My Christmas Story 2017

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

http://www.scripturalrosary.org/annunciation.html

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.