Tonight is New Year’s Eve. Earlier today I walked the streets of Boston as the city prepared for its 35th First Night Activities. It has been years since I strolled the city’s neighborhoods as I once regularly did. I recalled how I would walk 7 or 8 miles a day just to take in this beautiful city and to let my daily preoccupations settle down in my mind. Today, I felt slightly melancholic. I realize that I walked the familiar route between 15-20 years ago. While some has changed, much more remained the same. I have lost my youth and I notice how much my mind has shifted in those intervening years. My priorities and concerns are different today and I am much more satisfied. I realize that, when my life does come to its natural end, the city and new generations will continue. I am far from the center of my universe as I once thought I was. My life has ceased to be about what I can do and is more focused upon what God is doing for the world. My friend, Jim Martin, and I were talking a couple of weeks ago as he came to the retreat center where I work to guide a weekend retreat. I had just seen “White Christmas” for the first time and he watched it just before he left New York for Gloucester. He downloaded some songs from that album to his IPod. His favorite that weekend was “Snow.” It is light and airy and the quartet sings it as if snowflakes are falling to the ground. It is remarkable. My earworm, that is, the song I cannot get out of my head, is “Count your blessings.” I admire Bing Crosby’s voice for its smooth mellowness. “When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings.” This song tumbles through the mind like a sheet of Bounce fabric softener in an empty washing machine. As I end this year, I do count my blessings on this incredible year. I have mentioned before the ways I appreciate the graces I received in Australia. I’m grateful for the Jesuit community of Maine who supported me with their prayers and by forwarding my mail to me. I’m grateful for my province that prayed for me and wished me well through my last stage of formation. I’m grateful for my provincial for many reasons – and especially for asking me to assist the Jesuits by serving at Eastern Point Retreat House in Gloucester. We are a small community with four priests, a religious sister, and a devoted laywoman on staff. Our community is large because we have an extensive group of guest directors who form a tight network of spiritual directors dedicated to the Ignatian ministry. The community is ever expanding because more inquirers are making retreats for the first time at our place. I feel closer to my province because many Jesuits have connections through the retreat house. Each time I give retreats or participate in the sacrament of reconciliation, I feel changed. My heart continues to have conversions. As I listen to others, I feel great compassion for them and I feel like I am their coach on the sidelines just urging them to give their all and do their best and to be satisfied with who they are. We have to learn to love ourselves. We are all very far from perfect and this is what makes us lovable. Each of the people I meet are striving to do what is good and right. It gives me great hope to come to know many people so well. I am honored that they entrust their stories to me. God is good. God wants to be close to us and oftentimes we do not know how to let God come closer. Too often we sense that God is distant and does not have enough concern for us. Sometimes we suspect that God is absent. We think God is not trying or does not want to know us better. We try harder and we think we fail because God is not approaching us when we need God’s closeness. We forget that God chose to die for us. God took on our life in the person of Jesus. God has to have great love for us to want to do that. Being human can be painful. Christ has died for us, is doing so right now, and will choose to do it again and again and again because he wants us to be closer to God, the Creating One. We pray with our head and our heart and we often make progress when we pour out our emotions to Christ. We have to know how we feel. We are to behold our feelings and present them to God who is beholding us. Once we have done that and settled down, we can then learn to listen to God’s desire to tell us how he feels. It is good for us to pay attention to the emotions of God. We have to be careful though. Our image of God has to be secure. Typically, if we have a poor image of ourselves, we have a poor image of God. We need to allow God to become multi-dimensional and alive for us. God will show his personal concern for us when we beg God to be merciful to us. We start by asking for this grace before each prayer we say. When we receive his mercy, no matter how broken we see ourselves, we become settled and secure in his steadfast, ever-reaching love. It is good for us to ponder God’s presence in our life. When we look at God more, and less at ourselves, the world somehow becomes different and more joyful. We will realize much hurt and sorrow remains, but we reframe our lives with a more constant assurance that God will not abandon us. God will make sense of our sufferings. We can live in greater freedom and contentment. We’ll feel great empathy for the suffering of others, but we’ll find that we come to a point of balance that holds all things steady. God is that fulcrum upon which we balance. Tonight, I marvel at what God has done for me and for others. We’ve suffered loss and hardship and we see God’s blessings in unexpected areas of life. As the years pass, we remember how quickly time moves – whether we are ready or not. Life moves forward. Let’s do our best to move forward with as much gusto and joy that we can muster. May 2011 be a time when we meet God each day and we can celebrate how much we mean to one another. God is love and we need to choose to love each day so we can meet God. We can have a splendid time as we embrace the world God has given us. Happy New Year and count your blessings each day.
