The Lord grieves over the rich, because they find their consolation in the abundance of goods. "Let the proud seek and love earthly kingdoms, but blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." Abandonment to the providence of the Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about tomorrow. Trust in God is a preparation for the blessedness of the poor. They shall see God.
The Holy Family has much to teach me. They obeyed. They trusted. They suffered, but they never once turned away from God. In the days surrounding the nativity of Jesus, Mary and Joseph persevered beyond their own human limitations. Pregnant...about to give birth...traveling on the back of a donkey some 100 miles. Dreaming...an angel says, "Go or they will kill your child"...venturing into a land so far away from home. Because every step of the way, they begged for the grace.
I look to you, Lord, and say, "It's too heavy"...like my little girl tells me as she struggles to carry something bigger than her...but she - unlike me - tries to pick it up anyway. What good will I be if I just sit and stare at my cross? If I'm going to follow You, it needs to be on my shoulders...right where Yours was.
So my gift to You this Christmas is to try to be like You...like Mary...like Joseph. Not just in what I know about God, but what I choose to truly believe. Because if I really believe in You, then my life will reflect a greater love...a deeper commitment...a lasting peace. No matter the weight that bears down on me, or the obstacles that stand in the way...somehow it will all bear some kind of fruit...maybe in my own heart and in the hearts of my own children.
Amen.
+AMDG+
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