Jesus is Ready

Today's blog post is a reflection from the Advent book by Fr. Mark Toups.

This past week the book has prepared me for prayer by blessing my mind, ears. eyes, lips and heart. 

Next I am invited to imagine Joseph and Mary walking through my door. 

Closing my eyes, I picture the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, her spouse. 

I visualize Mary who is pregnant and ready to give birth. 

I see Joseph who has his arm around his wife. 

They've been on a long journey.

Yet, here they are, happy to see me. 

Mary, places my hand on her pregnant belly. 

I can feel the baby Jesus excited within her. 

I start to smile and the three of us begin to giggle.

Jesus is ready to meet us! 

He is excited to meet us! 

Opening my mind, ears, eyes, lips and heart to the greatest gift given to us.

Jesus, Emmanuel! 

Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. Luke 1:35 

Painting by Erin McAtee 

Room in our Hearts

I have mentioned before that "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is my favorite Christmas song. 

The words "Prepare Him room" have been present to me this Advent. 

“Not one of us would have designed a situation in which Joseph had to knock on doors to find a place for the Christ Child to be born. That's Divine Wisdom. The infant Jesus neither needed nor wanted luxury; He needed and wanted love. He needs and wants only a simple room in our hearts.” John Cardinal O'Connor - Founder of the Sisters of Life 

This quote spoke to my heart as I read the Sisters of Life Christmas card. 

Room in our hearts. 

Mary prepared her Son room. 

She became a tabernacle and proclaimed, Holy is His Name.

"But because of the purity of Mary's heart, she is able to receive the spoken Word from God and magnify that Word with perfect reverberation and echo. Mary's heart is perfectly shaped to receive the Word of God, for she is completely available to God." 

Rejoice! An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture by Fr. Mark Toups

Mary's example of availability is an example for us all. 

She had no control over when and where she would make room.

Yet, she made room. 

Room in her heart and she invites us to do the same. 

 “Ask the Lord to bless your heart so that you may know his love.” Rejoice! An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture by Fr. Mark Toups 

Painting by Erin McAtee 

Worth it

Today's blog post is from Lisa Brenninkmeyer's book, Be Still 365-Day Devotional to Quiet Your Heart. 

"When Mary was asked to collaborate with God, she was given no guarantees-just the opportunity to love. The first thing the angel said to her was, "Do not be afraid" (Luke 1:30). These are Mary's words to us, as well. She led by example, showing total confidence in God when she said, "Let it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). She showed total confidence in Jesus when she turned to the servants at the wedding at Cana and said, "Do whatever He tells you" John 2:5). She gives us the same message: "Do whatever He tells you." But we hesitate, wondering how much pain or sorrow such obedience might cause us. Mary didn't know what suffering her yes—her fiat—might bring. And we don't know, either. But we do know that we don't walk that path alone. And we know that obedience, though costly, pays eternal dividends that make any sacrifice worth it."

As Christmas draws near let's try to remember the heart of Christmas. 

I prayed with the Advent Challenge today on Hallow. I imagined Mary inviting me to hold her baby Jesus in my arms. He snuggled close to my heart. He blinked his beautiful eyes and looked up at me. 

With a single gaze and maybe even a tiny yawn, this new born baby finds that you and I are worth it.  

Mary's "yes" - her "fiat" was worth it. 

We are not alone. 

Emmanuel. 

"Who needs Mary?

'Those who don't feel known.

Those who are harsh.

Those who don't feel loved.

Those who are afraid that if they do too much, they'll be taken advantage of.

Those who are afraid of what obedience to God might cost.

Those who take care of everybody else and need someone to take care of them.

We all need a mother."

Painting by Erin McAtee  

Joy to the World Take 2

I accidentally erased my “Joy to the World” blog post. 

Big mistake. I am so disheartened when accidents like that happen. 

I shared in my original post about Guadete Sunday. 

I shared that the pink candle is called the “Shepherds” candle and represents JOY. 

Guadete in Latin means “Rejoice.”

However, tonight I didn’t feel like rejoicing after trying again and again to undo what I had thought was saved. 

Small world problem, I know.  

But I grumbled and asked myself, “What just happened?”

I imagine the shepherds asked themselves the same question… 

Yet, they chose to rejoice! 

Rejoicing was and is the answer to our questions. 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is an opportunity to ask for the grace I need to give this as an offering to God. 

Rejoicing comes when we bring our hearts to the One who created them. Rejoicing comes when we give glory and thanks! 

Bethlehem Hearts

 It is the season of the heart. 

Giving hearts, broken hearts, hopeful hearts grieving hearts, grateful hearts. 

Our hearts. 

This Advent the song that has been on my heart is, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. 

It is my favorite Christmas song!

It is the song my heart sings in the ups and downs, preparations, excitement and anticipation of Christmas. 

The words speak to my heart and in every season of life. 

It is the Lord who brings her joy,. It is the Lord who fulfills the desires of her heart. 

