What reigns over your conversations?
The weeks approaching the Presidential Election used so much of our energy that you could feel the bubble of tension, opinion, and worry growing. It was so intense I felt we were all about to burst. Now it is done. The decision has been made. We feel a weight lifted by the sheer passing of November 5th. But, since we put so much energy, time, thought, research, prayer, and discussion into our decision, let's not lose that energy. Let's not waste it! The President is not the most important person in our lives, so let's all redirect that energy, time, thought, research, prayer, and discussion.
This Sunday, we celebrate Christ the King ~ our Lord Jesus Christ is King of the Universe! His power reigns above all people. He is the MOST important person in our lives!
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty." (Rev 1:8)
Let's talk about HIM (Jesus) as much or more than we talked about THEM (political candidates) !!!
Did your favored candidate win?
Don't gloat!
Did your favored candidate lose? Don't wallow!
Let's all move forward with joy and trust in the Lord. How can we pray for world peace when we don't have peace in our hearts? How can we expect political leaders to facilitate peace when we don't exercise peace in our families and communities?
We celebrate Thanksgiving next week and that is a perfect time to practice!
Saint Mother Teresa's wisdom can help us
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
This is a busy time of year and many see it as a stressful time. For most of us, our hearts are filled with joy looking forward to time with family and friends. For some, our hearts are filled with sorrow looking back to those who will not be with us this year.
On the heels of Thanksgiving is the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year. Then, quickly come Christmas and the year 2025! I don't know about you, but that number looks surreal to me. We are riding on a teeter-totter of emotions, making it hard to maintain balance. We are beginning to hear joyful Christmas songs on the airways, but the Mass Readings are about the end of time.
God's Word can help us navigate the highs and lows so that our bubble doesn't burst. Fear and evil would have us see and feel it all at once, like hearing the familiar apocalyptic words from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 17:26-37 in last Friday's Readings.
"On the day the Son of Man is revealed, someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind.
"I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.”
Many embrace that Scripture as a scenario of one horrific day for all, seeing the ones left behind as unworthy sinners. The truth is that day comes every day for some. Every day, someone is put into hospice care and cannot go back to reclaim their belongings in their house. Every day, someone loses his life on the way to work, and their coworker is left behind to do the work. Every night, someone lies in bed alone for the first time in many years because their marriage has ended in a death or divorce.
We need to be reminded of those things because our end always feels far away, until the diagnosis, the accident, the death, the breakup.... the tragedy that makes us react in fear. I have had the priviledge to witness a few people who were ready when they knew their time was approaching. It takes a lot of energy, time, thought, research, prayer, and discussion with the Lord and with our faith-filled companions.
Today is always the perfect day to start.
And all of that is filling our bubble of thoughts and conversations. Remember that we are still celebrating A Month of Thanks. May thankfulness reign over our thoughts and conversations.
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