Letting Your Soul Catch Up

Did you know that practicing some form of relaxation is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself? Taking time each day to quiet your mind and breathe deeply, can make a big difference in how you feel throughout your day and into the night. And dedicating a day every week for mental and spiritual renewal is equally important.

We're told that the word "relax" has its origin in the Latin word "relaxare," which means "to loosen." When we relax, we are in effect loosening tension, releasing tightly held energy and letting go. From the state of relaxation we can experience calm peacefulness.

Another great word is the Hebrew word "Shabbat" which, of course, is a day of rest. But it quite literally means to "quit; stop; take a break." Whatever you are doing, stop it. Whatever you are saying, be quiet. Sit down and take a look around. Don't do anything. Don't say anything. Fold your hands. Take a deep breath.

Extended periods of rest are a biological necessity. The human body is like an old-fashioned wind-up clock. If it is not rewound by rest, ultimately it will run itself down.

A group of Americans made a trip with Brazilian natives down the Amazon River. The first day they rushed. The second day they rushed. The next day they rushed. One day, anxious to continue the trek, they were surprised to find the natives seated together in a circle.

When asked the reason for the delay, a guide answered, "They are waiting. They cannot move further until their souls have caught up with their bodies."

Do you owe yourself time to let your soul catch up with your body?

1st Sunday of Advent

Today is the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year. As with all New Year celebrations, we begin this Advent with anticipation and hope; we hear about the hope of the Hebrew people for the coming of the Messiah, we believe that their hope is realized in the Incarnation of Christ and we affirm our hope that Christ will come again in glory.

As I was reflecting on the scriptures for today, I was struck by the images in the first reading from Isaiah 2:1-5. We read about the mountain of the Lord’s house sitting high above everything else; all the people of the world streaming to the mountain; the people climbing the mountain to receive instruction from the Lord so they could walk in his path; the people beating their swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks and finally the call for all of us to “walk in the light of the Lord”! What probably caused me to focus on these images is a recent conversation with one of my nephews who is a passionate rock climber. He does not climb walls in gyms; he climbs mountains. So, I asked him what the attraction was and his answer was surprising. He said, climbing rock faces on mountains is extremely difficult and can be scary. A climber has to be very fit and prepared for anything. The climber must be focused at all times. To lose focus can mean serious injury or death. The going is torturously slow but when the climber gets to the top, the feeling is exhilarating. Because when you reach the top everything becomes clear and it is as if you can see forever. All the pain is worth it for that moment.

I have never considered Advent from the perspective of climbing a mountain. But there are similarities. Imagine climbing the Lord’s mountain and receiving instruction from God so that we can learn “his ways, and we may walk in his paths." And then going out to carry the message to the world while walking “in the light of the Lord.” No one tackles a mountain without being prepared. No one reaches the top of the mountain without an overwhelming sense of awe. And no one comes down without telling people about the experience.

Advent is a time of preparedness. How we prepare is up to us. I certainly don’t expect all of us to become mountain rock climbers. However, we can prepare ourselves for the second coming that we affirm each time we participate in Mass. And perhaps we can stay focused on the real purpose of Advent which is clearing our minds and our hearts so we can welcome Jesus into our lives.

Let us pray in Advent time with longing and waiting for the coming of the Lord.

Father in heaven,

our hearts desire the warmth of your love

and our minds are searching for the light of your Word.

Increase our longing for Christ our Savior

and give us the strength to grow in love,

that the dawn of his coming

may find us rejoicing in his presence

and welcoming the light of his truth.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Amen

Father, We Thank Thee!

For flowers that bloom about our feet,

Father, we thank Thee.

For tender grass so fresh, so sweet,
Father, we thank Thee.

For the song of bird and hum of bee,
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For blue of stream and blue of sky,
Father, we thank Thee.

For pleasant shade of branches high,
Father, we thank Thee.

For fragrant air and cooling breeze,
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For this new morning with its light,
Father, we thank Thee.

For rest and shelter of the night,
Father, we thank Thee

For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God ..."
(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

May God Bless You on This Thanksgiving Day!

Thanking God

• I want to thank you, God, for what you have done for me. I’m not going to wait to see the results I want or to receive rewards I’d like. I’m thanking you right now.
• I’m not going to wait until I feel better or until things look better. I’m thanking you right now.
• I’m not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop doing what they’re doing. I’m thanking you right now.
• I’m not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears. I’m than...king you right now.
• I’m not waiting until my financial situation is better. I’m thanking you right now.
• I’m not going to wait until my world is quiet and peaceful. I’m thanking you right now.
• I’m not going to wait until I get the job I want or the promotion I’d like. I’m thanking you right now.
• I’m not going to wait until I understand every situation and experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief. I’m going to thank you right now.
• I’m not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed. I’m thanking you right now.
• I’m thanking you because I’m alive.
• I’m thanking you because I made it through another day.
• I’m thanking you because I have walked around difficult obstacles.
• I’m thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and to do better.
• I’m thanking you because you have not given up on me.
• God is so good – in so many ways – all the time.

