How does one get through the secular, consumer driven Christmas
season and manage to feel and see God’s presence? This Christmas season was very
different for me and thanks to a lot of snow and ice, we were homebound for several
days prior to Christmas and Christmas day. Our plans to visit family on the weekend
before Christmas got canceled due to the forecast of snow and ice over the weekend
and into Christmas day. I am so thankful that we decided to not challenge the forecast
and travel anyway, as so many do on major holidays. Over the weekend two young adults
lost their lives on the highways of NH due to weather related driving conditions.
What a tragedy and loss for those families. Their lives cut short because of their
desire to do what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it, regardless of travel
warnings. Ok, I don’t know what their personal stories are, but I can surely relate
to doing the same thing, driving in bad weather, to meet personal goals. We need
to learn to stop and pray in these situations. Tap into knowledge of self and what
drives our decision making. Is it driven by emotions or understanding/logic? People
are mostly driven by their emotions, which is often the cause for much of the unhappiness
experienced in their lives. It’s taken me a lifetime and a lot of time listening
to biblical scholars and doing course work in the area of psychology to understand
the role of emotions as a driving force in our lives.
I am happy to say that my husband and I exercised some logical
thinking and made good decisions this Christmas. The result was an abundance of
peace and joy in those days alone at home. I believe that God rewards us when we
slow down, and make right decisions that show acceptance of His will, not ours.
For three days we shoveled snow and enjoyed quiet time in our
home. I cooked typical meals, nothing special except trying out a new pie recipe
that was a flop. Christmas eve we had hot dogs for dinner (Paul’s idea). It all
seemed right and I loved the time spent watching two versions of Scrooge and mass
at the Washington DC cathedral. Christmas morning, we put on the channel that has
a fireplace with puppies and kittens playing among gifts with Christmas music playing.
Most important was my time spent meditating on the first Christmas
and what Joseph and Mary endured in their journey to Bethlehem. The trip from Nazareth
to Bethlehem took about four days on foot, and Mary was forced to give birth to
Jesus in a cold, dark, smelly cave where animals lived. I am sure they didn’t have
any gourmet meals that night. Why should we feast on Christmas Eve? Perhaps it should
be a time to fast and remember what the holy family endured.
Time is a precious gift that often gets wasted, trying to keep
up with the world. The best thing I did for myself this past weekend, was to surrender
to the situation of being snowed in, with a proper attitude, and accept it as a
gift from God.
Mary accepted God’s will for her role in God’s plan with her
fiat .
"By
pronouncing her "fiat" at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the
Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish.
She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body" (Catechism
of the Catholic Church # 973).
I
am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Word" (Luke
1:38).
This is one of the profound messages of Christmas. It is hard
to imagine what Mary agreed to back in those days and how she accepted Jesus in
her womb, knowing the consequences of being an unmarried young woman in that day
when it was legal to be killed for the situation she was in. Mary is my role model for doing God’s will. Of
course, Jesus too is our role model and is our King, Brother, Lord, Savior, Healer….
Jesus is one with God and Lord over Mary. Hard concepts to digest, but well worth
the effort.
God Bless
Paula
Luke 1:26-38
The Angel Gabriel was sent from God.... to a virgin betrothed to a
man, named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
The angel said to her: "Rejoice O highly favored daughter! The Lord
is with you. Blessed are you among women."
She was deeply troubled by his words, and wondered what his greeting meant.
The angel said to her: "Do not fear, Mary. You have found favor with God."
"You shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name of Jesus."
"Great will be his dignity and he will be called Son of the Most High. And His reign will be without end."
Mary said to the angel,” How can this be since I do not know man?"
The angel answered Her: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you."
"The holy offspring to be born will be called Son of God."
Mary said: "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say." With that the angel left her.
The angel said to her: "
She was deeply troubled by his words, and wondered what his greeting meant.
The angel said to her: "Do not fear, Mary. You have found favor with God."
"You shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name of Jesus."
"Great will be his dignity and he will be called Son of the Most High. And His reign will be without end."
Mary said to the angel,” How can this be since I do not know man?"
The angel answered Her: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will
"The holy offspring to be born will be called Son of God."
Mary said: "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say." With that the angel left her.
