A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
A lot going on this Sunday: It's the Seventh Day of Christmas, New Year's Eve, and the day before what's usually a holy day of obligation - the Circumcision of Our Lord (traditional calendar)/the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Novus Ordo calendar). This year, though, there's no obligation. Why not? Don't get me started. Let's just say it's unusual, even extraordinary. And, indeed, we're in the midst of the extraordinary, as we continue to revel during these Twelve Days of Christmas and bask in that peace and joy given to "men of good will."
Soon, or course, we'll all be back to our ordinary lives. I don't know about you, but there's always at least a slight twinge of sadness that accompanies the end of "the holidays" each year. It helps a bit to remember that the Christmas Season doesn't end with New Year's Day, nor with the Twelve Days of Christmas. Indeed, traditionally, the Christmas Season extends for forty days, until February 2nd, the feast of the Presentation in the Temple. When I return to work the day after New Year's Day, that recollection will, as always, provide a bit of consolation.
With that in mind, let's today consider these words from Father A.E. Breen written about Our Lady in 1908. They take us back to that moment when she changed all our lives, indeed all of human history, with her acceptance of the extraordinary invitation received in the midst of her ordinary life.
“There is a wondrous naturalness and simplicity in St. Luke’s account of the Annunciation. We are actually transported to the scene, and made to witness the event itself. The angel first dispels Mary’s fears by announcing to her that she is acceptable to God. The phrase ‘thou hast found grace,’ is a pure Hebraism. It is a common expression in the Old Testament to express the goodwill and favor of one agent towards another. Of itself it would not manifest any singular prerogative of Mary over any other one with whom God was pleased; but, in fact, we know that it does express a degree of the divine love never given to any other creature. And yet what had Mary done to merit such love? God’s love for Mary was not mere caprice. To be sure, God’s preventing grace, and his co-operating grace, had been given in large measure to her, but she had not been an inert agent, dragged to her height of perfection, without contributing anything thereto. And yet her life was uneventful; she had not impressed her age. The great world was quite oblivious of her. There is one great truth illustrated by Mary’s life – that one does not need to startle the world by great deeds to please God. God judges not as man. The things that the world prizes are set at naught by God. One upward soaring of Mary’s soul to her Creator availed more in this appreciation than all the great deeds chronicled in the records of men. There is a practical lesson in Mary’s life for all. Most lives must be commonplace and uneventful. Sometimes, instead of making use of present opportunities in the uneventful life that is our portion, we sigh for a broader sphere of action in which to serve God. No doubt God sometimes calls chosen souls to a broader field, but these are isolated cases. The great mass of humanity must labor and strive in the ordinary, uneventful spheres of human life. Mary’s life teaches us that the highest sanctity can be achieved in the lowest, meanest walk of life. The devils can do great deeds; we cannot equal them. God cares not for such. There is a path to heaven from the lowest, dingiest place where human life drags out its brief span from eternity to eternity. God asks not of man brilliant, dazzling achievements; he asks what Mary gave him, the love of a pure heart; this everyone can give. Sanctity consists in doing the little deeds well – and in loving God.”
We leave you with two suggestions as we return to our ordinary lives this week:
First, if you're subject to twinges of sadness or even discontent at having to leave holiday cheer behind and get back to work, you're not alone. In the words of Father Breen: The great mass of humanity must labor and strive in the ordinary, uneventful spheres of human life. Mary’s life teaches us that the highest sanctity can be achieved in the lowest, meanest walk of life.
Second, consider keeping the full Twelve Days of Christmas, and then some. Perhaps this from the great Vienna Boys Choir will help preserve that special feeling of Christmas even as we go about our usual business
Soon, or course, we'll all be back to our ordinary lives. I don't know about you, but there's always at least a slight twinge of sadness that accompanies the end of "the holidays" each year. It helps a bit to remember that the Christmas Season doesn't end with New Year's Day, nor with the Twelve Days of Christmas. Indeed, traditionally, the Christmas Season extends for forty days, until February 2nd, the feast of the Presentation in the Temple. When I return to work the day after New Year's Day, that recollection will, as always, provide a bit of consolation.
With that in mind, let's today consider these words from Father A.E. Breen written about Our Lady in 1908. They take us back to that moment when she changed all our lives, indeed all of human history, with her acceptance of the extraordinary invitation received in the midst of her ordinary life.
“There is a wondrous naturalness and simplicity in St. Luke’s account of the Annunciation. We are actually transported to the scene, and made to witness the event itself. The angel first dispels Mary’s fears by announcing to her that she is acceptable to God. The phrase ‘thou hast found grace,’ is a pure Hebraism. It is a common expression in the Old Testament to express the goodwill and favor of one agent towards another. Of itself it would not manifest any singular prerogative of Mary over any other one with whom God was pleased; but, in fact, we know that it does express a degree of the divine love never given to any other creature. And yet what had Mary done to merit such love? God’s love for Mary was not mere caprice. To be sure, God’s preventing grace, and his co-operating grace, had been given in large measure to her, but she had not been an inert agent, dragged to her height of perfection, without contributing anything thereto. And yet her life was uneventful; she had not impressed her age. The great world was quite oblivious of her. There is one great truth illustrated by Mary’s life – that one does not need to startle the world by great deeds to please God. God judges not as man. The things that the world prizes are set at naught by God. One upward soaring of Mary’s soul to her Creator availed more in this appreciation than all the great deeds chronicled in the records of men. There is a practical lesson in Mary’s life for all. Most lives must be commonplace and uneventful. Sometimes, instead of making use of present opportunities in the uneventful life that is our portion, we sigh for a broader sphere of action in which to serve God. No doubt God sometimes calls chosen souls to a broader field, but these are isolated cases. The great mass of humanity must labor and strive in the ordinary, uneventful spheres of human life. Mary’s life teaches us that the highest sanctity can be achieved in the lowest, meanest walk of life. The devils can do great deeds; we cannot equal them. God cares not for such. There is a path to heaven from the lowest, dingiest place where human life drags out its brief span from eternity to eternity. God asks not of man brilliant, dazzling achievements; he asks what Mary gave him, the love of a pure heart; this everyone can give. Sanctity consists in doing the little deeds well – and in loving God.”
We leave you with two suggestions as we return to our ordinary lives this week:
First, if you're subject to twinges of sadness or even discontent at having to leave holiday cheer behind and get back to work, you're not alone. In the words of Father Breen: The great mass of humanity must labor and strive in the ordinary, uneventful spheres of human life. Mary’s life teaches us that the highest sanctity can be achieved in the lowest, meanest walk of life.
Second, consider keeping the full Twelve Days of Christmas, and then some. Perhaps this from the great Vienna Boys Choir will help preserve that special feeling of Christmas even as we go about our usual business
Happy Eighth Day of Christmas!
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