Happy New You!

"The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul." ~ G. K. Chesterton

I went to mass tonight to end the year that has been about seeking gratitude with the ultimate act of thanksgiving--the Eucharist. I am now procrastinating heading off to a party but will depart once this posted. I am not a fan of New Year's Eve in the sense of giving it power to create or claw back joy. Honestly, I would prefer to curl up in bed right now, and review my year and give God the end of my hours for 2012. I will though go down the street to friends and enjoy God face to face in the people there before returning home and doing that.

The Archbishop is a wise man and he had many good things for us to ponder tonight. Mary is our model for carrying Christmas in our hearts throughout the year. The Gift we received a week ago is meant to be cherished for more than a calendar day.

I am making decisions about my New Year resolutions and hope to make ones that challenge and inspire. I want to strive for the better pieces of life and to continue to create a person who has her eyes on Jesus.

Happy New Year, dear readers! May 2013 bring joy, peace, and love to you.

Peace,

Suzanne

How Holy is Your Family?

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” ~ Mother Teresa

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family and we catch a glimpse of a somewhat obedient son who goes home with his family after frightening them with his disappearance. We catch sight of the reality of family life for this Holy Trio. This was not a family of holiness in the sense of perfect--there were quarrels and stressors just like any other family. Perhaps just like your own family? Mother Teresa's advice on this day makes sense. If we want a holy family, we must begin by loving....through all the situations that normally drive us crazy and make us frustrated.

Peace,

Suzanne

Eulogy Forgotten

“I want words at my funeral. But I guess that means you need life in your life.” ~ Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

My day started with a funeral for my childhood neighbour at my old parish. The event threw me into a different era several times. Firstly, I could not believe how the kids had grown up. The oldest boy sported a bow tie like his dad used to when he was dressed up and that was not lost on me. His sister looked beautiful and all grown up. When I introduced myself to her she seemed surprised to see me but there was something about her that I really liked. Perhaps it was the way she stuck close to her boys and then later her mother. She seemed to be a caregiver with a gentle heart. The other brother joked around a bit. On the eve of the feast of the Holy Family, here was a family sticking together.

I remembered babysitting the two younger kids almost weekly at one point. I could not remember where the older brother was during this time. Perhaps he was old enough to be gone and out partying himself. We all played together in our back yards, climbing trees, pretending to be characters from Dark Shadows, whiling away summer days until our parents called us in for supper. Afterwards at the reception, their cousin came over to say hello as she had joined us in some of those games. I was transported back in time to a more carefree life.

The church itself brought back memories of attending the teepee church as we called it, with a language that I never mastered though I surprised myself today as the responses and even some of the songs flowed easily from my lips. The priest, though younger than me, seemed frozen in time as he preached a homily on heaven and hell. Was this really almost 2013? He even forgot the eulogy and I could not help but wonder if it is because technically a eulogy is not to be given during the funeral mass anymore.

During the reception I met another one of the cousins with whom I used to go to school. Her brother was in my grade and she was a year older. We worked on the school paper and literary magazine together. She was still writing, for a newspaper in a large Canadian city. I was glad to see that she was living out that dream and using her gifts.

I hope that the eulogy was not abandoned altogether today. Perhaps after I left, a speech was given about this man. I think for me my neighbour embodied the French joie de vivre. He had a sparkle in his eyes that comes to mind when I think of him. I wonder about my eulogy and what people might say about me. I do not dwell on it but I am curious what will stand out for people about my life.

What about your eulogy? What do you think people will say about you?

Peace,

Suzanne

Weeping in the World

"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." ~ Matthew 2:18

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. I woke up with the thought of children around the world today still be massacred in DR Congo, in Syria, in Newtown, and around the world. My mind drifted to the Idle No More Movement and the children on reserves who live in slum conditions in Canada. We fail children still today. We are unable to protect them and we assist covertly in their destruction with our First World hunger. A voice still weeps in Ramah and Rachel is yet to be comforted. We should all refuse to be comforted until the violence stops.

Peace,

Suzanne

Hidden Truths

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” ~ Buddha

Tomorrow is a full moon. Even in the overcast sky tonight, the moon could be glimpsed. On the dullest of days, the sun's effects can be seen. The truth however takes a little longer to be revealed sometimes. Oddly enough, the worst hidden truth are the ones we hide from ourselves. When we cannot face the truth, we bring upon ourselves a slow and painful revelation of it. The more we flee from it, the more it haunts us by controlling our emotions and thoughts. What is amazing is that when the sun and moon do reappear after an absence, the beauty is breathtaking. Could it be the same with truth? When we welcome it into our lives, will we rejoice in receiving it?

Is there a truth in your life that should not be hidden much longer?

Peace,

Suzanne

Point of Entry

"And this is the thing: He chooses my dirty places, the places that shame me, as His point of entry." ~ Ann Voskamp

Today is the Feast of St. Stephen which always reminds me that Christmas and Easter are linked inextricably and profoundly. We cannot have one without the other. I pulled myself out of a deep sleep this morning and made my way to mass to remember the cost of this Holy Season.

The day has been spent not in malls, hunting for the best deal, though there was a bit of a temptation to do so. Instead, a Skype call with friends in Nairobi reminded me that something greater than a miracle can happen in our lives when we reflect mindfully on both the blessings and trials. I also received a thank you email from a stranger who has been struggling and wanted to thank me for easing her burden a wee bit. Both events point toward the real reason we are given life. The outcome should be something greater than ourselves. We are called to be servants and to praise the Creator.

Voskamp's blog post today reveals that God is with us in those shameful places--those smelly places where cows and sheep fill the air with less than pleasant aromas. God comes vulnerable to show that we too are called to be open to what is fragile and hurting within us. God makes his entry into splendor and simplicity. The Divine One chose not a grand palace to be born within. Always the Disguised One chooses the place least likely to enter in.

is there a shameful place that you need the Holy One to enter into in your life right now? He knows those places intimately. Won't you welcome Him in?

Peace,

Suzanne

Christmas Love

"Only the absurdity of love can break the bonds of hate." ~ Madeleine L'Engle

Love arrived overnight, amidst the shining stars and angel songs, a love so needed and longed for in our broken world. I stand as a witness to Love. I am so blessed in so many ways. As the music group wrapped up the pre-mass carols with Count Your Blessings, I could not help but say thank You.

I had had a wonderful day with friends...from start to end. Today was also a fabulous day with blessings pouring forth. Family time was good. I realize that each year might be our last gathering as this particular clan and so I am more appreciative than I perhaps could have been in earlier years.

God gave such a great gift in becoming Human. In that moment of Love coming to earth as a frail and vulnerable infant, we catch a glimpse of the absurdity of God's plan. Imagine being able to hold God in our hands and coo over the Beauty that rests there! How blessed are we? Can we comprehend that Love came to break the bonds of hate and to free us from all that binds us? Jesus is our Saviour and yet at the same time, he is our brother. He knows our struggles and encountered plenty of his own while he shared this space on earth. This Love knows well our sorrows and joys. He sat at family suppers, lost a beloved father, laughed with friends as only friends can do, gave completely of himself to those who needed him, and rested in the knowledge that he was Loved too.

This Christmas Love is wished you now and throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas!

Peace,

Suzanne