We do not know beforehand our Bethlehem trail

When I was a restless and rambunctious shaver I had the job of going for the milk.  It was not bought in stores, or delivered to one’s home. You had to get your milk can and go and get it.  When we lived in Castletownroche I had to draw the water from the village pump,  as well as go for the milk on a daily basis. The pump was not far away. Next to Hogan’s shop, a great place for sweets(candy).  If we had a real hot Summer the pump would dry up and I had to go deep into the woods to draw water from a well. It was a long haul, and uphill most of the way home. The journey for milk was even longer. I had to go to Watson’s Farm. That was a long trek.  On the way I passed by the church.  For a little garsun (gaelic for kid) it was a big dark place, a place not too inviting to visit on one's own. This was especially true with the added darkness of Winter.

In December things changed. The Crib appeared in the sanctuary, as if by magic. It was a big crib scene.  i have not seen one bigger in any church I have visited, and I am in that business.  Looking back it was my first experience of a real silent place.  There was something about looking at ,gazing at all the silent figures. They looked so real I expected them to come alive. They never did.  The figures, some of whom were way bigger than I, enthralled, fascinated me.  That fascination has not weaned over the years. The inherent excitement of the spiritual journey, is that after looking at something familiar for a long period of time it is not familiar anymore.  It has evolved into a new life enhancing reality.  This has been my experience with the familiar crib.

We have been chosen to live, and not merely exist Part 2

Pope Francis has stressed the need to have a crib placed in every home, hospital, oratory, church, chapel, etc.  In his mind’s eye the crib is essential for the celebration of the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany season.  That which appears to us to be so ordinary, and familiar is meant to awaken and enliven our unique thoughts, memories, and feelings surrounding the Entrance of The Eternal into time.  We call it the Mystery of The Incarnation. He from Whose home we first left comes to us as a homeless, vulnerable baby.  There has been, and is today so much mystery attached to this entrance we are afforded the blessed opportunity to reflect and wonder, ever anew.  The reawakening triggers within the wonder-full, awe-full feelings that are both heartwarming and revitalizing.  OH !!! how human hearts need to be again Love- warmed so that this harsh, unfeeling, cynical reality we are challenged to exist in and not not live in, will by the miracle of grace be transfigured and transformed.  It can, and for some it does appear that the entrance of Divine,  Infinite, Love l was a waste of time. The WHOLE long season we are preparing to celebrate is given as a gift so our lenses can be adjusted. These can be seen as dark times but when our lenses are adjusted by the workings of grace all, and I mean all. the darkness we are in contains within it the necessary Light that reawakens faith, hope, love, compassion and liberation. Gifts showered in abundance, but, not for ourselves. 

The whole Mystery of The Incarnation and it’s annual celebration is meant to remind those of us who easily forget that, The Light overcomes darkness, and Love replaces fear. As it was in the past, so it can be ours today.  The next part is scary, depending on our co-creative efforts with the eternal Light, Life and Love will it continue be forever and ever.

We have been chosen to live, and not merely exist

I had finished up my hike.  I was doing those necessary stretching exercises that are required of a person of my vintage.  It takes longer to warm the old body up, and the winding down is a slow process as well. Pain makes one do such things that are contrary to ones lazy nature. I digress, sorry!!!! Well as I was saying I was doing my exercises, and as usual I was not concentrating on what I was doing.  I get easily distracted. The distraction in this instance was a man taking a photograph.  He was really into his avocation.  He snapped a number photos from different angles and distances. Then he went and changed lenses. Then he returned to the object of his photographic fascination and continued his shoot.  You would have every right to think that the object must have been wonder-full awe-full to behold. On the contrary it was just a very ordinary brush tree found so readily in our Arizona desert.  To me it was ordinary, to him it was extraordinary and worthy of attention. The real deep attention paid to the ordinary was to trigger unforeseen memories of wonders past for this wounded wondering wanderer.

What the lens of The Incarnation reveals!!! Part 3

Pope Francis in an address emphasized the importance of having a crib in every, home, school, hospital, city town where people are found.  It is even better still when those gifted with vision, place the crèche in nature, in the wilderness.  This is a great act of faith.  It is saying to coming Creator, "look at what You have created, and keep in existence. We want You to find a home here."  The Simple Holy One is offered a home, in a place where He already has chosen to dwell.  It is up to us to seek out and search out The Holy One in the many secret and not so secret places He has chosen to take up residence.  Some of the dwelling places The Holy one has chosen to be discovered in, the unenlightened mind cannot fathom.  Because we do not see, or meet The Divine Presence where we expect that Presence to be, we so, often hear "there is no God."  The spiritual journey" and the journey into The Mystery of The Incarnation demands work, and hard work at that. We never, never travel alone.  It may feel like it, but there is a Gentle Secret Guiding Presence always and everywhere present "I believe Lord help my unbelief/disbelief."  In this time of Advent gift yourself with the precious gift of time.  Be still and surrender to the evolving mystery of who you are, and Who is Incarnate in you. What a blessed, holy surrender this is.

What the lens of The Incarnation reveals!!! Part 2

If we are going to have a future, and some scientists question the possibility of a future because of the callous way we are ravaging, and destroying our sister, Mother Earth.  We can see the great price that is being paid in the pain of enforced evacuations.  Some of the evacuees, our brothers and sisters will never return home.  There are millions and millions existing, not living because of us, their brothers and sisters choose not to care enough to act in the defiant defense of all creation.  The message of Him, Who is the incarnation and hence the revelation of The Wisdom of our Creator God.  "Awake from your slumber," for the time is passing where your actions can still mean something.  All those who are inspired to work for the betterment of all creation are doing holy work.  To some it may not appear so, that is why we need new lenses to see The Incarnate God present in and gently guiding us in all that is good. All that is good is God.  Again would that we have the lenses.

What the lens of The Incarnation reveals!!!

The Advent wreath, The Christmas Crib, Christmas music of all genres, list making, shopping, the list can go on and on to the extent that it boggles the mind.  When are minds are boggled we are in danger of missing out on a lot of things.  People, places, and events that are meant to inspire and nourish us sadly go unnoticed, and hence unappreciated.  We miss so much looking at big things we miss out on the coming of God in the small and simple.  That is why we have Advent to stop and become all the mystery that is being unveiled in us and through us in what we call the mundane, the so called ordinary.  There is NO ordinary.

"By reason of creation, and still more by the mystery of The Incarnation, there is nothing profane for those who know how to see." I just love that quote from deChardin.  Some will say, "You sure do. You quote it all the time." This is not repeated for those who read but for the writer who tends to forget that Mystery is revealed always in the here and now.  I am learning to appreciate more and more the inherent sacredness, holiness, of all that makes up the cosmos in which we live.  And in the planet system we are a part of, we are essential.  We are no longer viewed as "citizens of the earth."  Creation has evolved into something that really stretches us, and forces us to use our imagination.  Our holy imagination guided by The Gentle Guiding Spirit leads us to new and exciting horizons we must explore for creation's survival.