In the Hands of God

How much do we notice as we go through a day?

Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America - If you remember, she's the wife of Todd Beamer who said 'Let's Roll!' and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania that was heading for Washington, DC back on 9/11. She said it's the little things that she misses most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door open as he came home, and her children running to meet him.

Lisa recalled this story: "I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there. With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, 'Class is over, I would like to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is God's way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day.

Her eyes, beginning to water, she went on, 'So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted.

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.

Take notice of something special you see today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

HAVE A GREAT DAY!  God Bless you every day of your life. The nicest place to be is in someone's thoughts. The safest place to be is in someone's prayers, And the very best place to be is....In the hands of God

Before You ...

Lord, be with us

Hidden by Leaves

As I look out the window I see the trees. Their trunks, limbs and branches are bare. They look really beautiful against the clear sky, so different from when they are hidden by all the leaves.

At the end of November, we remember our dead, particularly those who died in the past year. And I think that one day I will appear before the Lord with all my leaves gone, all those things that hide me from myself and from others. Just the bare me. I hope the Lord will see some beauty in me also.

This thought reminds me to repent and prepare for that meeting.

That's one of the things Advent is for The Holy Season of Advent is very near and Advent ends with our commemoration of the birth of our beloved Savior.  That's where my hope is, in his coming. I trust that's where your hope is also.

Christ the King

Given all the war, famine, drought, and persecution going on in the world today, have you ever wondered where God is in the midst of it all?  Do you question God about suffering and injustice? The children of Israel did throughout their forty-year sojourn through the desert.  King David did in the Psalms.  The prophets Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, and Habakkuk did as well.  There is a long history of people questioning God in the midst of suffering. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “The world we live in often seems very far from the one promised us by faith.  Our experiences of evil and suffering, injustice and death, seem to  contradict the Good News; they can shake our faith and become a temptation against it” (CCC 164).

According to the Catechism, rather than become overwhelmed by the seemingly hopelessness of it all, we “must turn to the witnesses of faith: to Abraham who ‘in hope …believed against hope.’ to the Virgin Mary, who in ‘her pilgrimage of faith,’ walked into the ‘night of faith’ in sharing the darkness of her son’s suffering and death; and to so many others …”(CCC 165).  Our greatest “witness of faith” is Jesus Christ who by his own very human suffering gave us “redemption. The forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:14).

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King.  It is fitting that our Gospel for the day does not present us with a triumphant King.  Rather we are confronted with the image of Jesus hanging on the cross jeered and mocked by the crowd and by a criminal who was crucified with him.  This is not the portrait of a regal leader.  It is the portrait of a suffering human being.  Christ, our Universal King, is our king because he was willing to suffer as we do.  He joined us in death so that we could join him in Paradise.

In today’s second reading, St. Paul reminded the Colossians, and he reminds us, that, “He is the head of the body, the church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col 1:18-20).

This brings me back to the question “where is God”?  The suffering Jesus hanging on the cross is right here with the suffering people of the world suffering with them.  The loving and compassionate God also is here working through people who are helping their neighbours who may be in need.  The merciful God is in all of us from every corner of the world as we respond generously to the needs of our brothers and sisters.  As long as there are people who respond to others with justice, compassion, mercy, and love, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Universal King, is with us.  He is welcoming us into his Kingdom just as he welcomed the second criminal crucified with him, the first citizen of Christ’s Kingdom. 

You have rescued us, O God,
from the powers of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your beloved Son,
that we might share the justice and love of Christ's reign.
Grant that we may walk in the footsteps of Jesus,
the path of obedient faith and self-sacrificing love,
laying down our lives, as he did,
for our brothers and sisters,
in the sure and certain hope
that Jesus will remember us
when he comes into his kingdom
and share with us the glory of Paradise.
We ask this through the Christ
who was, who is and who is to come,
your Son who lives with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

Amen

We are Small Enough!

William Beebe, the naturalist, used to tell this story about Teddy Roosevelt. At Sagamore Hill, after an evening of talk, the two would go out on the lawn and search the skies for a certain spot of star-like light near the lower left-hand corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. Then Roosevelt would recite: “That is the Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda. It is as large as our Milky Way. It is one of a hundred million galaxies. It consists of one hundred billion suns, each larger than our sun.”

Then Roosevelt would grin and say, "Now I think we are small enough! Let's go to bed.”