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The Christians of the Middle East have been suffering in recent history as they advise not more ? its faith practices public. Once the old Earth had much greater respects by the freedom of belief. Many have held bombings and the attacks and many do against the persecution when they want to adore in Massachusetts. Since Christian we have made enough to support our brothers and brothers in the faith during its period of difficulty?
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Every morning, when wide-awake, dear gentleman, a small prayer that I do, Or please to maintain thy eyeOn affectionate all the poor creatures taken to die. And each behind schedule in the sun-downI it requests a blessing in the city, if we lasted the night or noI’m is sure always doubtful. We are not entirely bad or goodWho lives our lives underneath the wood on milk, and thousands, I know, withered is firstTo see our better side me, not our worse one. O? we see another day! Bendíganos tonight santa, request, and to the tenth sun that all bowAnd goodbye – but hardly for now!
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January 1st is the titular feast of the Society of Jesus, a day which honors Mary as the Mother of God and of the Society. It is a day which celebrates the giving of the name of Jesus to the infant boy. The giving of the name “Company (Society) of Jesus” occurred in September 1540 when the early companions and Ignatius were founded as a religious institute. Ignatius and two of his companions, Peter Faber and James Lainez, decided to go to Rome to place themselves and the other companions at the disposal of the Pope. A few miles outside of Rome at a chapel at La Storta, the companions stopped to pray. At this spot, Ignatius had the second most significant of his mystical experiences. In his vision, God the Father told Ignatius, “I will be favorable to you in Rome” and that he would place him with His Son. Ignatius did not know what his experience meant for it could mean persecution as well as success since Jesus experienced both. While in Rome, the Pope joyously put them to work teaching scripture and theology and preaching. On Christmas morning, 1538, Ignatius celebrated his first Mass at the church of St. Mary Major in the Chapel of the Manger, which was thought to have the actual manger from Bethlehem. If Ignatius was not going to be able to say his first Mass at Jesus’ birthplace in the Holy Land, then this would be the best substitute. During Lent in 1539, Ignatius convened all of his companions in Rome to discuss their future. They had never thought of founding a religious order, but now that going to Jerusalem was out, they had to think about how they would spend their time as companions. After many weeks of prayer and discussion, with the Pope’s approval, in which they would vow obedience to a superior general who would hold office for life, they would place themselves at the disposal of the Holy Father to travel wherever he should wish to send them for whatever duties. A vow to this effect was added to the ordinary vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Formal approval of this new order was given by Pope Paul III on September 27, 1540. Since they had referred to themselves as the Company of Jesus, their order became known as the Society of Jesus in English. Ignatius was elected on the first ballot of the group to be superior, but he begged them to reconsider, pray and vote again a few days later. The second ballot came out as the first, unanimous for Ignatius, except for his own vote. He was still reluctant to accept, but his Franciscan confessor told him it was God’s will, so he acquiesced. On the Friday of Easter week, April 22, 1541, at the Church of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, the friends pronounced their vows in the newly formed Order.
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Exsts de Scrooge in each of us. Each does not enjoy the station of Christmas or the day of Christmas. Sometimes we have experiences of being in a stingy humor during the holidays and sometimes have events that bring to us of we ourself. You have had this Christmas a little while, even if you are not a Scrooge, when its heart was moved to the compassion or greater joy?
