Hello out there! Good morning blessings to all of you, near and far, wherever you are! The season of Advent begins this Sunday! I love this time of year. The dark nights are lit up with Christmas lights galore. I wrote a post last November, "How Advent Should Feed Our Lives." I'm going to re-share that this morning. I hope the message will be a blessing to you and yours!
The following post/story is from November 13, 2022
How Advent Should "Feed" Our Lives
Hello out there! It's a little chilly outside right now but the sun is shining and it is a beautiful day!
I was invited to give one of the talks at an Advent Retreat yesterday. The topic / theme they asked me prepare for was "How Advent should "feed" our lives!" I prayed and wrote notes and prayed some more and looked up scripture and then God helped me put it all together! The retreat was wonderful and definitely, "Full of the Holy Spirit!" I decided I would tweak my notes a little bit and share the message with you.
I 've always thought about how Advent is a season of preparation. When we are prepared for something, a trip, a family gathering, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, etc. we are more at peace. At least I am. I like to have a plan A, B, C and sometimes I wish I had a plan D! Because you always have to be prepared for the unexpected!
It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away and then we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, just two weeks from today, Sunday, November 27th. Oh my goodness, how time flies.
I looked ahead in my Magnificat at the readings for the First Sunday of Advent. I'm going to read a couple of the scriptures from the morning prayers.
Romans 13:11-12
It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Wow! Throw off the darkness and put on the armor of light!
I love this time of year. I know that it can also be crazy, hectic, and stressful! But I have learned through the years to take things as they come. As you all well know, our plans, our ideas, our dreams, don't always work our like we had hoped, planned or prayed for.
But through all things, God is with us. So I want to share some memories and ideas that have helped me to grow in my faith, to be fed, during the season of Advent - a season of preparation.
My husband Jim and I have been married 39 plus years. This will be our 40th season of Advent. As I look back through the years, I see how my faith has grown. I now understand that the Season of Advent is not just about decorating our homes and buying gifts for Christmas but about changing our hearts and minds, about focusing on our relationship with God. What are some ways we can do this within our families and in our homes - in this world where everything is so commercialized?
First things first - Our lives are not Hallmark Movies! Oh, don't get me wrong, I like those movies. I like movies with a happy ending but those movies are entertainment, they're not real life. Our lives are complicated, some days are great, and somedays are not. And while some Advent seasons have been less complicated than others, the journey is different each year.
So what do we need to do to be "fed" during this season of Advent?
We need some really good road maps to guide us along the way. The Word of God feeds us. Instead of hollering out, "Hey Google, or Siri or Alexa" how about "hollering" out to God! I'm pretty sure everyone has a good Catholic bible or a regular bible - if not - get one! The "Magnificat" and "the Word among us" are both great daily devotionals! Pick which one works for you. They both have the Catholic Mass Readings for every day of the month and daily meditations. The Magnificat also has morning prayers, evening prayers, and stories about the Saints. There are also several aps for your phone; Laudate, etc. Begin your day with scripture! My husband is really good about this - he gets up really early and reads the daily Mass readings, prayers, and meditations from our Magnificat. Let me be honest - I'm not quite as diligent. But my day is better when I begin with the scriptures. Jim will say, "Sharla - make sure you read the meditation for today" or "Make sure you read the readings because there are some hard names in the first reading and you need to be ready!" (I'm a reader/lector at Mass) Thank you Jesus, for my husband, who helps keep me on track!
I am so thankful for my faith - and as a convert - I am so thankful for my CATHOLIC faith! I've learned through the years that making things more simple, and thinking about what really matters, has been a huge blessing for me.
Keeping things simple and focusing on what is important brings me peace and that peace "feeds" me.
Pick a couple of different nights and go outside and look up at the stars and the moon and reflect on God's creation. If your children or grandchildren are with you, they will love this. I love looking at the evening and night skies! Sun rises, sun sets, listening to birds singing, stop and find joy in the moment.
Count your blessings! Smile and give thanks to God! And share that joy with your family!
This is the time of year when many of us feel like "Martha" - Let's be like Mary, also!
Luke 10:38-42.
Mary and Martha. On their journey Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her home. She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and listened to his words. Martha, who was busy with all the details of hospitality, came to him and said, "Lord, are you not concerned that my sister has left me to do the household tasks all alone? Tell her to help me." The Lord in reply said to her: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things; one thing only is required. Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it." Luke 10:38-42 (Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible)
It is important to prepare and get ready for family gatherings but if you take the time to be like Mary, also, you'll be much happier! Ask for help! Don't try to do everything by yourself. Use paper plates, plastic cups, and good plastic silverware. And if you don't have time to bake a pie from scratch - pop a frozen one in the oven! Or ask someone to pick one up from the bakery!
Back to today - Thursday, 11-30-2023
I pray that during this season of Advent, this time of preparation, you are filled with peace, hope, joy, and the light of Christ.
God bless you all!
Peace and blessings to you and yours,
near and far, wherever you are!
Bye for now, Sharla
