Gospel Reading today:
"He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly." Luke 1:52
The best part of Christmas for me is the company party at our bakery. I find Jesus every year in all of our employees. Ones who can barely speak english and probably do not have alot, but they are dedicated employees with smiles on their faces. I am overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit at our gatherings. Last year it brought me to uncontrollable tears. For Christmas is about the meek and the humble not the arrogant and proud. All of the fancy Christmas cards and bragging letters makes me want to gag to be quite honest. People are focusing their hearts and minds during the advent season on trying to impress others by making their life look picture-perfect, successful, and magazinesque. People are hurrying around swiping their credit card left and right for more STUFF and not looking for Christ amongs us. I am guilty of all of this by the way... Yesterday I was in line at McDonalds and a young young girl with a new baby was applying for a job. My heart broke. Could she be an example of Mary in this day and age? If Mary was living today and carrying the Son of God, could she be that young girl at McDonald's looking for work?
So the next couple of days while you are out and about, look among you and find the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary & Joseph, in the lowly and forgotten. I can almost guarantee you will find them under a bridge, at soup kitchens, in a nursing home, at a childrens hospital, behind the counter at McDonalds, serving you water at your favorite restaurant, packing your groceries. For Mary & Joseph were a meek and humble young couple that had nothing but trust in God and hope that His will was being done in them. Jesus was born as a king in a stable full of animals. I don't know what else our Father in Heaven has to do to get His point across.... This life is not about materialistic matters and one-upping your neighbor. I will leave you with a quote by the Second Vatican Council about materialism:
"Since in our times, variations of materialism are rampant everywhere, the laity (you and me) should not only learn doctrine more carefully, especially by those main points which raise the subjects of controversy, but should also provide the witness of an evangelical life in contrast to all forms of materialism." (The Laity, 31)
"We are called, then, not just to avoid materialism in our own lives, but to serve as an example to others of simplicity of lifestyle and the priority of spiritual values over the material." Father Beyer
Blessings to you this Tuesday before Christmas!
No comments:
Post a Comment