Today is the feast of the Holy Family!
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
Good morning out there! Merry Christmas! Today is the Sixth Day of Christmas! And it is also my birthday! I am so excited that this beautiful feast day falls on my birthday this year! I love the Holy Family!
I'm going to share one of the scripture readings from my Magnificat today:
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians 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.
Such a powerful message of love, forgiveness, and being thankful and joyful! I am thankful and I have so much faith in our Lord! And I do sing songs of praise; On Christmas morning I woke up with this hymn in my head and on my heart:
"Today a Savior is Born"
I woke up singing: "Today a Savior is Born, Christ our Lord - Today a Savior is Born, Christ our Lord, Christ our Lord!
Last night I woke up sometime during the night. I remembered that today is my birthday, I thanked God for my life. I thanked Him for my mother and father; my loving parents who adopted me when I was three days old. And I thanked him for my biological mother and prayed for her wherever she is - I prayed that she has had a good life and that if she ever wonders about me - that God has touched her heart with peace. No, I have never looked for her, and no, I have not done any of the ancestry tests that are all the rage. I have always been at peace with my adoption. Since I was a child, I've had a strong faith in God and so I live my life with joy in my heart knowing that I'm exactly where God planned for me to be. I'm so thankful God guided me to find my husband and has blessed us with our children and grandchildren.
I am going to share a story I wrote eight years ago. A nostalgic look back...
Friday, December 5, 2014
Every Baby Should Be Able To Grow Up and Have A Story To Tell
a home. Never knowing the circumstances or the reason why, her birth mother
couldn't keep her, she had to say goodbye. This little baby girl was three days
old when a loving family came, and took her to their home. Now this baby girl
had a family of her own.
With love and joy and happiness this baby girl grew up, she never met a stranger
and her heart was full of love. She loved to hear the stories about her special day,
the day her family came and gave her their name.
When she was only eight years old, the scary news came, her loving mother had
cancer, the little girl was afraid. Her mother was strong and courageous as she
battled day to day, and when the girl was twelve years old the angels came, and
took her mother away. She knew her mother was in heaven, no more pain did she feel, and although she understood why it had to be this way, the grief she felt
in her heart would never go away.
The young not quite teenage girl was strong, she was raised that way. She had
watched her mother suffer and never heard her complain. Her mother had prepared
her, knowing this day would come. Her love of God, her father, older brother,
church family and friends, would be there for her, as the years came and went.
She was now a young lady, thought she was so grown up, off she went to college,
another life event. She made new friends and she had fun, but she
missed her dad, her brother, his wife, and friends back home.
Then one day it happened, a Sunday afternoon, she met a man, the most wonderful,
handsome man and her heart grew and grew.
Within a short time they were married, became husband and wife. So thankful God
had blessed her with someone she would cherish and love all of her life.
She had a new name, and a home of her own, she was also blessed with a stepson, she
quickly grew to love as her very own.
Expecting their first child, the baby grew, and as the mother heard the heart beat and felt
her baby move, she was amazed at what her body was going through. With her husband
at her side the doctor said, "It's a boy" and the mother cried, my first born is a son,
and the emotions that went through her can never be described, but the love and
protectiveness she felt for this child was an overwhelming feeling that would never die.
As she held her son close to her breast, she thanked God for his life, for being so
blessed. When the baby boy was just three months old, the new mom found out she
was expecting once more. When her husband came home from work that day he sat
down in the rocking chair and held their son. She knelt on the floor and leaned against
his legs as she shared the good news of another baby on the way. He smiled and told
her everything would be ok.
This happened during the time when the oil boom had gone bust, work was slow, there
had been lay-offs and his new job didn't pay as much. There would be no insurance to
cover the costs. They saved and worked side jobs to pay for the birth, the hard times
together, they grew so close.
The baby boy walked at ten months old, and his mom chased after him as her other
baby continued to grow. The mother heard the heart beat and felt her baby move, and once more, she was amazed at what her body was going through.
The baby boy was happy and had a beautiful smile, he was into everything, and his
pregnant mom was tired! Would this new baby be a brother or a sister, for the two boys
they already had, another son or a daughter, either way, they would be glad! The night
before the baby came, the mom was in the kitchen, she looked into the living room just
in time to see her baby boy dive from the chair into the presents beneath the
Christmas tree. She dashed across the floor and caught him mid-air, nine months
pregnant, not a moment to spare!
Early the next morning, the labor pains came, they picked up their sleepy baby boy
and all loaded up in the black pick-up truck. They took him to his aunt and uncles and
told him they'd be back, and off to the hospital they dashed.
Just four hours later with her husband at her side they heard the doctor say, "It's a girl"
and then they cried. Tears of joy, a daughter, a baby girl, and the emotions that went
through her can never be described, but the love and protectiveness she felt for this
child was an overwhelming feeling that would never die. As she held her daughter
close to her breast, she thanked God for her life, for being so blessed.
The next year was busy with two babies under two. The baby boy was fearless, and
loved to run and climb. The baby girl was carried upon her mother's hip to keep her
off the floor, and safe from baby brother who would zoom back and forth. The baby
girl was happy and loved her mom and dad, she would laugh at her brother's antics and
stay close by her mama's side. She loved her swing, and you can guess why, the floor
was otherwise occupied!
The years went by and the children grew up. They loved when their oldest son came
for a visit, their family complete. They were a close knit family, and shared so
much love. They were raised going to Mass and all their sacraments they made.
God was always a priority and still is to this day.
Three weddings have been celebrated and blessings of grandbabies galore, who could
ask for anything more!
Yes, it's true, this story is about me and my sweet, and amazing family.
I seem to get nostalgic this time of year. My son and daughter both have birthdays
this month. They were both born on Fridays, and it was cold and had snowed both
years. I remember Jim driving us home in our old black pick-up truck. There was a
Christmas tree in the living room to welcome us as we stepped in.
Their birthdays are right before Christmas, and mine is right after. We celebrate the
birth of Jesus right between our birthdays, yes, December is a special month for us!
I think back to the years when I was pregnant and how we got things ready for the birth
of our babies. It makes me think of how Advent is a time of waiting, of preparation.
Having been adopted at birth, I don't take life for granted. Life is a gift, and we are all
beautifully, fearfully, wonderfully made. Every baby should be able to grow up and
have a story to tell. (This is a picture of our Christmas tree the year our daughter was born!)
