December 24 Jesus is Light of the World: John 1:1-14

Carry Your Candle - Go Light the World 

(click link to hear song)

Jesus is Light of the World. This is it. This is what we've all been waiting for - the shining star above the manger. Today, the Light of the World comes to us. He comes to our lives to dispel the darkness. The darkness can be a scary place. The link below the picture is to a song that I suggest taking five minutes to listen to. The story it tells is one of hope and one of challenge. Jesus came into this world to be one of us. He comes to us in the Eucharist to dwell within us. Therein lies the challenge. While He is the light, He has given us the challenge to go light the world. We must light the candle of others in order to spread the light. 

Let's talk about the darkness for a minute. When the darkness is prevalent, it feels so heavy, so oppressive. One time in my life (I'll never do it again!) I went caving. I don't mean in one of those highly advertised, safe caverns with tour guides. No. My friends and I found a place outside of Kutztown PA where there was a cave. A real one. Without any lights. We squeezed through a little hole and with our flashlight and an abundance of courage, we crept through the tiny crevices and rocks. Yes. It was incredibly dumb. I don't remember the exact circumstances, but for some reason, the person with the light had to leave us for a short while. I don't remember if we got lost or if they were just going ahead to see where we were going. I just remember the complete and utter darkness they left behind. My companion and I tried to talk a little, but even that became difficult to do. At first, I was in wonder because it was the first time I had ever truly been in complete darkness. I remember holding my hand in front of my eyes and could see nothing. My companion moved and I could see no movement. Then, the darkness started to put pressure on me. My ears began to pound. My breathing became a little labored. The darkness became like a weight on my chest that nothing could remove. 

When the person with the light returned, he found some other people in the cave and wanted to bring us to them. He found a large cavern. What was so cool about that was that with only a small lantern, the entire cavern was lit. We could clearly see each other's faces, the large open space, the beauty of the stalagmites and stalactites. Just a little light, joined with our little light overcame even the darkest dark. Still, the claustrophobia kicked in and I wanted out of that cave. The light was a bit too artificial and the fear that the batteries would die overcame me. I had to get out and see the real light. The pure, fresh, bright light of day. As I said, I'll never do that again. I found out that I'm afraid of the dark. The real dark. 

There were lessons to be learned in that cave that day. First, never let your light leave you. Second, no one can take the darkness away without the light. My companion's chit chat did not make the mood or the atmosphere any lighter. It made it more desperate. I couldn't see her. I didn't know where she was. Her words didn't mean anything to me because they were just noise in the cave. It was only the light that brought me relief. 

I also learned that there is great comfort in joining your light to others. Seeing the light in others eyes, reflecting off their faces, brings a tremendous sense of relief. It lets us know that we're not alone. Others will carry our light when we can't. 

Finally, I learned that no matter how much artificial light we carry, we must - absolutely must - get to the true light. We can look for the light at church or doing the good works we're supposed to be doing, but until we find the light inside of us every day, it's artificial. Jesus, the Light of the World, is the only one who can do that for us. However, it is our job to carry that light to others and join their light until they find the light within themselves.

My prayer today is twofold. First, I'm so thankful for all who have carried the flame to light my candles throughout my life. My family and friends who have been there when my candle was extinguished but who joined their light to mine. I'm thankful to Jesus for keeping that fire lit inside of my heart and always, without fail, lighting it when I blow it out. I'd also like to pray that Jesus will show me others who need me to light their candles. I pray that your candles are lit today and that you and I both light as many candles as possible to make sure the Light of the World is brighter than the sun and shines on in the hearts of all.  I hope this blog has been a blessing to you as it has been for me. It makes me a little sad that today is the last day to hang a symbol on the Jesse Tree for 2013. But I am hopeful that the lessons we've learned through this journey will light our way into 2014. Merry Christmas! 

December 23 Jesus is Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14; 33:22

Jesus is Emmanuel  - God with us. This is the ultimate fulfillment of the words of Isaiah. He clearly stated that a virgin would bear a son and call Him Emmanuel. When I was younger, I thought that this was a glitch in the system. Why didn't Mary call him Emmanuel if that's what Isaiah said she would call him that. I found the loophole. How in the world could this be the prophesy fulfilled when she called him Jesus. Fortunately, youthful challenges can be defeated. When the angel came to Mary, he told her to name him Jesus. Clear, straightforward. Isaiah was referring to what all would call Jesus - not what He would be named. Jesus is God with us! Jesus' nature and being was prophesied in many ways and by many titles. It wasn't until the Angel Gabrielle made it official that Emmanuel's name would be Jesus.

But what does God with us really mean? Think about that for a minute. God - our creator, our redeemer, our King is with us. Put that into perspective for a minute. Think of all our earthly "Kings" and imagine how we would feel if they were here, living with us every day. What if Pope Francis, or King Charles or King James (LeBron, of course ... that's a "king" my son would be impressed with) decided to move into our neighborhoods and live like us. It would be startling, wouldn't it? For these very special people to lower themselves to be one of us, wow. God did just that.

