The Letter Exchange (4)

 

(This Advent, we will prepare for the coming of the Christ Child through a series of fictional letters filled with hope, trust, and endless possibilities.)

Shalom Joseph!

  I wish to extend my blessings to you and Mary.  Now that I have recovered the ability to speak, I desperately want to talk with you. I hope circumstances will allow that to be soon.  I'm sure Mary has told you that an angel of the Lord came to me while I was at the altar of the temple.  Though the angel delivered incredible news, I doubted in my heart that it was possible. I have vowed to spend the rest of my life proclaiming His great love and mercy.

 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He keeps all His promises! Mary has told us that an angel of the Lord came to you in a dream and revealed His mighty plans! You and Mary will be the parents of the Most High, and my John will be the prophet to announce his coming! Like me, you must be overwhelmed with joy! I praise the Lord each day for His goodness, but I also feel the heaviness of this responsibility.  I wonder if you feel this as well? Protecting the Messiah and his holy mother may demand a great deal of you. For their sake and ours, you must stay strong in faith and in all your actions.

  I have not been given any instructions, but I trust the Lord will provide me with what is necessary. Joseph, we must place all our trust in the Almighty. Let us fervently pray to the Lord for guidance and wisdom.  "I raise my eyes towards the mountains. From whence shall come my help?  My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to slip, or your guardian to sleep." 

  I am offering you my support and service. I have prayed my whole life for this moment to arrive.  I eagerly await the birth of the Messiah and look forward to serving Him with all my heart. Joseph, you will soon hold the Messiah in your arms, and as you do, whisper John's name into His ear.  Ask him to give John all the blessings necessary to accomplish the Lord's plans. Pray that my son will boldly proclaim God's words. Pray that he, too, is given the strength to battle the evil he may encounter and to have a heart loyal to the will of the Almighty.  I am an old man, and I may never see the good works he will perform, so I beg you to pray that John will be pleasing to the Lord.

  Joseph, my family, and I live to serve the Lord. I am filled with happiness knowing that I will soon see the face of my Messiah! Let me know what assistance your most holy family may need.

Respectfully,

Zachariah

-Susan

The Letter Exchange (3)

 

(This Advent, we will prepare for the coming of the Christ Child through a series of fictional letters filled with hope, trust, and endless possibilities.)

My Dear Children,

  Thank you for sharing this special day with me. It brings me such joy to celebrate the incredible grace God has given me. The Almighty has been preparing me for my mission since the moment of my conception. Mighty are the Plans of God! "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways-oracle of the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9).

  God has also given each of you special graces to fulfill your mission. We are called to bring Christ to every person on this earth. My Son wants everyone to know and feel His love.  My dear little ones, you have been blessed in many wonderful ways. Be faithful to the Lord.  Do not take any of His blessings for granted. Today, as we gather around the altar, let us pray that the Father's Will be accomplished in each of our lives.

Your loving Mother,

Mary

-Susan

The Letter Exchange (2)

(This Advent, we will prepare for the coming of the Christ Child through a series of fictional letters filled with hope, trust, and endless possibilities.)

 Most Blessed Mary,

  I hope your journey back to Nazareth was not too difficult. Every day, I thank the Almighty for blessing us with your visit.  I am overwhelmed with joy that the Mother of my Lord would come to my side in my time of need. Your visit deeply touched each of us. The day I heard your greeting has changed me forever. Before that day, I just breathed the air around me, and now I breathe in the Lord's Spirit. The long-awaited Messiah is nearly here! Nothing will ever be the same for me.

  My John grows more beautiful each day. As Zachariah and I hold him in our arms, we try to imagine the mighty words he will speak. We wonder how he will prepare the world for the Messiah! It is almost too much to understand, and it is this holy fear that leads us to pray more deeply each day. Zachariah and I recite the psalms with greater fervor, both for ourselves and for John. We know the Lord himself will give him the words to speak, but we feel a strong obligation to do our part as well. Please pray that we do not fail in this task.

  Please let me know how I can assist you. I imagine you are becoming more radiant with each passing day. I am not bold enough to interfere with the Lord's plans, but if He desires, I will place myself before you. I will do all that you command me to do. You humbly served me, who is most undeserving; please allow me to serve you as well.  I miss our moments of prayer we shared.  You have taught my heart to love the Lord in ways beyond my own understanding. My own heart yearns to be present for the birth of your son, My Messiah.