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Must the old well-known be forgot, and never brought to matter? Must the old well-known be forgot, and syne* old of lang? REFRAIN: For syne old of lang, my jo, for syne old of lang, tak an amiability of or the cup still, for syne old of lang. And YE will be surely their dot-stowp! and I will be surely mine! And tak an amiability of or the cup still, because hae old of twa of lang syne.CHORUSWe worked on braes, and pu’d gowans very well; But we have wander’d mony an adjustment tired, old i of paidl’d of hae of twa of lang syne.CHORUSWe of the sin the burn, sun in the morning of frae until we had dinner; But the seas between us lang old syne.CHORUSAnd of roar’dsin of hae of the braid are a hand there, my fiere of confidence! and thine of or the hand of a. of the gie.! And tak waught correct of gude-Guillermo, for syne old of lang. translationShould English that is the old man known forgot, and never brought to matter? It must the old man known to be forgot, and old syne of lang? REFRAIN: For syne old of lang, considered my, for syne old of lang, we will still take a cup from amiability, for syne old of lang. And you will surely buy his cup of the dot! and I will buy mine surely! And we will take an amiability from or the cup still, because lang old syne.CHORUSWe two has worked on the hills, and has chosen daisies very well; But we have many vagados a foot tired, since lang old syne.CHORUSWe two has been fought in the current, of the sun in the morning until we had dinner †; But the seas between ample us have roaredsince that lang old syne.CHORUSAnd is a hand there my friend of confidence! And dénos thine of or the hand! And we will take I sketch right of the will, for syne old of lang.
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For the liturgies of Christmas, the harmony “of the father love I move generated.” Also I have heard a version of “, how Bloomin’” of e’er of Rose that is delicate melodic. A particular song has been important for you east year?
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One hour ago that birch, that pine was the separated intervals, a world of the light-and-shade of the line against will wash the walls of the mountain. But who can say that low the dark? Which was different now subtle changes; The center is abre to include some hardly well-known interchanges between mountains and the wood, ace, rising slowly where they were placed, the long darkness comes to take ranges. It is not known how the light of stars falls through fields shining of the snow, and brings this darker brilliant class than it flows behind with afterglow and it floods the blue Earth with the alive one, a diverse called brilliance Night.
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And when we occur the gifts of Christmas in its name, déjenos remember that it has given to the sun and the moon and stars us, and the Earth with their forests and mountains and ~ of the oceans and all that the lives and move envelope they. It has given to all the green things and everything that ~ blooms and takes and everything us of the fruit that we fought around and all that we have used ~ badly and to save itself of our own insentatez, from all our sins, it came realistic and he gave itself to us.
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No importo realmente de la acumulación de la estación comercial a la Navidad. Muchas de las canciones más populares de la Navidad son canciones con objeto de día de la Navidad. Parece que cabe para oírlas antes de la Navidad y no después. Al mismo tiempo, es agradable celebrar completamente la estación litúrgica de la Navidad. Los doce días de la Navidad comienzan, no los extremos, el día de la Navidad. La iglesia también recibe a la “Gloria” trasera como fue omitida de uso durante advenimiento. Vuelve otra vez cuando los ángeles en cielo cantan a “Gloria en Excelsis Deo” (gloria a dios en el más alto). Los ángeles cantan en la natividad y en presencia de los pastores que vienen visitar José, Maria, y a Jesús. Ciertas canciones de la Navidad tienen sentido de ser oído solamente en esta estación. La música se diseña para ayudarnos a apreciar los movimientos de nuestro año de iglesia. Nos ayuda a adorar el aspecto del trabajo de dios en y con Jesus.Christmas se celebra en la octava (ocho días), pero también los últimos hasta la epifanía, que está en alguna parte alrededor del 6 de enero en que unos de los reyes magos del este siguen la estrella a Bethlehem para ver al rey infantil. Esta parte de la Navidad compone los doce días de la Navidad. Este año, se trunca la estación de la Navidad y la epifanía se conmemora el 2 de enero. En la octava de la Navidad, celebramos a Stephen, el primer mártir; Juan el evangelista que estaba cercano a Jesús; los Innocents santos en quienes fueron matados por Herod, la familia santa y su vuelo y fuera de Egipto, vinatera de Thomas, y de Sylvester I. Las lecturas ricas destacan los momentos principales de comienzos de Jesús y de su familia. En días de viejo, la presentación del señor (el 2 de febrero) y Candlemas concluyeron la estación de la Navidad. La Navidad termina y el tiempo ordinario comienza en el bautismo del señor, que está el 9 de enero. Esto significa que tenemos absolutamente algunas semanas del tiempo ordinario antes de la ceniza miércoles (el 9 de marzo) y prestado (13 de marzo-21 de abril.)