When Jesus became man, He allowed himself to understand everything we go through. Mothers know that Mary can relate to what they go through from childbirth to child death, and everything in between. We can talk to Mary as a mother because she was one - because of Jesus. Fathers can talk to Joseph as a father, because he was one - because of Jesus. Jesus became one of us in every sense of the word. He showed us selflessness beyond measure. He showed us love unparalleled. And He's still with us today. Every day. Our only burden is making sure we recognize Him.

Back in Jesus' day, it was easy to see Him. He was flesh and blood. But yet, still many did not see Him for who He was. As Catholics, we can see Jesus every day as well - in flesh and blood - at Mass. Our Holy Eucharist is not a symbol. It's God. Body, blood, soul and divinity. Our judge, our caregiver, our King. God with us!

My prayer today is to recognize Jesus in the Eucharist. I want to recognize Emmanuel at Mass. Sometimes we grow so accustomed to receiving Communion that it becomes routine. I pray that Catholics everywhere can see Christ in the Eucharist. For those who are not Catholic, I pray that you find Jesus in your lives in a very real sense every day. If we can truly do this, our souls will be satisfied. Our hearts will sing. Our lives will be forever changed every day.

December 22 Jesus is King of the Gentiles: Psalm 2:7-8; Ephesians 2:14-20

Jesus is the King of the Gentiles. When I first started thinking about today's passage, my thoughts went immediately to Pope Francis. Jesus is the God of everyone. Of course, so many news media sources jumped on the "controversy" when the Pope seemed to be accepting of a gay lifestyle and even was open to atheists. How scandalous and shocking. Probably just as shocking as it was to the Pharisees when Jesus opened his mind and heart to prostitutes and tax collectors. I was going to try and write today's passage as one of acceptance and tolerance. There's plenty of fodder for that these days. However, in my humble opinion, most of the tolerance issues are not those that the mainstream say we have, but I believe there is an anti-tolerance issue against Christians.

But then, I realized - this is not a political blog. Then it really hit me. Jesus as King of the Gentiles is not about THEM. It's about US. Yes - look in the mirror. Unless you are an Israelite; unless you descended directly from one of the twelve tribes of Jacob; unless you are Jewish....you're a Gentile. That's the category I fall into. I'm a Gentile.  And Jesus is my King.

The recommended symbol for today is a crown or scepter. When I came across the crown of thorns and the Israeli prayer shawl, I thought it symbolized Jesus' Kingship even better than one with diamonds and rubies. Jesus spent his time with the chosen ones. He was a Jew. He opened his mind and heart and love to every person who came into His presence and He continues to do so today. His death was for every one of us. He did not discriminate against me...an Irish woman. Although I am unworthy of everything He has given to me. He said that He became my father and would give me an inheritance that far exceeds anything I could imagine.

The bible passage for today says that Jesus broke down walls and barriers. He came to preach peace to those who were far and those who were near. Through His crown of thorns, He became the great equalizer. He became not only the King of the Jews, but the King of the Gentiles as well. We are no longer foreigners or strangers. We are fellow citizens and members of God's household. Each one of us.

My prayer today is to help me remember that I too am a Gentile. I hope today that as I encounter all other Gentiles that I can share the love of Jesus and enjoy His inheritance with all of my Gentile brothers and sisters.

December 21 Jesus is the Radiant Dawn: Psalm 19:6-7 (in older Bibles this will be Psalm 18)

Jesus is the Radiant Dawn. How true is that? When we think of Jesus, invariably we must think of Light. He is the Light of the World. When I was selecting an image for today's post, I was tempted to choose a traditional sunrise. Every one is a work of art. My favorite sunrise is one rising above the water. But then, I realized - that's too narrow. Even the one I chose is too narrow. The bible passage for today tells us that the sun rises from one end of the heavens and sets at the other end. It spans everything. It touches everyone. On earth, there are very few places that the sun doesn't touch - the deepest underground caves, anything buried underground and maybe in the very deepest part of the ocean. But even though the sun doesn't touch those places directly, it feeds plants and animals on the surface that can bring food even to the deepest places.

The second verse in today's reading talks about reviving the soul and making the simple wise. I'd like to expand a little on that. When we think of the deepest caves in our hearts and our souls, we must remember that Jesus can penetrate that with His radiant dawn. He can revive the soul and bring wisdom to the lowest. As I reflected on today's symbol, I wondered for a minute why the symbol isn't just the sun. Why the dawn? Why not the sunset? (More people see sunsets than sunrises I would bet) Then, I realized that figuratively, Jesus is the end of our night time. He encourages us to arise from our slumber, to leave the night behind, to face each new day with a bright outlook and new eyes.

