Pulling Over

Pulling Over

• Gospel LK 1:5-25
• In the days of Herod, King of Judea,there was a priest named Zechariahof the priestly division of Abijah;his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God,observing all the commandmentsand ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barrenand both were advanced in years.
  
  Once when he was serving as priestin his division’s turn before God,according to the practice of the priestly service,he was chosen by lotto enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outsideat the hour of the incense offering,the angel of the Lord appeared to him,standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
  But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness,and many will rejoice at his birth,for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,and he will turn many of the children of Israelto the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijahto turn the hearts of fathers toward childrenand the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
  Then Zechariah said to the angel,“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel said to him in reply,“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talkuntil the day these things take place,because you did not believe my words,which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariahand were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
  Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
  After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fitto take away my disgrace before others.”

In a results driven society, how much do we value the process? It took me five hours to get home from physical therapy the other night. I was in enough pain to be worried about passing out that I had to pull over a few times. She was twenty years older than me and yet she called me Mam. I met her at the last service stop on the way home. The same one I’ve been passing once a week for the past three months. I recognized her as I got out of the car and started a conversation. To say she’s in a tough spot would be an understatement. To say we were both looking for Christmas miracles is true. I don’t know if her prayers were answered but I know that us meeting was the reminder I needed about God’s timing.

Last week I was going to write a reflection on this Gospel. Though the truth is as much as I was going to write it, I barely even read it never mind meditated on it.  A friend mentioned that there might be more than a few things God would show me through Zechariah’s situation. At quick glance, I garnered there was some part about Zechariah getting good news and then having to wait to talk never mind  see the fulfillment of said good news that struck me as a “I’m sure there is a wonderful lesson in here that I don’t want to be asked to live right now” kind of way. Thus, I avoided it. The thing though is that in my attempt at avoidance, it’s all I kept thinking about.

The first thing that came to mind was a New Years Resolution I was offered in confession over three years ago. Fr. Dom, a soft spoken, gentle, Dominican priest from Australia who I met in New Zealand, encouraged me to “love your mess and rip up your time table.”

As we celebrate Christmas, can you recognize Jesus’ presence in our mess -the unresolved questions, the answered prayers, our own weakness? As we contemplate love incarnate laying in the stable, can you place your own heart in the manger and love all that is unsettling for you?

Even more so, can you rip up your time table and surrender to God’s good timing? Now I don’t know why God made Zechariah mute (sorry to disappoint), but as I think about that time for him and Elizabeth I can’t help but wonder the ways they grew in communication and love like they never knew before.

We don’t plan the road blocks, detours, or the times we have to pull over. Yet, if we let them, God’s presence, lessons, life and love, can be found in these presents. In fact one of the lines that jumped out to me was “people were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.” Zechariah had an encounter with the angel and he remained in the sanctuary. Do we create the space and take the time to reverence the moments  God speaks to   us?

Do you love your mess and have you ripped up your time t able?
I dare you to allow 2014 to be the year you do both for you will have joy and gladness. "In God's marvelous plan, Divine Providence often uses the tiniest twigs to do good works... What would life be without acts of charity?" St. John pray that like Pier Giorgio we may soar verso l’alto,

Merry Christmas,
Coop

Love is too much to give us lesser Things
http://veopod.com/video/1CSVqHcdhXQ

• God bless the broken road
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYodFrBf0BE
• Giver of Immortal Gladness, Fill us with the  Light of Day

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=09BBC1NU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ_MGWio-vc

Advent: A Call to Adventure

The other day I picked up the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It’s a favorite and the fact I can actually say it was a college “text” book makes it even better. (Yes, kids. Providence College is the best!) The opening chapter sets the stage of fairy tale. As a result of a rainy day, the children are forced to stay inside; however, their adventurous spirits guide them to explore the house. They see infinite possibilities behind each door, literally.