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It believes in the meaning of Christmas. It guesses to the hugs of the love the world. We yearn for the eternal happiness. God touches our ordinary lives and it gives a glance us of the wonder. The meaning of these moments often remembers during the New Year.
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This one is Christmas – the historical event and the mystery of the love, that by more than two thousand years has spoken to the men and to the women of each it was and each place. It is the day santo in who the “great light” of Christ shines ahead, taking peace! Certainly, if we must recognize it, the faith is necessary and humility is necessary. The humility of Maria, who believed in the word of the gentleman and, doubling low on the manger, was first to adore the fruit of its matrix; the humility of Jose, the right man, who made the value of the faith and of preferring it to obey to God something that to protect its own reputation; the humility of the shepherds, who received the proclamation of the divine messenger and accelerated towards the stable, where they found the boy new born they adored and it, plenty of astonishment, praising to God.
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It believes in the magic of Christmas. The opportune snowed ones, enormous hugs of children, unexpected greetings of foreigners, the acts amazingly of the amiability testify for the purposes of Christmas. It hoards these moments through New Year.
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Hands and hearts of the tact this Christmas. It offers the reconciliation, the acceptance and La Paz to those around you.
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A great benefactor at night of Christmas would descend to the Earth in the nights between the 25 from December and 6 from January to bless the Earth and to people. This one was originally Woden, God of nórdises of the wild hunting, and its Berchta wife, the white lady who rotates the destiny that way in one marries white. The ardent fires and wheels starred the hills and the houses were adorned to attract their attention. Whereas the traditions grew, some attributed to several heroes to this paper: Martin in a shipper, a Nicholas and his targets reformed equivalent, “Christmas of the father.”
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Yesterday morning, we had a Christmas party for the retreat house staff before they went home for their holiday vacation. It was a festive gathering as the retreat directors prepared a hearty brunch for the staff and their families. Throughout the morning of good cheer, light snowflakes blew delicately to the ground. A gentle wind made the flakes dance and swirl before landing on the bare ground. It gave us a preview of the white Christmas we long for. The purity of the snow makes us feel as if everything will be O.K. and that this Christmas will be like a happy day like the ones in our memories. Throughout the day, the unexpected snow and winds picked up. Roads were slick and driving was somewhat dangerous. Fortunately, few cards were on the road. I think many people settled in early and enjoyed the safety of their homes. I drove a short distance to the blood collection center so I could give what may be perhaps a life-saving gift to someone. Now I’m hunkered down in my room in a very silent retreat house. Guests are gone and I can hear the ocean’s gentle roar. Occasional taps on my bedroom window tell me it is still snowing. A glance outside tells me the incremental snow will not pile up but that it will allow the earth to slumber. The lampposts cast a glow on the snow along the driveway that guides a person to the warm confines of this house. The presence of Christ is reserved in the adoration chapel directly below my room and his presence also recalls in my memory all the people who have graced the halls of this retreat house. We often say the prayers of retreatants are captured in our porous walls of wood. It thoughtfully holds their unexpressed longings. Though stillness deepens the silence, the stillness groans for its completion in God. As I ready myself for Christmas, I am taking the time this week to appreciate the many stories I’ve heard during this past year. Finding time to listen to another’s story is a profound gift to that person. I can’t think of a richer way to live out my priesthood. I am enriched by a person’s journey and his or her efforts to meet Christ along the way. With each story I hear, I find that I am more able to put on the mind and heart of Christ and to love the way God loves. I feel like I become a kinder, nicer man who can love more freely. I want to be in solidarity with those who are still searching, still seeking a more intimate relationship with God. I like who I am becoming. I think