Isaiah 61:1-2A, 10-11

St. Augustine said that Mary conceived the Word by faith in her heart before she conceived him in her womb (Sermon 215).

"But because of the purity of Mary's heart, she is able to receive the spoken Word from God and magnify that Word with perfect reverberation and echo. Mary's heart is perfectly shaped to receive the Word of God, for she is completely available to God. To rejoice is to be fully open." 

Rejoice Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture by Fr. Mark Toups 

Make my heart your home, baby Jesus. 

Make my heart your dwelling. 

The chambers of my heart are yours. 

My atrium is your manger.  

Bethlehem means house of bread.  

"Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!" 2 Samuel 7:3 

There is no room for sorrow or anger in Bethlehem. 

No room for anything but You, little Baby. 

O Come, Emmanuel into our hearts! 

May your heart be a Bethlehem. 

Meaning of Life

"Am I not here, who am your mother?" Our Lady of Guadalupe  

Painting by Erin K. McAtee 

Today on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a dear friend, whom I never met in person, but was dear to my heart, passed into eternal life.

His heart was beautifully expressed and shared with those who knew him.

Harold and I shared the same hope for miracles when we both pilgrimaged with our families to Lourdes.

However, healing didn't come as expected.

We shared a similar story.

We both clung to hope.

And we both have sisters who are Sisters of Life.

I learned much from his writings and witness to joy.

Harold's heart was on fire for God and he loved Mother Mary, the Immaculata.

"The child Jesus may attract us with His tenderness and infuse the peace to necessary to disillusioned hearts searching for the meaning of life." 2021 Militia of the Immaculata Prayer Intentions 

This was a comment I saved from Harold on one of my blogs.

"Thanks for your post. I Also enjoy watching The Chosen, though with a sometimes critical lens, and most recently was inspired by Episode two of season three. Have you seen it? Towards the end there is a beautiful scene in which Jesus answers this question asked by St. James the Lesser, who happens to have a physical ailment: "Why haven't you healed?" The scene really highlights the dignity of human life, that God has a plan for each life. There are hardships and difficulties – – there is suffering, but as Jonathan pointed out so boldly, Jesus the author of life has already won. Life is all the more worth living, in him."

Harold knew the true meaning of life.

This is for you, Harold. 

"Let not your heart be disturbed." Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe is wrapping you in her mantel. 

She is carrying you to her Son.

Rest now and be healed, you are in the arms of Jesus. 

Heal the Brokenhearted

 It's the greatest time of year and yet the hardest time of year. 

Great because Christmas is coming and hard because Christmas is coming. 

As we prepare our hearts before Christmas, there can be a lot of heartache and sorrow. 

Brokenness wishes to hide and wounds try to be covered up as we anticipate Who is to come. 

"God does great things through the greatly wounded. God sees the broken as the best and He sees the best in the broken and He calls the wounded to be the world changers. Our bad brokenness is made whole by this good brokenness. Who knows why God allows heartbreak, but the answer must be important enough because God allows His heart to break too." 

Be the Gift: Let Your Broken Be Turned into Abundance by Ann Voskamp 

Baby Jesus, He will come and the doors held shut in our hearts will be opened. 

He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to heal the brokenhearted. Isaiah 61:1 

"Love's new abyss renews my wound" 

Painting on Fabric by Erin K. McAtee 

Because

This Advent I am reading and journaling from Fr. Mark Toups's book, Rejoice! 

It is an Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture. 

"Today be intentional about pausing for a minute before you actually pray." 

The book teaches St. Ignatius of Loyola's wisdom in praying an Our Father before prayer. 

"Ask the Lord to reveal what is in his heart and eyes as he beholds you." 

Tonight I read Psalm 43:4 three times as part of the homework. 

After reading the scripture, I journal what spoke to my heart. 

A word or phrase... 

Psalm 43:4, is not that long. 

I wondered what would stand out to me in such a short passage. 

And this is what I read...

"Because you are precious in my eyes 

and glorious, and because I love you." 

Psalm 43:4 

The words that spoke to my heart,

"Because I love you." 

My heart melted as I read this the three times. 

It is very easy to question God's love, although we are surrounded by it. 

Reading what stood out to me made me think of a child asking the question, "Why?"

I admit that's a question I think about often. 

Yet, the answer we give to children is the same for you and me.

"Because." 

He came, just to love us. 

Let us Rejoice! 

Re

Skipping Facebook for Christmas

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent! 

I have decided I want to go off of Facebook for Advent to prepare my heart for Christmas. 

I will still post the Tri-Parish bulletin, Prairie Mountain Nutrition Menu and my blogs on Facebook. However, I will not be responding or scrolling during this Advent season. 

I feel like Luther Krank as I write this blog. 

Skipping Facebook for Christmas. 

Advent is so short this year, so Christmas will be here before we know it! 

My prayer is to focus on the Reason for the Season and to prepare my heart during these days before Christmas. 

There is no room in the Inn, so I want to make room in my heart. 

No room can compare to the rooms we prepare in our hearts. 

My prayers are with you during this holy season!