The Light of Christ

Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling as though you’ve dragged through the year wearing a bathrobe through life?  Well this morning I feel that way.  It’s gray and snowy outside.  It’s going to be one of those days when it is dark all day.  I’ve got to motivate myself out of this gloomy feeling.  I seem to get this way during the holidays.  I am surrounded with individuals who are so into shopping; people who seem to forget the real meaning of the season.  The commercialization of Christmas can bring a person down and stressed out.  But advent is my special time.  I was baptized and confirmed as a Catholic on the 17^th of December.  And I am very happy that it was close to Christmas.  I need to get up, take a shower, turn on a bunch of lights, go out, take a walk, come back, put on some beautiful Christmas music, and eat some breakfast.  It’s time to take off the bathrobe and see the light in my life, the light of Christ.

Things seem to be funnier when you are not allowed to laugh.

A Catholic church is not like other large gathering areas, such as a sports stadium or a concert hall.  In a church, there is no place for ordinary bystanders.  Mass is not something we observe but something we do. The entire setting is the "participating arena" and you are the troupe; the entire church is the "stage" and you are the company.  We act; God is honored.

Once at a prominent cathedral, I was sitting near the front with most of all the front pews vacant.  The organist began.  Without thinking twice, I stood up and was compelled to begin singing the entrance song.  As everyone rose up and followed my lead, they began singing with me.  As we were singing, we kept waiting for the procession, but no show.  The priest and the liturgy had not begun.  It appeared that the organist was just practicing the entrance song.  At that moment I felt foolish but wanted burst out laughing.  And then I wanted to apologize for leading the others in song so abruptly.  But the individuals and I just sat down and acted like nothing had happened.  It’s amazing how many people will follow when you act confident and assertive, especially in a sacred dwelling.

These Days

These days I use an online dictionary while working at my desk.  But today I pulled out my American Heritage Dictionary stacked between desk files and an old telephone book.
Looking through the pages of my dictionary, I came across mementoes I had stuck between pages that were forgotten.
Randomly throughout my dictionary I found the following:  a pineapple-chicken recipe, Psalm 139 typed out on a piece of paper, a pink card with the word, “synchronicity” written on it, and the word, “eschatological” written out on a yellow slip of paper, and still another word, “seraphim”.  There was a picture of a graphic book title, “Designer’s Guide to Global Color Combinations”.  There was a picture of an icon of Jesus with open arms from Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre.

Beautiful Leaf

I have been  working on a special project and it has been awhile since I've used my Google Blogger or Gmail.  I'm trying to be more attentive.

I love trees.  And all the leaves that dress them.  Each season, I look forward observing the beauty they give to our world.



"Never be so busy as to not think of others."
--Mother Teresa