First Sunday of Advent (starting the year late again)

My Companions: As we celebrate the first part of the Church Year let us continue our prayers of thanksgiving for all the gifts the Lord has given us to help build God's Kingdom.  I have much good news to share: Pat Serveiss has recovered well from the awful spider bite; Joseph Gregory Foresman now weighs-in over six pounds and lives at home with mom, dad and sisters; Gina Leba's brother has his heart issues regulated; Nancy Fitzgibbons looks very good... and it's nice to share "good news."  Let's pray that this holiday season gives up opportunities to open our hearts to the glory of Christ in our world.


Birthdays: Kathy DePriest (12/3)

Keeping in-touch: Marge and I had a very nice, quiet Thanksgiving.  We're "enjoying" our trips to the rec-center on Mon, Wed and Fri.  We'll get in shape now that we're "younger elders" (Marge found the classification somewhere).  We're looking forward to our trip to Chicagoland for Katie Lay's wedding and some holiday time with our son, daughters and grand children and Dad and all my sibblings. We have the Christmas decorations in the yard and I completed a nativity scene for Mark and Sue.
The Readings: First Sunday of Advent

Comments on the Readings: Fr. Foley, "Advent is like this. A time to pull in our scope a bit and realize that emptiness is a healthy and normal part of our lives. We are continually refilled if we let ourselves be. Strange to say, waiting for fulfillment is also itself a fulfillment. It lets us be what we are—not God but human."
My comments: Reading The Apocalypse as we ended the liturgical year, I spent many moments reflecting on how people missunderstand that challinging part of Scripture.  The writer encouraged his faithful readers to see the glory of Christ among us... to live in the fullness of faith.  But we're overly concerned about "the end times" and/or "The Second Comming of Christ" and may fail to celebrate the glory of God in all things.  I hope this Advent will be a time of renewal, a time of awareness with moments that "take our breath away."
May the peace of Christ be with each of you,

John

The Solemnity of Christ the King

My Companions: Let's pray in thanksgiving for all the gifts of our Loving God.  Let's pray for all in need of our prayer.  And let us pray that we grow in the wisdom of Christ the King who suffered for all and brings love and hope to all.
Birthdays: Clarley Stevens (10/11), Nathan Gulmantovicz (10/15), Ken Lay (10/15), Josh Parise (10/19), Clinton Ross (10/22), Don Lay (10/24), Jason Schnitzer (10/27), Hayley Foresman (10/27), Tim Weed (10/28), Mike Lay (10/31), Lugaid Brugha (11/2), Elonore Kobza (11/4), Larry Pribyl (11/4), George Stevens (11/17), Megan (Lay) Stevens (11/19), Lacey Kobza (11/21).  Anniversaries: Elizabeth Lay (d. 11/17), Carol & Andy Ondish (11/22), Larry & Judy Lay (11/29), Shelley & Ken Lay (11/1),

Keeping in-touch: As we prepare to celebrate this feast of Christ the King, a King who hangs on a cross, I'm struck that this is the last Sunday of our Church year: the next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent.  So much has happened this last year and I, for one, have had trouble keeping-up on this treadmill of everyday life.  I've missed too many blog posts, passed-up exercise periods, neglected letters or cards I wanted to send and on, and on...  It's is good to have a new start!

The Readings: The Solemnity of Christ the King

Comments on the Readings: Fr. Foley, "Why should a kind man, one of the people, have to suffer? Because he was one of us. Why do we have to suffer? Because that is the way of the world. Why didn’t Christ the King change the world and make things perfect? He did, but not in the way we had expected."
My comments: Like many others, I often want a royal king to fix all the suffering and right all the wrongs.  A suffering king challenges me so much to look for what is really important.  Maybe with more prayer and fasting I can open myself to the wisdom the Lord wishes to show me today and every day.

May the peace of Christ be with each of you,

John