When I meet people “out on the street” or in various other places, I often ask them if they are ready for Christmas. Their response is nearly always one of these: “Yes, I’ve got all my shopping done,” or “No, I’ve got some shopping left to do.” These responses really get to the heart of our present predicament in the U.S.
Thoughts For Today
Come Away By Yourselves To A Lonely Place and Rest Awhile
Rest in God, dear soul, for that is everything. Fear not the lonely place, for it may become a land of untold delights, where solitude brings consolation, and aloneness unfolds not into loneliness but divinely infused joy and peace.
The Parable of the Rich Man
What leads to permanent and lasting happiness? As Jesus points out, becoming “rich in what matters to God” is the key. When we place God first, and love our neighbor as another self, we soon begin to experience a perceptible, lasting happiness that is not of this world. It is “other-worldly” because it does not originate from our interior, from creatures or material possessions, but from God himself, whose bountiful love fills us with true and lasting peace, joy and happiness.
Day Will Soon Pass Into Night
Although the bright light of day gives a false impression that night is far off, it is this moment drawing near. Soon, light will give way to shadow, color wash into grey, and the warmth of the sun will cease as it falls below the horizon and the earth is cast in darkness.
Death: The Unspoken Yet Unavoidable Experience In Your Future
Death often remains the unspoken, unthinkable subject. While we tend to refrain from discussing or thinking about frightening, unpleasant topics, such a habit is indeed an unfortunate one. I propose that thinking about death is one of the more intellectually and spiritually healthy things a person can do. It’s the sane thing to do, and it’s the human thing to do. As we mediate on the reality of death, and learn what God has revealed about death, life and the human person to his Church, we learn a great deal about what it really means to live.