In Three Days: Christmas!
(Originally posted the week before Christmas 2014)
It's (three) days until Christmas. From time to time over these past months,
we've tried to present the sense of great anticipation that accompanies
the coming of Christmas, starting with our reference to the "straight shot to Christmas" way back on September 2nd, sharing with you this personal sentiment:
Maybe I'm being too optimistic here, sinner that I am. And yet, this past weekend, as I began to sink back into myself to find solve a problem, which solution continued to slip through my fingers each time I grasped for it, "something" reminded me to pray earnestly for the help I needed. And having prayed thusly, "something" prodded me to simply turn the problem over to the Divine Infant of Bethlehem, even as I continued to pray that He would come and take birth in my heart. And even as time passed, "something" reminded me to be patient as I continued to seek a solution, to stop banging my head against a wall of frustration. Naturally, you good, serious Catholics out there who already understand and practice your Holy Faith won't be surprised that a growing sense of peace gradually replaced the nagging anxiety until "somehow" the solution literally popped up, seemingly out of nowhere, in the course of my patient, plodding, now-peaceful efforts.
Looking up from my work, having solved that seemingly unsolvable problem, the scoreboard read: Jesus Christ 1, the devil and my overarching ego 0. Could it be the Divine Infant of Bethlehem really will take birth in this heart of mine after all?
So sinners unite. Put aside all cares and anxiety as you make your Act of Contrition and trust in His love and mercy. Our hope and help really is in the name of the this Lord Who made heaven and earth, and who comes to us in a special way in only (three) more days.
My childlike heart nurtures an image of growing excitement inspired by the coming of Christmas. But my adult responsibilities of faithfully executing the duties of my job with diligence all too frequently seem to interfere with my enjoyment of the excitement of the days leading up to Christmas.Now I look back with deep gratitude that, even as the darkening days of autumn leading to winter found me facing long hours of sometimes intensely demanding stretches of work, I was still able, by the grace of God, to feel the touch of that
anticipatory excitement day by day during Advent until Christmas Eve (that) opens its window on that pivotal day not only of my individual existence, but of the history of the world itself, the manifestation of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ as true God and true man, come to save us all from our sins and open the gates of Heaven to all Mankind who had rejected His Love in the Garden of Eden in the persons of Adam and Eve.How could any work, no matter how pressing or important, ever have distracted me from this in the past? The only reason I can think of is a lack of trust, an inability to abandon myself to God's will. Each moment I try to put myself in charge of things, I take a step back from God and submerge myself in the self-centered world that keeps my ego and the devil satisfied. Conversely, each time I pray for the grace to trust in Him completely, and actually cooperate with that grace (which Our Lord generously and bounteously supplies if only we ask Him), I'm taking yet another step away from self and towards Him and the eternal happiness promised to us all.
Maybe I'm being too optimistic here, sinner that I am. And yet, this past weekend, as I began to sink back into myself to find solve a problem, which solution continued to slip through my fingers each time I grasped for it, "something" reminded me to pray earnestly for the help I needed. And having prayed thusly, "something" prodded me to simply turn the problem over to the Divine Infant of Bethlehem, even as I continued to pray that He would come and take birth in my heart. And even as time passed, "something" reminded me to be patient as I continued to seek a solution, to stop banging my head against a wall of frustration. Naturally, you good, serious Catholics out there who already understand and practice your Holy Faith won't be surprised that a growing sense of peace gradually replaced the nagging anxiety until "somehow" the solution literally popped up, seemingly out of nowhere, in the course of my patient, plodding, now-peaceful efforts.
Looking up from my work, having solved that seemingly unsolvable problem, the scoreboard read: Jesus Christ 1, the devil and my overarching ego 0. Could it be the Divine Infant of Bethlehem really will take birth in this heart of mine after all?
So sinners unite. Put aside all cares and anxiety as you make your Act of Contrition and trust in His love and mercy. Our hope and help really is in the name of the this Lord Who made heaven and earth, and who comes to us in a special way in only (three) more days.
Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts!
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