In Anticipation of the Holiest of Nights

As we approach Christmas Day....Christmas Eve is that night of wonder. The night of anticipation as the wise men headed toward the Messiah the King of Kings...wrapped in swaddling clothes.

A beautiful helpless baby awaits in Bethelehem. I am sure this baby-God was different and special. I wonder how developed his motor skills were and what kind of assimilation HE had.

I say this because I as a mere mortal have many memories of being a baby. I have memories of seeing and feeling my arms gyrating about as I had little control over them. I remember feeling as if my head had some cotton in it.

I remember many cynical thoughts and the desire to control my environment and my body.

So how was my Lord? I can't even begin to imagine. John the Baptist lept in Elizabeth's womb at perceiving Jesus at scarcely what  was weeks or 1 to 2 months old in Mary's womb.

Amazing facts were relayed in oral tradition and the written, but they are not unfathomable. This holy night makes me reflect on how Mary gave birth. Without a hospital or a midwife, she gave birth. How was this childbirth different and how was it the same?

So many questions about the holiest night that ever was. When God became Man. He started differently, with no male DNA but a heavenly one had begotten him. He had Mary's DNA and her DNA was not typical either. As Catholic's we believe she was immaculately conceived. The only human to be since the fall. And this so she could house God in man. True man and True God...something simple and yet hard to comprehend.

But this miracle was our biggest Joy. We saw God act in the flesh. We saw him heal, raise the dead, pray fervently, commune with sinners and teach with parables, with authority and humility. We saw him finally embrace the ultimate sacrifice of love. Not just death, but humiliation, emotional, physical mental and spiritual suffering. Thru that act he triumphed and we win because of it.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Tonight we await. The birth of a babe, a sweet, dependent and humble baby. We await that magical moment of mother and child embracing and Joseph hovering in protection. Joseph was destined to be Jesus adoptive father...the lineage predicted it so.

And so this most holy of nights, I reflect on this holy family and I am so grateful and humbled at all their faith and sacrifice. Their love for God, prepared them to love each other and have the most awesome responsibility and privilege to take care of and nurture their Savior.

And Love does that doesn't it? It saves us, it redeems us. If Salvation came thru a babe, then we are now the heirs. We are now responsible and privileged to help continue the salvific and redemptive plan. As we graft ourselves to HIM, we continue HIS work.

And what a wondrous start as we are born again in remembering HIS birth and waiting in awe, vulnerability and humility. We are graced to witness God and HIS Love with unspeakable joy. May this awe filled and holy Christmas Eve grace us with the gift of deep abiding Salvific and Redemptive Love. 

May we continue HIS plan, HIS play, HIS art in the unfolding drama and joy that Love is. Let us humbly await and embrace the Great "I am" in preparation to follow and surrender to his Lead of Love with even deeper grace In Anticipation of the Holiest of Nights.

Give Thanks for it is Right and Just

So I am doing the Southern California equivalent thing with my blog.:-)  I am at Manhatten Beach awaiting a sunset and its 70 degrees the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Truly I am blessed. I am blessed to call two marvelous places home in what arguably is the best state in the country. Which segways me into the theme of this blog.

Last year I made a new years resolution to attend daily mass. Of course I have missed a few but by and large and certainly of late I have made it pretty much every single time. And why do I mention this?

P: "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God." C: "It is right and just." P:  It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks through your beloved son Jesus Christ." These are the words I utter and hear daily at mass. 

These words are so deep and true that I can not give them justice in a simple blog. Simply put we are designed to give thanks and yielding to this desire brings us joy and conversely thwarting that is to our detriment. 

It is great that we have a national holiday reminding us to give thanks. But I would suggest it should be a daily reminder and even a moment to moment reminder. Every breath we take is a gift, every meal, every experience, every person and every good thought is a gift:-) Imagine giving thanks for our good thoughts too? 

I am reminded of two real life experiences that I have been graced to be acquainted with. One is an Australian man named Nick Vujicic who was born without arms and legs. Certainly not the ideal physical condition. But it’s what he does with that is what shows is what reality is and that gratefulness will lead us to that heavenly kingdom. I have attached a link on him as my description would not do him justice. Here is one of his briefest videos. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKTg_INHgpc

Then saw an African American young man who was born without arms and had a dream of being an engineer for a racing company. He achieved his goals and learned to type with his feet. He was grateful for his gifts and pursued them. Here is a brief your tube story on him. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-BephrXDwY

Could it be as simple as that? Be grateful for your gifts and give thanks and praise by maximizing the most. The alternative is focusing on what you lack and  feeling badly about it or complaining about it.  Fixing it you say? I would dare say that is a gift...fixing what you or others lack. We can resolve to help those who celebrate Thanksgiving only by our generosity or praying for those who don’t or can’t celebrate it, even if they want to. That is being thankful.

When we tune into the Lord the giver of all good gifts and give HIM thanks and praise our lives become a mirror of that. And what greater joy could our Heavenly Father have than to see you using your gifts and asking for his graces. What you end up doing for HIM and his Glory will in turn glorify you. I would dare say HE delights in this.

So this thanksgiving when you gather around table with the Turkey and the trimmings with family and the friends...pause for a moment and give thanks to God for so many daily things..even the things that seem like they are not good..for behold HE can turn any situation around for your good if you let Him. Invite God in, in your joys and in your pains. It does not matter whether you got yourself into the mess by your own fault or if you are the victim of a senseless act or born a certain way...invite HIM in and what follows from you will surprise you. And please don’t forgot to give God HIS due and Give Thanks.