A REFLECTION ON THE
FAMILY
The
Christmas Season is not only designed for us to celebrate the birth
of our Savior but to also celebrate everything about us that makes us
Christians. We are reminded through the Solemnities of Saint Stephen
the Martyr and The Holy Innocents that we too will face persecution
for our beliefs; there will be times of trial and sadness but through
our faith we will be able to overcome these. The Solemnity of John
the Apostle and Evangelist encourages us to always keep the Love of
God in our hearts, mind, and soul while spreading the Good News to
all those who we encounter. Our faith experience has been further
molded by the Solemnity of the Holy Family where the virtues of Mary,
Joseph, and Jesus Christ are raised up and put on display so that we
may all join ourselves to them in our family relationships and
values. From here we continue on through the Octave of Christmas in
joy, love, and happiness.
As
human beings, we tend to formulate expectations of what we are going
to encounter in the future. Repeatedly, we find ourselves replaying
upcoming scenerios through our minds attempting to create a perfect
vision that we can be satisfied with. Unfortunately, these notions
are rarely fulfilled the way we wanted them to be and we are then
left with disappointment and anxiety. Our challenge is not do look to
the future this way but remain in the present comforted with the fact
that God is with us. Whatever we encounter can be overcome with
complete trust in God. Whatever changes we experience, be it good or
bad, can be for the better.
I went
into this Christmas Season with a complete design and expectation of
what it was going to be. I had charted my course and had my
checklist. It was approached as one would be doing a project. I
analyzed all of my tasks and plans. Each day was going to have its
obligations and duties. The object was to finish each to the
satisfaction level that I expected to reach. There wasn't a lot of
spirituality to this approach. Everything was planned out as if it
was a job. Early on, I learned that this just wasn't meant to be.
Two
days before Christmas everything spiraled out of control. I never
expected to be confronted with what I was facing. I was brought from
the highest elation to a very low point within minutes. I find myself
in crisis. What happened isn't as important as the spiritual lesson I
learned. Jesus tells us in Matthew not to worry about tomorrow but to
focus on the present. In both circumstances God will take care of us.
No amount of planning and no amount of preparation can shield us from
a world that is orientated away from God. There will always be trials
and circumstances that will challenge us. We just need to accept
these and be confident that God ultimately protect us if we surrender
everything to him. The situation I now faced was definitely one of
these things and I finally surrendered it over to him.
When I
surrendered to God it all came into balance. A sort of peace settled
over me and I then accepted that I had a situation which I could not
handle alone. This did not happen instantaneously but it came
gradually with prayer and meditation. Slowly, things fell into place.
The anxiety left and there was a numbness which replaced it. It was a
good feeling. I was being comforted. With that, I was then prepared
to enjoy time with my family and friends. This was time that I did
not have before. I watched my children laugh and enjoy their time
together. I felt proud to be their father and was proud to be a
husband. I reflected on the Holy Family and saw their relationship in
context with my family. Their was beauty in the exercise. I felt
happy, thankful, and relieved. The situation was still before me but
it was now put into perspective with all that was good in my life. My
children were healthy, my friends were around me, and God was on my
side. What more could I ask for?
I had
to drive a friend to Gloucester early one morning this week. I looked
at the stars with a new appreciation and asked myself: when was the
last time I gazed into a beautiful night sky by the ocean and thanked
God for everything? When was the last time I recognized the amazing
beauty in his creation. What I saw days earlier as a crisis I now saw
as a gift. The situation would be resolved but, in the meantime, I
was just given an opportunity to appreciate all of God's gifts to me
this wonderful season.
All of
us should enjoy this Christmas Season to the fullest. Thank God for
everything that is good and accept everything that is bad with the
confidence that He will help us overcome it. He will never abandon
us.
Deacon
Tom