Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Christmas, Family, and Traditions

Christmas is still a magical time of year for me. While I have done my best at keeping Advent as prayerful as I can, I still needed to do some shopping and planning for the holidays. As I plan to visit my mother and the rest of my family, I look forward to the traditions and sometimes chaos that will take place.
As I am the member of my family who lives the furthest away, I am the one that has to do the packing and driving to get to Farrell, PA. However, once I get there, the magic begins. When I walk into my mother's home, there will be the familiar smell of cookies baking, the Christmas decorations around the living room, and my mother happy to see me.
Because our family is large and Mom's house is too small, we no longer have the holidays there, but go to one of my brothers' or sisters' homes. My brother, Vince, now has the traditional Christmas Eve celebration at his home. Mom and I will go there early in the afternoon so that she and my sister-in-law, Laura, can begin cooking. Our tradition is eating different kinds of fish which include smelts, squid, baccala, some type of filet, along with linguini and clam sauce. The rest of the family, as well as some friends, will come later in the afternoon. It is a wonderful time to catch up with each other. For me part of the magic is being with my neices and nephews, some who are adults, some who are teenagers, and some little ones. Talking with them, playing with them, and just being with them is so special.
When Mom and I get back to her house, we rest so that we can be ready to attend Midnight Mass. Going to mass at Saint Joseph in Sharon, PA is another homecoming where traditions continue. About fifteen minutes before mass, there is a sing-a-long. It is wonderful to see the familiar faces of the parishioners I remember. During Communion, we always sing, "Night of Silence/Silent Night". It is such a joyous time celebrating that Jesus, whose birth we remember, is still with us today.
The magic continues on Christmas Day when Mom and I, and the rest of the family, will gather at one of my sisters' homes for dinner. Eating, exchanging gifts, playing cards, sitting around talking, and playing other games continues the celebration.
Tradition and family at Christmas time is worth the packing and traveling I have to do. Since it is already after 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon the 23rd of December, I need to get going so I can finish packing.
May God gift you with many blessings this Christmas. I hope you enjoy your family and the traditions that you hold dear. Merry Christmas everybody!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Gaudete Sunday. The readings talk about rejoicing. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! (Phil 4) We can get so overwhelmed by the bad things we hear in the news, or the things in our own lives. Yet, there is so much to rejoice about. We do not have to look for exciting, big, or miraculous events to rejoice about. We can rejoice even in the simple, everyday miracles in our lives. For example: a baby's first seps; a smile; a phone call from a loved one far away; someone to help you when you lock yourself out of the house; or sometimes just a moment to be quiet.
At our school's Christmas Fair last Friday, one of my fourth grade students bought a ceramic plate. He found all his classmates and had them sign it. Then, he gave it to me. I was so touched his gift! I rejoiced and gave thanks to God for the ministry of teaching and for my students.
I could go on and on with examples and reasons for rejoicing, but I think you can come up with a few of your own. Look for the small miracles in your life this week, and rejoice in the Lord.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Hope and Promise

Many years ago, my spiritual director told me that Advent is the season of promise and hope. I always look forward to this time in the liturgical year. It calls me to quiet down in the midst of all the craziness of getting ready to celebrate Christmas. I am especially eager to read and listen to the readings from the prophets that tell us of the hope and promise of the Savior to come.

This year, the focus on hope has particularly been a part of my prayer and reflection. In October, my friend’s husband committed suicide. I cannot help wonder why he had no hope for his life. Why could he not turn to God in his suffering?

Like many others in this world, I, too, have experienced personal struggle. I know that the hope and promise of God in scripture gave me, and continues to give me, the grace and courage to go on. It is my hope in the love and salvation that Christ brings that makes me want to get out of bed each morning. I have something to live for.

This evening we had an anointing service at our Community Living Center. During the anointing we sang “Be Not Afraid.” When we got to the last line of the first verse, “Know that I am with you through it all,”, I was reminded that no matter how terrible or fearful any situation in life is, I will never be alone or abandoned by God.

Hope is the gift that allows us to trust in God and God’s promises. It requires openness and living with ambiguity. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God is always doing something new in our lives.

In this season of Advent, open the ears of your heart to listen to the hope and promise that God desires for you. In the messiness of life, remember that God is with you through it all. Take time to reflect on where you find your Advent hope and remember when your trust in God bore fruit in your life.

Blessings to all of you during this holy season. Hold on to Hope!