“We all live lives that are complicated and that at times, with infinite variation, feel overwhelming. But we know people in our immediate world who step beyond themselves, into care. If you know them up close, you know they are not saints or heroes—take note of that, and take comfort. Feel how when you extend a kindness, however simple, you are energized and not depleted.”
-Krista Tippett, Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living, page 136.
“If God chooses Mary as his instrument, if God himself wants to come into this world in the manger at Bethlehem, that is no idyllic family affair, but the beginning of a complete turnaround, a reordering of everything on Earth. If we wish to take part in this Advent and Christmas event, then we cannot simply be bystanders or onlookers, as if we were at the theater, enjoying all the cheerful images. No, we ourselves are swept up into the action there, into this conversion of all things. We have to play our part too on this stage, for the spectator is already an actor. We cannot withdraw.”
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six wingd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Halleluia, Halleluia
Halleluia, Lord Most High!
Words: Liturgy of St. James, translated from Greek by Gerard Moultrie
The chefs at Cathedral Village have created a "St. Mary's Gingerbread Church"! If you have a chance to go see it, check it out over near the entrance to the dining hall on the 2nd floor!
How saving Philly’s historic sacred spaces can make the city stronger (Phila. Inquirer)
Read about a partnership that is helping congregations to better serve and engage their community. Canon Berlenbach is involved in this work.Please contact him if you want to creatively re-envision your own space.Read article here.
Homeless Memorial Day (12/20, Thomas Paine Plaza )
The Diocese is a sponsor of this day to honor those that have died and "recommit ourselves to ending homelessness."More details here.
MLK: Celebrating his life and legacy (1/21, Darby Recreation Center)
Your donations needed. A unique partnership between the Church Farm School and Darby schoolchildren leads up to a day of activity for all. More details here.
Save the Date: Bowling with the Bishop (3/9, Wynnewood Lanes)
The death of George HW Bush has caused me to reflect on what really matters to my children and others at the end of life. As I was watching the eulogy given by his son George W Bush, I made a mental note of what actually mattered to George W at the end of his father’s life and what things had made him a better, well-adjusted adult.
His father played games with them, had fun with them, had family dinners with them, and showed them integrity and love for others. But the thing that seemed to leave the biggest impression on George W was that he loved their mother fiercely.
Perhaps it was because George HW lost a child, that his family values were so on point.
In the eulogy George W didn’t mention once that his parents made sure he had organic food his whole life, or had Pinterest worthy birthday parties, or the perfect monogrammed matching outfits with his siblings. He didn’t mention that his parents made sure their week was planned with playdates and millions of extracurricular activities. He reflected over and over again about how much his dad loved and was dedicated to his mother.
I worry that we get so caught up in the minor things that we forget the major thing which is teaching our kids what unconditional love and loyalty looks like.
As a counselor, I see so many marriages falling apart and so much strife and discontentment in life occurring because so much time and attention is spent on the minor things. The results of this are broken marriages, discontentment, lack of self-esteem, anger, addiction, depression, anxiety, and in some cases suicide. All of the resources given to the minor things in turn cause the major things to fall apart.
Feeling secure in a family will have more of a long term effect on the well-being of a person than any of the minor stuff so much of our time and effort is spent on. We say our value is family, but our actions show something completely different.
George HW lived to be 94 and evidently couldn’t stomach a vegetable, yet how much of our time is spent on worrying about what we put into our child’s stomach.
My intent isn’t to say that being cognizant of health and physical well-being isn’t important. My intent is to say that it isn’t the most important thing.
Fight for your family. Nurture your relationship with your spouse. Don’t treat your children like your world revolves around them. You might feel pressure or guilt when other people tell you all the wonderful things they are feeding their kids, or feel like less of a parent when you see another Pinterest perfect party, but don’t buy into it. It’s just a distraction from what really matters.
Don’t make the minor stuff the major stuff. Have fun, play games, have family dinner, be kind, do good in your community when you have opportunity, show integrity when no one is watching, and love your spouse fiercely. Fight for your family. At the end of your life this is what will matter to your children.