Full disclosure - I live in Florida, so I do awake to sunshine almost every day. This post is a little easier for me to write because of that. I used to live in Pennsylvania and awoke to gray skies more often than bright blue ones. My enthusiasm may not be so great if I was staring at a gray sky every day, but when you do have an opportunity to enjoy that sunshine, it's like something grips you. Your soul wants to sing. Your face wants to smile. Your feet want to dance. That's the way it is when Jesus comes to us and turns our night into day.

I've thought of situations where we struggle with seeing the light - even though it is always there. Where are some of those windowless caverns in our lives that make us wonder whether it's day or night? Physically, it could be office buildings where we bury ourselves so deeply in work that we miss the day. We drive to work in the pre-dawn and stay beyond the daylight. What light are we missing? Jesus' light, our families, our friends? What about casinos? I've never been in one in Las Vegas, but I hear that people have no idea if it's day or night inside. What about depression? The darkness envelops those who can't raise their eyes to see the light. Addictions. These can cause our eyes to close and it seems that nothing can shine brightly enough to open them.

There is most definitely hope though. Today's message tells us that nothing is untouched by the heat of the radiant dawn. Nothing. There is nothing that is impossible with God. Just as the sun nourishes the plants that nourish the animals that go into the cave, so does the Son nourish us. Although you can't look at the sun, you can certainly gaze upon everything it touches. Don't live in the shadows. Live in the light.

For all my northern friends reading this, my prayer for you is that no matter how gray (or white!) your day may be, look at everything the light touches. Watch the beautiful snow flakes or the shiny icicles. Each one is a piece of masterful art. If it's too cold to go outside, look at the sunlight in your loved ones eyes. If you are alone, open God's word and bask in its light. For my friends in these warmer climates, look around at everything you enjoy. Watch the birds. Listen to the trees rustling in the breeze. Take deep breaths and enjoy the warmth.

I admit I'm a little guilty of not appreciating what I have. I was a bit disappointed that we were going to reach the mid 80s this weekend and nearly 80 on Christmas day. I wanted a dip in the temperatures to make it feel more like a northern Christmas. My prayer today is to appreciate every minute of what I have. Instead of a warm fire and big dinner, we're going to be grilling steaks and sitting outside enjoying what we have this Christmas. We'll be sharing our time with family and friends. That's what Christmas is all about. Not the weather. I pray that Jesus, the radiant dawn, shines on each of us today and we turn our face toward that warmth and thank Him.

December 20 Jesus is Key of David: Isaiah 22:22

Jesus is the Key of David. According to today's passage, what Jesus locks stays locked and what Jesus unlocks stays unlocked. At first, thought today's symbol was pretty straight forward until I started to really think about it. I tried to think about the things that Jesus would lock forever and unlock forever and it kind of alluded me. I guess on a big scale, He holds the keys to heaven and has forever unlocked the gates so that through Him, we can enter. But what has He locked that cannot be unlocked?

I think that Jesus holds the key to our hearts. We sometimes lock that door, but He can unlock it. He can open doors that seemed to us to be shut forever. Sometimes, maybe He closes doors on things that aren't good for us and if we trust Him, we never try to open that door again. Maybe that's what this means.

Imagine walking down a long hall with Jesus and you come to a door. He unlocks the door and allows you to enter. During your stay behind the door, you may develop relationships and have experiences that make an indelible mark on your life. Some good, some bad. Maybe that's where the locking part comes in. As we surrender our lives to Christ, we give Him the ability to lock away things that we no longer want or need in our lives. I look back at the many lives I've encountered throughout my lifetime and realize that although there were some that remain with me always, there are others that I have locked out forever. Toxic relationships that did nothing but cause me grief or encourage me to fail - those are forever locked out of my life. But the only way to get away from that poison was to ask Jesus to lock that door. Once I've surrendered that to Him, I realized that I never have to look back. I never have to go back through that door.

On the other hand, there have been many doors that seemed closed to me. I never thought I would be able to solve a problem or accomplish a goal, but once I remembered that Jesus was the one holding the key, I'd find that the door would swing wide open. I think that is the point of this.

When I read the passage last night, I was immediately reminded of the verse in Matthew where Jesus gives the keys of heaven to Peter and informs him that all he binds on earth will be bound in heaven and all he loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven. That key can open and close, bind and loose.

We all have bad things happen in our lives. We all make mistakes we wish we hadn't. We all do or think things of which we are not proud. As children of God, we can ask Jesus to bind those things up. To lock them away. We also have things that we have bound up inside of us. We may be withholding forgiveness or love. We can ask Jesus to unlock that and allow those things to gush forth. Jesus is the key.

My prayer is that Jesus will lock away all the things in my life that do not lead the way to Him and that He will unlock all of the love, compassion and forgiveness I may be holding in my heart.