Look to this Day

Look to this day.

For it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lies all
The realities and verities of existence,
The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power.

For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.

Hidden Gems

A man was exploring caves by the Seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person. There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

Ask and You Shall Receive

"Ask and you shall receive" ~ John 16:24

Somewhere in our past life, we may have picked up the idea that it's not all right to ask for help, that asking for help would be a sign of weakness. Spirituality calls for some basic changes in our thinking, when we feel vulnerable that is the best time to reach out and ask for help from the God of Love, from our Church community, and from our friends. It may be hard for us, at first. We may be afraid of rejection, or of being laughed at for not knowing all the answers. But once we've taken the risk and openly asked for help, we realize our fears are a part of the past, and we can leave them behind us.

In asking for help, we acknowledge that we can't do it all by ourselves. We surrender once again to powerlessness. And we give others the joy and satisfaction of helping us. Today if we feel we are on a solo-fight, let us ask God to help us to reach out and find support. “God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go.” Psalm 91:11.

Your Will, Not Mine, Be Done

My will is to play with earthly toys. Your will is to work with heavenly tools.

My will is to be comfortable: Your will is to be useful.

My will is to indulge the flesh: Your will is to build up the Spirit.

My will is to criticize and condemn: Your will is to sympathize and help.

My will is to proudly speculate and theorize: Your will is to humbly study and learn.

My will is to leave the work of the Truth to someone else, while I "seek my own things": Your will is to be "always abounding, sharing that which was given me"

My will is to wallow in self-pity: Your will is to "rejoice always."

My will is to complain about trials and troubles: Your will is to count up all the joys, knowing that tribulation teaches patience.

My will is foolish talking and jesting: Your will is gracious and compassionate speech.

My will is to lay up baubles on earth: Your will is to lay up treasure in heaven.

My will leads only steadily downward, to sorrow and death:

Your will leads ever onward and upward, to eternal life and joy.

"Your will, not mine, be done."

By Bro. G.V. "Rene" Growcott

November 16 - Feast Day of St. Margaret of Scotland

St. Margaret of Scotland
(1050?-1093)

Margaret of Scotland was a truly liberated woman in the sense that she was free to be herself. For her, that meant freedom to love God and serve others.

Not Scottish by birth, Margaret was the daughter of Princess Agatha of Hungary and the Anglo-Saxon Prince Edward Atheling. She spent much of her youth in the court of her great-uncle, the English king, Edward the Confessor. Her family fled from William the Conqueror and was shipwrecked o...ff the coast of Scotland. King Malcolm befriended them and was captivated by the beautiful, gracious Margaret. They were married at the castle of Dunfermline in 1070. 

Malcolm was good-hearted, but rough and uncultured, as was his country. Because of Malcolm’s love for Margaret, she was able to soften his temper, polish his manners and help him become a virtuous king. He left all domestic affairs to her and often consulted her in state matters. 

Margaret tried to improve her adopted country by promoting the arts and education. For religious reform she encouraged synods and was present for the discussions which tried to correct religious abuses. With her husband, she founded several churches. 

Margaret was not only a queen, but a mother. She and Malcolm had six sons and two daughters. Margaret personally supervised their religious instruction and other studies.

Although she was very much caught up in the affairs of the household and country, she remained detached from the world. Her private life was austere. She had certain times for prayer and reading Scripture. She ate sparingly and slept little in order to have time for devotions. She and Malcolm kept two Lents, one before Easter and one before Christmas. During these times she always rose at midnight for Mass. On the way home she would wash the feet of six poor persons and give them alms. She was always surrounded by beggars in public and never refused them. It is recorded that she never sat down to eat without first feeding nine orphans and 24 adults.

In 1093, King William Rufus made a surprise attack on Alnwick castle. King Malcolm and his oldest son, Edward, were killed. Margaret, already on her deathbed, died four days after her husband.

There are two ways to be charitable: the "clean way" and the "messy way." The "clean way" is to give money or clothing to organizations that serve the poor. The "messy way" is dirtying your own hands in personal service to the poor. Margaret's outstanding virtue was her love of the poor. Although very generous with material gifts, Margaret also visited the sick and nursed them with her own hands. She and her husband served orphans and the poor on their knees during Advent and Lent. Like Christ, she was charitable the "messy way."

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today’s readings from Malachi 3:19-20a and Luke 21:5-19 present apocalyptic images of blazing fires, “wars and insurrections …. awesome sights and mighty signs,” suffering and persecution.  While these images may seem extreme to us sitting here in Peachtree City, it occurred to me as I read that I could be reading the Atlanta Journal and Constitution or watching the evening news on television.  The media inundates us with vivid pictures of war, earthquakes, famines, plagues and mysterious signs in the sky every day.  And while it is not likely that we Christians in Peachtree City will suffer persecution, Christians in many parts of the world are suffering persecution for their faith, today – now!  This year alone hundreds of Christians in India, Pakistan China and Nigeria have been slaughtered simply for being Christians.