  You and Joseph are in our prayers every day. Has the Almighty revealed His plan to Joseph yet? Joseph is a good and faithful man. He is obedient to God and not the opinion of men.  He will make an excellent father. "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, the Lord will be their trust."

I look forward to all of us being together again!

May God's peace shine through you,

Elizabeth

-Susan

The Letter Exchange

   

(This Advent, we will prepare for the coming of the Christ Child through a series of fictional letters filled with hope, trust, and endless possibilities.)

My Dearest Elizabeth,

  I know I have frightened you today.  I am mute because of my own disbelief.  In my heart, I doubted God's goodness. He has prepared something wonderful for our future, and in a moment of weakness, I faltered. Do not worry, though, and keep your faith steady and joyful. Today, the Angel Gabriel appeared on the right side of the altar as I burned the incense!

  Elizabeth, I have never experienced an angel of the Lord appearing before me. I was overwhelmed with fear and awe. He came to deliver a special message to us. The angel Gabriel said, "Do not be afraid, Zachariah,  for your prayer is heard, and 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 before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb."

  Elizabeth, you will bear me a son! Let us put aside our thoughts about our age and instead rejoice in the Lord's mercy and kindness!  We will be parents, and our son will do mighty deeds for the Lord!  Gabriel said, "He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah." My dearest wife, our son will be a great prophet who will prepare the people for the Lord! Our son will prepare the way for the Messiah!

  My heart is overflowing with happiness! Though you will not hear the sound of my voice for now, let us unite our hearts in prayer. We must not delay; we must prepare immediately.  Let us dedicate ourselves entirely to His plan of salvation.  Let us render our hearts to the Lord,  "for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy." The day of the Lord is coming; let us be well prepared.  Let us pray that the Lord guides us with His gentle love. 

Forever yours,

Zachariah

Thank You My King

   

  This week is filled with celebration! Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, and later in the week I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my family! It truly is a beautiful way to celebrate the end of a liturgical year.  With this in mind, I would like to share my Thanksgiving thoughts.

FEEL THE JOY!

 

  My four-year-old granddaughter picked up my phone and started taking pictures of everything in my house. Then she switched to videos. I saw her filming my picture of Jesus, so I asked her, "What can you tell me about Jesus?" She paused for a moment. "Who was Jesus' mother?" I asked.

  "Mary!" she responded quickly.

  "Very good!  What else do you know about Jesus?"

  "He is kind and joyful, and He loves me very much!" my granddaughter answered.

  I smiled and said, "Yes, He does!" I really loved her answer. Jesus is kind and joyful! I have to admit, I’ve never heard her use the word joyful before, and I love that she sees Jesus this way. Often, Jesus is portrayed more seriously. In fact, Jesus wasn’t even smiling in the picture she was filming. 

  I thought about this again later that day.  I wondered if someone had asked me the same question: would 'joyful' even make my top 20?  Probably not, but honestly, it should. When Jesus told the Parable of the Lost Sheep, He revealed that there is "more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." Jesus tells us that he will put that lost sheep on His shoulders with great joy and call His friends and neighbors to rejoice with Him!

  This week, I hope you will join me in imagining Jesus smiling and full of joy. I plan to focus more on smiling as well. And why not? I have a Savior who is kind and joyful and loves me very much. Jesus also said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." I feel very fortunate to have such a wise granddaughter who is willing to share her wisdom and faith with her grandma.

-Susan

  

You Can Bank On It

 

  My kids and I were sitting around the kitchen snack bar when a bank commercial came on TV. The bank's name started with the letters "JE" and ended with an "S". My son laughed and said, "Oh, I thought that said Jesus Bank." 

  We all laughed at his comment, and I replied, "I'm glad you see Jesus in everything!" Then I started thinking...what would a Jesus bank be like?  That sounds like the kind of bank I would want to belong to

  I imagine that a Jesus bank would have vast deposits of faith. This family bank has existed for thousands of centuries and is known for its loyalty. Built on the cornerstone of love, you can trust every promise made to you. Everyone's saving grace accounts would be freely given and yield a high return. Bonuses are often awarded for good works and acts of charity.  A checking account of actual grace is linked to the savings grace account for those daily situations when extra help is needed.  This bank becomes personally invested in everything you do, and its doors are open to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  No matter what stage of life you're at, the Jesus Bank is committed to being there for you always. 

  Would I bank at this bank?  Absolutely! I would bank on Jesus every day of my life, and every day in eternity!

-Susan