Merry Christmas!

  The angels wake you from your sleep." Christ is born! Come see Him!"

 This is the moment for which you have prepared. You quickly get out of bed and look for" the child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." As you kneel to adore the newborn King, His love permeates your heart. The miracle of Christmas is present before your eyes.

 As you pray, you hear the voice of Jesus, "I am always. I am always in this sacred space within your heart. Please don't walk away and leave me in this manger. Pick me up and carry me wherever you go. We do not have to stay at this stage of infancy. We can grow together! The miracle is not just my birth. The miracle is that you were born to be with me for all eternity!"

 Joyful tears of love stream down your face. You smile as you look at the christ Child and say. "I am blessed to be so loved by God!"

 Merry Christmas!

-Susan

  

The Lord Is Coming!

 You kneel before the altar, and your eyes peer into the stable. Animals mill in and out, looking for water to drink after grazing in the fields. There is nothing to suggest the Savior will soon be born and placed in that same manger. The Lord is coming, and life continues as if this doesn't change everything. 

 One of the sheep catches your eye. He just keeps walking back and forth without any real purpose. There is a loosely woven strand of evergreens around the sheep's neck with a simple cross dangling like an animal's ID tag. Your eyebrows raise a little, and you think, "At least that one is trying." As you stare intently at this sheep, you notice something. The sheep's eyes are so familiar to you. Stunned, you suddenly realize you are staring into your own eyes. You are the sheep.

 Your mind allows you some freedom in this prayer. You have been trying to prepare for Christmas, but has it been enough? Are you just preparing for the Christmas party, or are you preparing for the Christ Child to be born? What have you done to intentionally prepare for Christ? Oddly, you notice the watch on the sheep's left front leg. Why is the sheep wearing a watch, you wonder? The sheep looks at you and wanders over to the manger. You realize there is still time to prepare more intentionally. There is still time. The Lord is coming, and you want it to change everything, especially you.

-Susan

The Invitation of Joy

 

  In the silence, you quiet your mind as your hand reaches into your sweater pocket. Instantly, your fingers wrap themselves around the beads which connect you with heaven. The Joyful Mysteries are even more beautiful during Advent. Love, trust, and joy weave into your heart and thoughts as you meditate on those who were the first to adore and embrace Jesus. As you finish the last mystery, a Christmas song begins to play in your mind, and you can't resist singing to Mary, "Could I hold the baby? Will He smile at me?" Inwardly, you see Mary smile as she nods and says, "Yes."

 You carry Mary's promise as you enter the Church for Mass. Then, as the priest holds up the host for consecration, you hear Mary's voice again, "Yes. It's your turn to hold my precious child."

 As you walk towards the altar, your heart beats with joy. Reverently, you bow before Christ and then hold out your hand. It's your turn to hold the baby. But not just in your hands but with every cell in your body. Joy circulates through you. You know that at this moment, you are blessed beyond measure, beyond anything you deserve. Nothing in this world compares to God's love. 

 -Susan

The Invitation: Prepare

 

 The sun set hours ago. As you drive closer to your house, the number of homes decorated for Christmas appears to grow daily. Finally, your car automatically pulls into your own driveway. Exhausted, you step out with your arms heavy with bags. You manage only a few steps when a burst of white light appears above the housetops. Instantly you recognize this star. It is the star of Bethlehem. The star of the newborn King.

 Quickly, you place your bags inside and fall to your knees. You take a deep breath in. Before you exhale, you let the warmth of God's Presence overflow from your heart, expanding the volume of your lungs with oxygenated joy. Then, in the silence of this moment, the call comes.

 "And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

 You reply, "Lord let me see what you have made known to me."

 Inwardly you hear, "Prepare yourself, and you shall see the glory of the Lord. On bended knee is a good place to start."

-Susan

(The Invitation is based on the Gospel of Luke.)

The Invitation

 

 Briskly, you walk into church and sit in your usual seat. Then, as you wait for Mass to begin, you dismiss your thoughts of the world and open your heart to God's Word. Now, as the people were sitting in their pews, keeping watch over their thoughts,  an angel of the Lord appeared to them. The angel said to all, "Do not be afraid to open your hearts to God. Today I bring you good news of great joy! The celebration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, will come to this place on December 25th. All are invited to come!"

 Suddenly there was a multitude of angels singing and praising God! "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Together the congregation replies, "Glory to God in the highest..." Your heart soars high with love!

 As Mass continues, you thank God for your ears. You are blessed to hear the Truth of God's Word. Give thanks that you can hear angels singing and announcing the birth of the Lord. Thank God for giving your eyes that will perceive the star of Bethlehem. Your journey begins today! Prepare for the coming of the Lord!  

-Susan

(The Invitation is based on the Gospel of Luke.)

Are You Ready?

 

   Recently one of my students asked me, "Do you think the food in heaven will be any good?"

 "The food will be amazing! Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is like a wedding banquet! People spend a lot of time planning a wedding because they want everything to be wonderful. I'm sure the feast God has planned for us will be better than anything we could imagine." I replied.

 I share this story because I worry that too many underestimate God's and heaven's glory. Will Eternity be better than this life? Is it really worth making sacrifices and carrying our crosses? Absolutely! There is no comparison. The heavenly banquet is all prepared. He has sent us our invitation, but our response determines our place at the table.

 Advent is about to begin. Have you started planning for this heavenly celebration? The hustle and bustle don't have to be a part of it. Don't let the world tell you how to celebrate Christmas. Instead, take your cue from our Lord. How does He want you to celebrate His birthday this year? Take this time to pause, pray, and plan. Jesus is coming. Will you be ready?

-Susan

How Long?

 

  The prisoner was led into his cell. Before the guard closed the door, the prisoner asked, “How long will I have to stay here?”

  The guard replied, “It’s hard to say. It’s really up to you. “

  The man looked confused as the door to freedom shut, and the key turned. He looked around his cell. A bed in the corner, a book on a stand, and an entertainment counsel on the opposite wall. The man smiled. “I can handle this,” he thought to himself. 

  He sat in the chair hour after hour, entirely mesmerized by the unlimited number of shows, games, and social media content. The hours turned into days, and the days into weeks. Yet, he was happy to still be connected to the world.

  Every day the guard walked by in disbelief. Finally, as the guard walked to the end of the long hall, his coworker looked at him. “How long do you think it will take him to figure it out?”

  The guard shook his head and said, “It’s hard to say. The book is collecting dust.”

  The book in the corner was the key to the cell door. On the front of the book were two words-Holy Bible. Inside the book were the words of Truth. The Truth would set the man free. But, unfortunately, the man was too busy to notice he was imprisoning himself. 

-Susan