December 19 Jesus is Flower of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3 Symbols: flower, plant with flower

But a shoot will sprout out of the stump of Jesse. Growing up, I heard so much about how Jesus' life was foretold. I heard in church that He came to fulfill the prophesies of old. However, growing up Catholic, our primary exposure to the bible happened at Mass. The bible was that big dusty thing we had up in the closet that looked to be about 150 years old with lots of thees and thous in it. Not something I was ever going to read. My other exposure to the bible came from my baptist friend's parents and their friends. Often when they found out I was Catholic, they'd show me their bibles with all the highlights and notes. I was a bit appalled. I thought it was a sin to write in the bible. I went to Catholic school and am a tried and true cradle Catholic. And I never read the entire bible until last year. To my credit, I did actually try reading Isaiah and still never really got the prophesy about Jesus.  I read the part about the suffering servant, but it just didn't click with me until much later. Now, today's passage is one of those times when God kind of whacks me in the head and says, "Do you get it now?"

How much clearer could it be? These passages describe Jesus to the "T" .  The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Check. A spirit of wisdom and understanding. Check. A spirit of counsel and strength. Check. And it keeps going. My favorite part of this reading today though is the last sentence in verse 3. Not by appearance shall he judge nor by hearsay shall he decide. Now THAT's the Jesus I'm talking about. He doesn't judge the book by its cover. He doesn't rely on someone else's opinion. He forms His own opinions based on truth.

And oh, how hard that is for us to follow. We can sanctimoniously say that we are non-judgmental, but I'll betcha we aren't. I'll bet most of us form opinions pretty darn quickly just by what we see or hear. Don't believe me? What do you think of when you hear the name Miley Cirus? Britney Spears? Lindsay Lohan? Pope Francis? Nelson Mandela? Barack Obama? Ronald Reagan? Abraham Lincoln? Did you think what I thought? Probably pretty close on most of them (maybe not the political figures - we may differ on those, but...)Now raise your hand if you've ever met any of those people above. My hand is not raised. We listen to what others tell us about people. We assume we know a lot about them because of their PR. Being a PR professional, I know that some images are earned and some are created. And some are created to hide the ones that are earned. We love scandal and we love selflessness. But do we really know anything about those we have opinions about?

My prayer today is to try not to listen to what others say about people, but observe on my own. I don't want to judge others. Jesus never judged others unfairly. He accepted them warts and all. He loved them even if they were perceived as unlovable. He shunned those who were popular or self-important. He just wanted people to love Him. He wanted people to live in His kingdom. He wants everyone - ugly, pretty, fat, skinny, athiest, believer, sinner, saint. He wants us all. My prayer is to open my heart and accept everyone and remember that everyone is lovable in the eyes of God and that my delight is in the fear of the Lord. (Fear as in Awe!)

December 18 Jesus is Lord: Ex. 3:2; 20:1

Jesus is Lord. Today's passages are well, shall we say, sparse. Less is more. Short on words. The first passage - "There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up."  The second one said even less. "God spoke all these words."

Uuuuuhhmmm. So, what do the two verses have to do with today's Jesse Tree Symbol - Jesus is Lord?Well, the obvious link to the first one is that an angel of the LORD (caps included) is a direct link. I think maybe, this is the part where we link the Old Testament to Jesus. In fact, after a little research, I found out that these symbols are "typos" or "types" of Christ. The preview of Christ. So, the symbols for today are the burning bush or the cement slabs of the Ten Commandments. I'm hoping the Holy Spirit is with me for my interpretations or "types" associated with Jesus.

The burning bush as a symbol of Christ is the way His presence can truly burn in our hearts. When we listen to Jesus' word, it is all consuming, yet we are not consumed. Our hearts can burn, but we are not harmed. Or, at least, I wish I felt like that all the time. Sometimes, too many other things get in the way and the fire seems to be just embers. Other times, when I am able to focus only on Christ, the fire burns almost out of control. I wish I was a faithful enough person to always have that fire stoked. That's something I need to work on. 

The stone tablets. The commandments. The rules. In some ways, Jesus was the rule breaker. He didn't come along to follow the rules like a mindless sheep. Instead, he shed light on the rules - like a shepherd. He never went against the 10 commandments. Instead, He questioned the interpretations some put on those commandments and outright rebelled against the nonsense some of the pharisees tried to make as laws. There are 10 pretty straightforward laws. It's man who put the gray area into these laws. What would the world be like if everyone followed the commandments? As Lord, Jesus is the Law. If we follow what He says - "He spoke all these words" - our life will be pretty golden. 

So, for today, yes, Jesus is Lord. He's our fire inside. He's our law. My prayer today is to be able to stoke that fire and follow His commands. And if I can follow commandment number one first of all, that fire should be blazing!