The difference between what we read in the AJC or watch on the evening news and what Jesus describes in Luke 21 is a message of hope and a call for perseverance.  Jesus told his disciples and he tells us not to be deceived and not to be terrified.  Yes, terrible things happen.  We can expect to experience natural disasters and tragedies invoked by humans.  What Jesus offers us is the courage to face disasters and tragedy.  He says, "When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand" (Luke 21:28).

These are not easy times.  It could be easy for us to become complacent and absorbed with our own daily lives.  But as citizens of the kingdom of God, we know that we must "Be vigilant at all times and pray... [for] the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).

O God, the beginning and the end of all things,
you fashion all humanity
into a living temple for your Son.
Through all of this life’s changes,
its joys and its sorrows,
may we hold fast the hope of your kingdom,
certain that, by our patient endurance,
we will come to possess eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

AMEN.

An Autumn Prayer

Quiet Time

Well, here I am Lord
Waiting to hear your voice
Thank you for this quiet time
And helping me make this choice.

There are so many things that need to be done
They cry out to be done, today!
Help me to realize the first thing to be done
Is to stop, and listen, and pray.

What good is it all without your call?
Where does the activity end?
Calm me right now, calm my feverish brow
Your Holy spirit send.

Thank you that you're always speaking out
So our quiet hearts may hear
Your healing word as you call us by name
May we hear it loud and clear.

-Rosalind Renshaw in "Conversations"

A Military Heart

A military heart is unique, it must be true,

The blood that pulses deep within is red, white, and blueIts love is like a fire that grows when it is shared,
For complete and total strangers, they have truly cared.All heroes past and present, at war and at peace,
My admiration for you all will never ever cease.Veterans who went by choice or those who had been drafted,
I feel that God took extra care with certain hearts He crafted.He had to make them strong and brave, but tender all the same,
He knit them in their mother’s womb and knew them each by name.It would take a special heart to leave loved ones behind,
To kiss and hug good-bye with Old Glory on their mind.The countless sacrifice they made for freedoms we enjoy,
For every man, every woman, every girl, and every boy.For those who have such passion for our great U.S. of A,
Who’ll stand for life and liberty, so we can speak and pray.If you see a warrior, please give them all our love,
For the heart that beats within them is a gift from God above.We’re thankful, oh so thankful, for that heart we have admired,
For giving so unselfishly, although it may be tired.We’d never know of its fatigue - it’s hidden way inside,
For that heart is full of love, as deep as it is wide.On Veterans Day and all the days that come before and after,
We thank you for allowing us a life of hope and laughter.To wake each day knowing what you must have seen and heard,
It’s hard to find the thoughts to share - there isn’t just one word.What can we say? What should we say?
A debt we just cannot repay.I think I’ll just say thank you from the bottom of my heart,
I’ll pray for you - thank God for you. That’s certainly a start.I’ll do my best to wake each day full of gratitude,
I’ll make a daily effort with a thankful attitude.I’ll live to nurture peace – I’ll try to do my part,
And I’ll thank the Lord everyday…for your military heart.

Heather Spears Kallus

It is No Secret

The chimes of time ring out the news,

Another day is through.
Someone slipped and fell.

Was that someone you?

You may have longed for added strength,
Your courage to renew.
Do not be disheartened,
For I have news for you.

It is no secret what God can do.
What He's done for others, He'll do for you.
With arms wide open, He'll pardon you.
It is no secret what God can do.

There is no night for in His light
You never walk alone.
Always feel at home,
Wherever you may go.

There is no power can conquer you
While God is on your side.
Take Him at His promise,
Don't run away and hide.

It is no secret what God can do.
What He's done for others, He'll do for you.
With arms wide open, He'll pardon you.
It is no secret what God can do.

Carl Stuart Hamblen 1950

Miracles

One of the mistakes people make is expecting God only in miracles, in flashes, and in instant gratification. The church looks for miracles in order to declare a saint. But life is full of miracles! For an alcoholic or addict to live one day sober is a miracle. To love a person after they make a big mistake is a miracle. To be able to love yourself after you make a big mistake is a miracle. To follow God’s call day after day is a miracle. To take up your cross daily is a miracle.

God is often found in the whisper of the wind, the beauty of a flower, snow covering the tiny branches of a tree, the voice of a friend.

To be looking and listening for God is enough! To find God in your sister or brother is a miracle.