Wednesday, December 22, 2010

GOD'S GREATNESS

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation."

I feel like I am hearing these words for the first time -- with a whole new challenge.  A person challenge:  does my soul rejoice in the greatness of the Lord?  Am I mindful of all that God has done for me?   How do I daily show the love and respect (fear of the Lord) for all the Lord has done?  These can be difficult times, the pace we maintain is quite fast, and it is easy to lose sight of the basics:

"He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

MARY'S TRUST

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said,  “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her,  “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,  “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply,  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born  will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;  for nothing will be impossible for God.” 
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”  Then the angel departed from her.
LUKE 1:26-38

I can't count the number of times I have read this...yet each time I see something new.   Perhaps it was because of Mary's youth that she could say 'yes' and trust in God's will.  A 'yes' that changed human history. Our challenge is to say 'yes' to God's will each day -- to live mindful that everyone is made in the image and likeness of God.  I can't help but wonder, how would the world be - if we lived this way.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

ACTS OF CHARITY

"Of all the forms of charity and benevolence seen in the crowded wards of the hospitals, those of Catholic Sisters were among the most efficient. I never knew whence they came or what was the name of their order. More lovely than anything I have ever seen in art so long devoted to illustration of love, mercy, and charity are the pictures that remain of those modest Sisters going on their errands of mercy among the suffering and dying..."
Attributed to Lucius Chittenden in his book "Recollections of President Lincoln and His Administration" (1891)

What can be said of the way I conducted myself today or for that matter this entire Advent?