Daily Thoughts: “What then,
will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.” I have
celebrated a few baptisms in my life as a priest and there is one thing I do
the same at each one. During my homily, I ask all gathered to consider asking
themselves two questions as they celebrate the baptism of the child. When they
get a chance during the party that usually follows the baptism, to hold the
child for a moment, they are to ask themselves – First, what do they, wish,
dream, hope for this child? Second, how will they help this wish, dream, hope
to come true?
As I listened to the Gospel (Luke 1:
57-66) this morning at mass the picture that I painted above of a baptism came
to mind. If you have ever taken a baby in your arms perhaps one of the first
questions that came to your mind was, What will become of this child? The same
question people asked at the circumcision of John. I think it is a natural
question to ask when seeing a new born. What will this child be? What gifts,
what talents, does this child have? What kind of life will this child
encounter, live? What lies ahead for this child?
Another thought when looking at a new
born is the fact that this child has come from God. I use an image in one of my
mission talks of a new born child coming into the world. The image is that when
a child is born, the child, she or he comes directly from the hands of God. The
last face before coming into the world a child sees is God’s. If the child
could speak in words that we could understand she or he would tell us about
God. Unfortunately by the time the child can speak in words we understand she
or he have forgotten what God looks like and like us, the child spends the rest
of her or his life making the journey back to those hands of God. Just think
the first hands to embrace us after we take our last breath will be God’s. The
first face we will see will be God’s. In other words the hand of God is with
all of us at birth and throughout our life.
The story we find in the Gospel today
about John’s circumcision is all of our stories. When we came into the world
and people wondered what we would become. People looked at us with love and
knew God’s hand was at work. Yet, unlike John we don’t know the end of our
story. It is still being lived out, it still needs an ending. We know what John
became. We know how John lived out God’s call. We know how John allowed God’s
hand to be at work in his life.
Who then are we? How then is God’s hand
at work in us? These are our questions for this day. These then are our
questions for the celebration of Christmas. These then are our questions for
the beginning of a New Year.
Have a great day everyone!
Daily Prayer: Loving, God, to
know you is life. To serve you is freedom. To praise you is our soul's joy and
delight. Guide us with the power of your grace here and in all places. Today
and at all times, forever. Amen. (Adapted
from a Prayer by St. Augustine of Hippo)
A Runner’s Thoughts: Running well is
a matter of having the patience to persevere when we are tired and not
expecting instant results. (Robert de Castella) So to in the spiritual life –
praying and living by faith is a matter of having the patience to persevere
when we are tried and instant results do not happen!
Daily Blessing: Tuesday
greetings to everyone! I hope this finds you well and having a good Tuesday
before Christmas. I hope your shopping is done and that you have a little time
to breathe before beginning your celebration of Christmas, though for many of
you today is probably a work day. So whether we find ourselves ready for
Christmas or in the midst of this chaos let us trust that all things are
possible with God!
If you are traveling today or will be
tomorrow please travel safe, take it easy, take it slow, it might take a little
longer but you will get there in one piece and it will be a much better
celebration with you present, remember there are a lot of crazy, in a hurry, none
thinking people out there.
With just a little over a day left until
the Christmas celebrations begin let us pray that these next hours of our life
will be blessed and graced by God so we will be ready to welcome the gift of
the Christmas spirit into our lives.
Loving God, bless us this day by
reminding us that we have come into this world from your hands and that your
loving hands are always at work in our life. You have created us in your image
and likeness and gifted us to the world. May we live that gift today and every
day. May we make present your presence, your love and your hope in all that we
do and say today. And may we be ready to
celebrate the gift of Christmas surround by the people most important to us.
Loving God, come to life within us today and always! Christmas blessings to all
and Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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