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Thresholds
The angels’ cries are echoing in my heart today, “Gloria in excelsis Deo!” Glory to God in the Highest! Our God has drawn near, not that He is ever far away. In fact, He is so near that without His presence our hearts would cease to beat. Every breath we breathe, every hair on our head, every thought and word (heaven help me!) are known. Does that stir your heart? I hope so. Today, as we have crossed another marker, let us rejoice! The current state of affairs humanly speaking may look grim. It may appear hopeless. Not so. We must look with our spiritual eyes. Through the grace and mercy…
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Ful and New
For the past few years, I’ve selected “My One Word” to carry with me for an entire year. It is chosen after consideration, thoughts and prayers. I was in a quandary in 2021, because I could not settle on a single word. The one word ended up not being an actual word, rather the suffix “ful”, which is used with words like: Grateful Wonderful Joyful Prayerful Beautiful Thankful Cheerful Truthful Skillful Hopeful Of course, there are other words on the “dark side”, which I stayed away from whenever possible. Still, I found myself being more aware of the positive side of being full.…
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Real Christmas
A portal was opened the day Jesus was born. God, in his Omnipotence forged a way to allow the finite to meet the Infinite. As He fulfilled the promises of ages past, wrapping Himself in the limitations of a human form, the “Word became flesh”. He changed everything in that instant. And yet, He remained God. It is stunning. This very act of creation and the physical being of Jesus transformed the dynamic in the heavenlies forever. No longer would Man be unable to reach a Holy, Sovereign and Omniscient God. Because of Jesus the Son, humanity now had a vehicle to step out of the snares of sin and…
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The Woodworkers
Imagination is a wonderful and powerful thing. Reading the Christmas story again reminds me how few details we have about the actual birth of Jesus. Was Mary in labor long? Did Joseph have experience delivering babies? Were there angels with them during this time – expectantly waiting and watching for the Messiah to be born? Did the Innkeeper have regrets after turning them away? Did Joseph ever doubt Mary’s faithfulness? Somehow, I don’t think so. This is where imagination comes in to play. Joseph. What a man he must have been! Much attention is given to Mary, but Joseph was also “chosen” and extraordinary. In fact, Joseph has been an…
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The Heralds
When I was little, I could scarcely wait for Christmas Eve. It had an almost magical feel about it. First of all, was the fact that we would go to Midnight Mass. Staying up late as a child seemed like a reward. Christmas carols would be sung with vigor, echoing in the church. People would actually smile and wish each other, “Merry Christmas!” Sometimes it even snowed, as it did when I was ten years old. Then…it was back home to a roaring fire and an amazing brunch. For some reason none of us got tired that night. One of the highlights of the evening was to place baby Jesus…
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For the One
Why would someone leave splendor to immerse themselves in squalor? Why would they do it? What would be the motivation – the compelling force for Jesus to willingly wrap Himself in an “earth suit“? He allowed Himself to be placed in a feeding trough that was inside a stinky stable. Have you ever been in a barn? Not exactly a sanitary place to spend your first minutes as an infant. No hand sanitizers. No masks. No hot water. Looking at the countless thousands, millions and even billions of souls who have come and gone, His choice may still be perplexing in some ways. To conquer the pervasive evil, or sin,…
