A Word for Advent
Advent began this week, so this post is about how to have a spiritually fruitful Advent. It is a season of waiting – anticipating the coming of Jesus. He came once, and He will come again. How can we get ready for His return?
That led me to read the infancy narratives in Luke and Matthew. I was looking for words that reflect the meaning of the season. Maybe something there would help me discern a spiritual practice for the season.
And then I had a thought.
Receive
Receive is an important word in the Catholic Church. When we are confirmed, the bishop lays hands on the head and says, "Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." We learn in First Communion classes that we are receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. We receive the sacraments of baptism and marriage. We receive absolution in the sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession.
In every case, the idea is to submit our wills to God's and open our hearts, minds, and souls to the graces of the sacraments.
There are things in life that we are supposed to receive, but sometimes we grasp for them. When you have a toy for a child, they might grab it out of your hand. We teach kids not to do that because it's rude. In<
Who's In Control
Many years ago, I did a personal inventory at work, a common practice in the business world. You learn about your personal style and tendencies so that you can better manage relationships. One particular instrument measured three factors, one of which was control. How much do you try to control yourself and how much do you try to control others? I had the highest possible score. As I proudly shared that with the group, someone commented, "I don't think that's a good thing." Really? Why would that not be good? Who would not want to be in control of their life?
Healing Agents
I am leading a Parish Mission on healing next month with one of our deacons, Richard Dodd. Pope Francis said, "The church is a field hospital for the wounded." How do we do that?
In our planning, Deacon Richard and I realized that those who lead small groups in the parish have a role to play. We want them to come to the mission, of course. But we believe that their actions after the mission ends will make the difference between a mission that was a one-time experience, hopefully a good experience, and a mission that spurs long-term change in the people we serve. They—the leaders — can be agents of change within their small groups.
In a similar way, every Christian can and should be an ag
Plan for Eternity
My father had cancer for a number of years, and as the disease progressed, he began getting his affairs in order, as they say. He took care of practical things, like finances and planning his funeral. But more importantly, he prepared his soul. He remembered people he had harmed in some way and sought them out to ask forgiveness. His prayer life became richer. He mellowed in dealing with others, not losing patience as easily as he had in the past. His goal was to have a soul ready to enter heaven. He was a wise man.
Each of us should do the same thing, even without a cancer diagnosis. As we near the end of this year and begin a new one, we can develop our own plan for eternity. This year may not be my last, but that doesn't matter. Jesus told us to always be prepared because we never know when our time is up.