Word Made Flesh | December 31, 2015

December 31, 2015

I love words. One stellar word can help me find comfort, hear grace, see beauty, feel love, taste light, and smell the fragrance of Christ. Words resonate in my soul through poetry, song lyrics, conversations, and even fonts or graphic design. I love arranging words creatively and visually and I love using words in my prayer. Prayer words help me to focus my mind and my heart on one particular aspect of the spiritual life. I find that breaking things down into smaller bite sized chunks works for me and perhaps it will work for you as well.

Today’s gospel is the incredible opening of the gospel according to John, Jesus’ beloved apostle and best friend. It is highly theological in its context, but deeply personal in its revelation that Jesus himself is God’s word made flesh. Read this:

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came to be through him,

and without him nothing came to be.

What came to be through him was life,

and this life was the light of the human race;

the light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.

Isn’t that stunning? “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” I can’t think of a better way to end this year than with this TRUE statement. The light of Christ, which is in each and every one of us, cannot be overcome by darkness. This year has been a terribly wild roller coaster ride with lots of loss, grief, and tribulations, but even more blessings, celebrations, and miracles. I can choose to mourn or I can choose to rejoice…I declare a mandatory dance party at some point today because God is good all the time (even when we are not good)!

There are many things for which I am grateful from this past year, but I must say that the writing of this blog is at the top of that list. It began as an assignment from my spiritual director and it turned into a real journey of discovering gifts, talents, thoughts, feelings, and wonder through the Word of God. I’m usually not at a loss for words, but I’m not sure I can ever express how much I have grown as a result of praying so deeply through scripture. I hope that you will continue to embark on this incredible journey with me as we enter into a new year of promise, hope, blessing, and grace. As a writer, I have learned that words connect us, destroy us, heal us, free us, hurt us, make us feel safe, make us feel small, give us grace, comfort, love, kindness, and that words have power. I know this because I have used words for all of the above, and I know that my words in particular can cut like a knife, but also can bring tremendous compassion and comfort. I must be better with my words. I must use them only for good. This is my New Years Resolution: To only use words that bring about life, love, and kindness.  

In the spirit of today’s gospel where Jesus is the Word and along with my love of words, I’d like to suggest one prayer word for every month of 2016. I’ve chosen some of my favorite words that I will use personally for prayer this next year. Feel free to use these words or think of your own words. Write it down so you can see it for the entire month and meditate on that word in your prayer time, journal about it, make art out of it, or just say it once a day. My goal is to allow these prayer words to imprint themselves in my soul so that they become a part of me and my daily interactions, and that they will bring me closer to the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.

Some words that I am considering using:

·      January - Mercy

·      February - Beloved

·      March - Brilliant

·      April - Fragrance

·      May - Favorite

·      June - Wonderful

·      July - Whisper

·      August - Praise

·      September - Treasure

·      October - Song

·      November - Silence

·      December - Gentle

Reading 1 1 JN 2:18-21

Children, it is the last hour; 
and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,
so now many antichrists have appeared. 
Thus we know this is the last hour. 
They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;
if they had been, they would have remained with us. 
Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. 
But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,
and you all have knowledge. 
I write to you not because you do not know the truth 
but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.

Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2, 11-12, 13

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day. 
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia JN 1:14A, 12A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him
he gave power to become the children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. 
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light, 
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God, 
to those who believe in his name, 
who were born not by natural generation 
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision 
but of God.

And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out, saying, 
“This was he of whom I said, 
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me 
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses, 
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, 
has revealed him.

Three Morsels Of Thought | December 30, 2015

December 30, 2015

One morsel from each of today’s readings:

1.     “But whoever does the will of God remains forever.” 1 John 2:17…Doing the will of God is not always easy, but the rewards are worth the effort: remaining forever. I want to be with God forever and so in order to do that I must do His will. The tricky part is discerning His will and that is where I have failed many times, but with each failure comes some sort of experiential knowledge and that is never a waste. Any time we can learn and grow, while it is painful, it is always a step closer to perfection, a step closer to heaven. I pray that I may always be faithful to God’s will in my life.

2.     “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name!” Psalm 96…The heavens are glad when we give glory and praise to God. When the heavens are glad, there will be rejoicing on earth, so the more we praise God, the more earth can rejoice. It seems so simple, but it is so very hard most especially in times of trial. When I am simply trying to keep my head above water, praising God moves to the bottom of my list. However, today’s Psalm gives me a strong nudge to change that list around and praise God as I am almost drowning. At this point, it can’t hurt and I might just be rescued. Easier said than done, but it seems like a great plan.

3.     “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” Luke 2:40…I love the thought of Jesus growing because it helps me embrace my own growing pains. It says He became strong, meaning that he was probably tested and even though he was sinless, mistakes are required for learning and so perhaps there some of those for young Jesus so that he also became filled with wisdom. The wisest people I know are those that use their firsthand experiences to teach them how to act next time. I’m sure that Jesus was a pretty fast learner, but it still gives me hope that I too can become strong and filled with wisdom and that hopefully the favor of God will be upon me.