Recently I was meditating on the Blessed Virgin Mary, carrying the Christ Child during her pregnancy. I saw Joseph leading the donkey through the desert. Mary sat peaceful and still. In the background, I heard the back seat driving New Yorker in me pipe up: “Where the hell are we going?”  As I echoed this question recently to my unresponsive apartment walls, it was paired with some hand slamming onto the kitchen table to the point of bruising. To say it was a far cry from the joyful hope of the children who explored Narnia might be the understatement of 2013. As adults we call it “the unknown” where as when we are children we call it adventure. Let us reclaim the call to come with child like faith, trusting the unknown to the joyful adventure God has in store for us. Let us hear the call of advent, to come, to God’s glorious adventure.

Juan Diego didn’t know when he arrived at the Bishop’s that Our Lady of Guadalupe would leave an imprint of her image on his tilma. He didn’t know that she would bring out-of-seasons roses to him on the hill. He didn’t know Mary would intercede and that his uncle would be healed. But we do. We know that Mary advocates for us. We know that God wants to shower us with miracles. Is your heart open to the infinite possibilities of love and hope that God wants to bestow on you today? Do you believe in miracles? Are you open to all He wants to give you this day? How do you prepare your heart to receive the miracle of His life giving love? Let us wait with joyful Hope and proclaim His presence in the womb.

"Hear and let it penetrate into your heart, my dear little son [or daughter!]: let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you. Let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Also, do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else that you need?" Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of life, pray for us. Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, intercede so that we may abandon ourselves to Our Lady's care as you did. 

Verso l'alto, 

Kathryn

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, I hear you singing over me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckheyK6NXgA 

It's where I learned the path to heaven is full of sinners and believers 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBTpoKvre84

Counting Your Blessings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qmMaPTuTEE

Advent: To Come

Advent : To come

Broken and poor

Stripped and barren

We come

Broken by disappointment

Impoverished for pride

Stripped with humility

Barren of hope

We come

--

I haven’t read the book of Job in over a year but if I’m honest, it feels like life’s been a lot like Job’s these days. Now, there are many role models  we might yearn to emulate from the Bible; I cant’ say Job has ever made my top 10 list. I say that with all due respect as it actually has little to do with Job. The lot of his existence is plagued with suffering, stripping, and difficult trials that if he had endured just one round of trial, people would understand how it might cause a strong man to doubt and crumble. Yet, he is struck with the perfect storm and is barraged with trial.

Tuesday’s With Morrie has been on my book shelf for years and in it  a dying professor gives one last seminar to a young student on the Meaning of Life, taught from experience. During one of their weekly classes, the student poses the question about Job. “Job is a good man, but God makes him suffer. To test his faith. Takes away everything he has, his house, his money, his family, his health. “ Mitch, the student, asks Morrie, “What do you think about that?” “I think”, [Morrie] says smiling, “God overdid it.” 

It’s important to remember, when we are in between the throws of accepting difficulty, that it is okay to find humor. Not as a defense mechanism but as a means to lighten the load and to express truth that sometimes it’s too much to bear. Whether we can rejoice in suffering and see the good joy God gives in the midst of the crucifixion or whether we question the meaning of the trials in our lives,  God doesn’t ask us to wait to come to Him. He doesn’t ask us to come pretty, wrapped with a bow, and perfect. He doesn’t ask us to wait until we have it all together, all figured out, or even for when we have faith.He calls us to come so that we might know He comes. 

He is the light in the darkness and Advent is a call to sit to prepare our hearts so that we might know He is near. Whether you are signing along and decking the halls or if you are just not feeling “Christmasy”, we are all called to remember the call of Advent - to sit and witness again the Truth that the Light has come into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. Let us proclaim Christ’s birth and see His presence anew each time we meet Him in the Eucharist and in one another. Let us sing as the Angles sing all glory and praise for His presence through all seasons. Let us ring out the Truth that blessed is she who believed the Word would be fulfilled. 

Lord, we thank you for the gift of Bl. Pier Giorgio and Bl. John Paul II’s lives as they were pillars of light. Let us emulate them and ask that they intercede so that we might more joyfully proclaim the true meaning of Christmas.

Verso l’alto,

Kathryn 

I find meaning so I'm holding on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5bnnagxt38

 O to grace how great a debtor, Daily I'm constrained to be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG5ZhFN1DXk

Let’s remember to pray for those whom Christmas is difficult, who “don’t feel Christmas at all”. Let us be lights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1rYmzQ8C9Q