Rejoice, Rejoice!

Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow.  The same Everlasting Father, who takes care of you today, will take care of you tomorrow.  He will either shield you from suffering, or give you unfailing strength to bear it.  Be at peace then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
- St. Francis de Sales


Today is Guadete Sunday where we are called to Rejoice, to take a pause in our penitential preparation during the Advent season.  The season of Advent originated as a fast of forty days.  It was reduced in the ninth century to four weeks and by the twelfth century the fast had been replaced by simple abstinence.

The Priest wears rose vestments, we light the rose candle and we are called to rejoice!  The first reading from Isaiah reminds us the the Spirit of the Lord is upon him.  He has been anointed.  He is to bring glad tidings to the poor and to heal the brokenhearted.

The Responsorial Psalm proclaims:  My soul rejoices in my God.

The second reading from a Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians starts out, "Rejoice always."  And finally the Gospel tells of Saint John the Baptist who is: " A voice crying out in the dessert, make straight the way of the Lord."

So here I stand in awe and wonder that God has placed me in the dessert, at a Church called Saint. John the Baptist, and He is reminding me that it is a time to REJOICE!

Lord,
Your ways are not my ways.
Your ways are a mystery to me.
Your ways lift me when I am tired,
and truly You heal the brokenhearted.

Help me Lord this week especially.
Be my help and my salvation.
Help me to focus on the celebration.
Help me to be a voice crying out in the dessert!

~Cindy

The First Sunday of Advent

Jesus is honey in the mouth, music in the ear and a shout of joy in the heart.
-St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Preparation.  We are or should be in preparation mode.  Advent is here!

I could not help but think of Mary and how she was preparing for the birth of Our Lord.   What great Faith she had.  Unmarried, espoused to a man that could have turned his back on her, living in an occupied country, and yet she believed that God was going to take care of everything.

My faith waivers occasionally in the face of the unknown or when I am not sure of what God wants from me.  I hear Him knocking and sometimes I hesitate to answer His call.  I am fearful of what He will ask of me.  Some days I can not even be a witness in small ways.

I complain about other drivers, parishioners that are not behaving the way I think they should, the clerk at Wal-Mart, and my friends on Facebook.

So here I am in preparation mode again.  I am trying to remember the reason for the Season.  It has always been my favorite Season.  There is a hopefulness in the Season of Christmas.  There is a sense that all can be right with the world.  But this will be my second Christmas without Michael.  The first Christmas without him came so fast of the heels of his death that I was numb.  Now I am struggling with decorating.  Should I or shouldn't I?  Michael would want me to decorate and enjoy all that the Season has to offer.

I remember when he asked me if I thought he could make it to Midnight Mass and I had to tell him that I did not think he would be here for Christmas.  Yet all around me Christmas lights twinkled in the night dispelling the darkness, carols wafted in the air, and Mass was celebrated.

It is not enough for me to just sit in my pew.  No I am called to more.  I am called to be a witness.  I am called to open the door and invite Jesus into my heart.  I am called to be a light that dispels the darkness.

Lord,
I ask you to come into my heart
this Christmas Season.
Open it wide so that I may be a light in the darkness.
Open it wide so that I may be kind to those that are unkind.
Open it wide so that I may be a gentle reminder of Your Love.
Help me to have the Faith of Mary.

~Cindy

Preparation

It seems that we are in a constant state of preparation.  We prepare meals, what to wear today, what to accomplish.  We prepare for Advent and we prepare for Lent.  We prepare for death.  We prepare for eternal life.

I have always believed that preparation done correctly will result in the desired outcome.  In daily life we have many tools that helps us in preparation.  Measured twice cut once, though if truthful I usually measure once and cut twice.  I am in a hurry to get to the end.  I am in a hurry to complete the task.

When I hurry I don't learn the lessons that are in the preparation.  I arrive at the end and often it is anticlimactic. I stand with everything checked off my list, but I failed to savor the journey and learn the lessons.  I did not prepare adequately.

Preparation when you leave the dock in calm weather.  You hope that the weather will hold, but you still check all your safety equipment just in case.  As we know the weather hardly ever holds, but if prepared you have a great sea story at the end of the journey.

So I find myself in the preparation period prior to Lent.  Before I know it Fat Tuesday will be a memory and Ash Wednesday will be upon me.

I am not sure what I am going to do for Lent this year and have been a little worried.  But then the Gospel tells me not to worry for the Lord will take care of me as He takes care of the lilies of the field and the smallest sparrow.


Lord, Help me to remember that you have me firmly in Your hands.
Help me to prepare for Lent without hurry and worry.
Help me to enjoy and embrace this time for it is only 40 days.
Help me to not only check off my list, but to be mindful of the lessons.
Thank you Lord for allowing me to walk this journey with you.

~Cindy