I know it’s not my typical daily reflection filled with my over active imagination, but it’s where I am today and that’s all I can offer. May you know and follow God’s will today, give praise and glory to God throughout, and know that God is not done with you yet, there is still room to grow. Blessings.

Reading 1 1 JN 2:12-17

I am writing to you, children,
because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake.

I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,
because you have conquered the Evil One.

I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.

I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,
because you are strong and the word of God remains in you,
and you have conquered the Evil One.

Do not love the world or the things of the world. 
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 
For all that is in the world,
sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,
is not from the Father but is from the world. 
Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. 
But whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Responsorial Psalm PS 96:7-8A, 8B-9, 10

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts;
worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity. 
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A holy day has dawned upon us.
Come, you nations, and adore the Lord.
Today a great light has come upon the earth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. 
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. 
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. 
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth. 
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

When Did You Stop Dancing? | December 29, 2015

I read this on Terry Hershey's Facebook page today and it is pretty on point I think. 

In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions. 

• When did you stop dancing? 
• When did you stop singing? 
• When did you stop being enchanted by stories? 
• When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?

I spent the night at a Lock-In with 20+ teens who celebrated each other until 5:30am. They did dance, they did sing, they did tell enchanting stories, they didn't, however, find comfort in the sweet territory of silence but 3 out of 4 is pretty darn good don't you think? I simply sat in their presence and soaked in their passion, their joy, their love, their sweetness, their amazing ability to lift each other up. It reminds me of Simeon's inspiration in today's gospel. He saw the glory of God in a tiny human baby in the arms of his mother. I saw the glory of God in some wild and wonderful large humans in the arms of love and I too was inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim it. I know they will experience joy and sorrow, we all do, but I also know that The Christ resides in each one of their precious souls. In the midst of suffering, he dwells even still, and when our hearts are pierced like Mary's it opens up space to let more Jesus in. So I pray that each heart break they will experience will usher in more of the true love that only God can give. 

Currently, each one of them is gazing upon and scrolling through their phones, trying to connect, trying to reach out, when all they have to do is look up into the eyes of the one sitting next to them. There is a sweet chill playlist serenading, coffee is on, pancakes, the room is trashed, and all is right with the world at this tender moment. "Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them." I have had the honor and privilege of being present when lifelong friendships, soul mates, and ohana have formed. Years and years of witnessing the Holy Spirit connect young people in love to one another. It's a magical experience and even though I am unworthy of this kind of glory, God has blessed me with this tremendous gift and I am so very grateful. As 2015 is coming to an end, I rejoice in the many blessings that I have received, I mourn the loss of those that I have hurt, but I look ahead with hope at what God is doing in each of our lives, because I know that His plan is always better and greater than mine. 

Today is a great day to: 

• Start dancing
• Start singing
• Start being enchanted by stories
• Start finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence

Reading 1 1 JN 2:3-11

Beloved:
The way we may be sure that we know Jesus 
is to keep his commandments. 
Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments
is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him. 
This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:
whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you
but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. 
The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 
And yet I do write a new commandment to you,
which holds true in him and among you,
for the darkness is passing away,
and the true light is already shining. 
Whoever says he is in the light,
yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. 
Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,
and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. 
Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;
he walks in darkness
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2A, 2B-3, 5B-6

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name. 
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
The LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty go before him;
praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia LK 2:32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A light of revelation to the Gentiles
and glory for your people Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. 
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

God Is A Gentleman | December 27, 2015

December 27, 2015

My God is a gentleman.

He never pushes.

Sometimes he pulls gently with a whisper, or a smile, or a hug.

But He never pushes.

My God is a gentleman.

He holds the door open for me,

He walks closest to the street, 


He sends me flowers and sweetness, 


He writes me love songs,


And He cherishes me for me.



My God is a gentleman.


He lets me choose to be with Him or not,


He lets me figure out stuff on my own if I want,


But what He really wants is for me to let Him help me figure it out.


He thirsts for my companionship and my time,


He thirsts, but He will never force me because He knows that love can only be free.



My God is a gentleman.


He always looks good and smells good.


He is dapper and handsome and eloquent.


He makes me feel like I'm the only one in the room.


He looks at me in a way that makes me feel beautiful.


He showers me with so much love and so many gifts, that I feel spoiled at times.


He doesn't ask for anything in return, except maybe to not keep our love a secret.


So I am telling you all.



My God is a gentleman.


And He loves you the most.


He wants you and He wants me.


He is holding the door open because He is a gentle man.......

Reading 1 1 SM 1:20-22, 24-28

In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
The next time her husband Elkanah was going up
with the rest of his household
to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows,
Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband,
“Once the child is weaned,
I will take him to appear before the LORD
and to remain there forever;
I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite.”

Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
Hannah left Samuel there.

Responsorial Psalm PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Reading 2         COL 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 
if one has a grievance against another; 
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love, 
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, 
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, 
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed, 
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Alleluia 

COL 3:15A, 16A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

LK 2:41-52

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast
of Passover, 
and when he was twelve years old, 
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning, 
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, 
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple, 
sitting in the midst of the teachers, 
listening to them and asking them questions, 
and all who heard him were astounded 
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished, 
and his mother said to him, 
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them; 
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.