful, be happy with what you have accomplished and stop taking on more things than prescribed; be satisfied!  Good thoughts John and amen to that!  

Ok, so there you have it, in each reading on this third Sunday of Advent, the same messages are trying to reach you, listen to them!  Rejoice, and be less anxious, and be at peace.  I know this is not easy and we go through this every year with the same struggles but do try to lessen that stress and focus on the goodness of God, the joy of His coming and the salvation to come and the rest will mercifully fall into place.

By: Mary Juliano-Hayes

How can we embrace Advent?

I don’t know how many of you have social media accounts, but I am sure many of you do! I like Social media and how it has evolved. I love seeing people’s pictures and keeping up with friends from all over the world, but this time of year is a time when I need to step away from face book.  Why you ask?  Because its “Christmas Season” and my stream is full of people’s perfect Christmas trees and light displays, pictures of families going places to see Santa or the enchanted village, and kitchen counters full of freshly baked cookies and perfectly wrapped packages.  It is really hard to think about being quiet, and preparing for the coming of Jesus on Christmas.  Instead my Facebook feed sends me the message loud and clear:   I am not doing enough and clearly my children are being slighted because they are not having enough Christmas experiences! No matter how committed I am to Advent, the messages are hard to ignore for me, never mind my children.  I have learned these last few years, that it is possible to embrace the season of Advent, but it takes intentionality.   This Advent there will be no personal social media for me.  I am going to embrace my Advent, not how others spend the month of December!

The message of Christmas in our world has become to go more places, buy more things, bake more, decorate more and certainly be exhausted by December 25^th.  My home has an Advent Wreath, a Nativity Scene, and have birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas morning, but my teenage daughter insists that the Christmas Season lasts from Thanksgiving till December 25^th.  My message isn’t as strong as the message of the world.  I will continue to fight that battle, and lead by example.   How can I lead by example when I just admitted I have trouble ignoring the messages of the world too?  How do we “DO Advent” with intentionality?

This Sunday we hear the famous words of John The Baptist, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” John is calling us to repent and to prepare our hearts for the coming of our Savior, Jesus.  So what does one who wants to celebrate Advent as a time of waiting and self-reflection do?   When John calls us to repentance and to ready our hearts.  What is he really saying?  He is asking us to visit the question,

Who is Jesus in our Lives here and now?  Do we know him or just know about Him?  Do our lives look different because Jesus is our Savior?

One way I have found to ready my heart each Advent has been the Best Advent Ever by Dynamic Catholic.  If you are not taking part in the Best Advent Ever, I strongly suggest it as a way to ready yourself for the coming of Jesus.  I play the quick video each morning as I put on the tea kettle and my daughter makes her lunch.   I hope the message will be absorbed even as she vocalizes that she isn’t listening.  On day two the reflection was particularly good and when I watched it the first time it brought tears to my eyes.   I encourage you to watch it here and subscribe if you like it:

 Best Advent Ever

The question asked of each of us is, Do we know Jesus?  If we can’t say yes right now, what might we do this Advent to change that?  John’s command to prepare is really to get to know Jesus better.  My commitment this Advent is to stay off social media and live my Advent not someone else’s… and I think The Best Advent will help me?   How will you get to know Jesus better this Advent, so you can welcome him anew on Christmas?

By Jeanne Cregan