of the powerful German movie “The Lives of Others” that shows the transformative power of listening. Lives are saved when we listen. We are forever changed. I’ve listened to stories of many people across the world this year. I’ve developed a great affection for them and I want to honor them by remembering them well. I’ve directed many retreats and made my own 30-day retreat, which healed memories and opened my heart to Christ’s abiding presence. I’ve grown in the ability to forgive others, and I hope this makes me more understanding and compassionate. I continue to be astonished with the miracles God has worked through my life. This week I intend to spend time recalling these significant events. What do I want for Christmas this year? I want to hear more stories. The other day I passed by a shopping mall filled with thousands of people shopping for Christmas and I contrasted this with the 45 people residing at our retreat center. I want to hear their stories and I want them to hear the story of Christ. I want thousands more to come and spend time with the Lord. I want people to come and relate to God in a way that fits their unique style. May they discover Christ’s presence in their lives as meaningful and satisfying. I want people to be open to the possibilities of life. We close down too easily – often for petty reasons – and we shut out others with broad strokes. I want people to become enriched by others – by giving them positive regard, by honoring them and their positions (even if they fundamentally disagree), and engaging in a dialogue that allows a person to go beyond the words to deeper meaning and longings. We need this in partisan politics, in our fractured church, in our work and friendships, and in our broken families. When we give the gift of listening to one another, we create many new exhilarating possibilities for each other. We can see new potential and garner new hope when we allow Christ to liberate us from ourselves. Our prayer can be flat or two dimensional. We think that our options are “either-or” instead of “both-and.” We may go into prayer thinking that we want one thing and if Christ doesn’t ratify what we want then he must not want us to have it. We lose sight of the fact that there might be ten other possibilities that we haven’t yet considered. We can explore those nuances and dimensions that might further clarify God’s will for us. Be open to new options that could surprise you. This openness will lead to greater satisfaction in your relationship with Christ. Conversations with your friends are not two-dimensional. Let your prayer conversation become as enriching. Be bold enough to ask Christ for what you desire. As a child, you told Santa Claus what you wanted for Christmas and most of the time you received what you asked for. Try it out with Christ who is more generous than Santa Claus. It is not selfish or self-centered. Ask for what you want before your pray and check in at the end of prayer to see if you received the grace. I want people to come to know Christ. He brings a lasting peace that we all want. He brings about a stillness within one’s soul that helps make sense of all the swirling tumult of our lives. He brings about the real opportunity for us to be good and loving people who are generous and happy. He can do much more for us than we imagine. Consider what our Christmas celebrations can be like if we can allow Christ into us as he would like. Our family gatherings could be meaningful, happy occasions marked with our listening to one another with respect and reverence. We will be delighted when it is reciprocated in return. If we listen for meaning rather than content, we become enriched and we develop a greater positive regard for the other. In honoring them, we become honored – and this is a tremendous gift. If we can hear the stories of others and be moved by what we hear, imagine how our souls will be moved when the Word of God is born into the world and we listen to the soft voice that reaches out to us and tells us what we need to hear in the silent stillness amid the world’s noise. Listening will fundamentally change you, and you will like it. I pray that I may grow in my ability to listen better to all who need to be heard. Merry Christmas.
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If you are hurt or only this Christmas, knows that you are not only. Left it realises that God is with us (Manuel.) God is with you in its suffering.
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Francisco de Assisi in 1223 caused the manger like additional-liturgical dedication. The presence of the ox and the ass is due to an interpretation of the 1:3 and Habakkuk 3 of Isaiah: 2. Nevertheless, since it was a dedication of endecha, it got to be popular in the faithful imagination.
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