It is the most wonderful time of year, but it sure is busy. In some ways it seems to fly by and in other ways it seems like it will never end. We are often overscheduled, with one thing happening right after the next.
And, we’ve still got to deal with all normal things we’re dealing with in our life. They do not go on hold, or go away just because the holidays are here. That’s part of the challenge.
The other part of the challenge is, it can be difficult to know what to do, or maybe, what not to do.
This can be a good problem to have. It means we are blessed in many ways with many things. But it IS a challenge. All this good stuff can start to feel like pressure, a LOT of pressure.
What we need is a strategy. We need a plan, for the holidays for sure, but also moving forward into the New Year, for a more sustainable, successful life in 2019.
Two weeks ago, we laid out one such strategy. It’s called discernment. Discernment is about judgment, but not just decision making, it’s much more about sensitivity and even shrewdness when it comes to decision making. Discerning not just the good from the bad, but the good from the greater good,
And the greater good from the greatest good.
When life presents many options, discernment is about reflecting on the best one, the one that represents the best use of our time and resources, the one that will have the greatest impact or do the most good: the greatest good in the eyes of God.
God actually wants to get involved in our lives and really can help us out when it comes to making good and great decisions in life and about life.
So many people approach the Christmas season as something to get through. That’s not how God wants us to live.
We will find the best yes when we invite God into our decision making process. Discernment is about understanding we do have a choice. We always have a choice.
God made you free to make decisions. You have the capacity to choose.
He made you capable of discernment. So often we act like we have no choice when it comes to what we have to do, especially at Christmas. You can choose to say no, just like you choose to say yes. The best way to know when to say yes and when to say no is to base your discernment in love. That’s really what this series is all about, discernment in love.
Over the course of this series we’re looking at how we can grow to love God and love others. Then, inspired by that love, make disciples through our very best yes.
Last week we talked about loving God by trusting him. To really love God is to trust God. Today we want to look at a simple way we can grow in our love for people over the holidays.
To help us we are going to look at a passage from Luke’s Gospel. Luke introduces us to John the Baptist. John was a cousin of Jesus. He is usually considered the last and greatest of all the prophets in the Bible.
John is anticipating Jesus, whom John recognized as the king of kings, the Son of God, the long awaited Savior who was to come into the world.
John himself called this spiritual preparation repentance. The word repent is all about three things:
A change in thinking
which leads to a change of heart
which eventually leads to a change in behavior.
John was like a rock star. Huge crowds of people were attracted to him. They came to hear him speak and when they did they were moved to repentance. Their change in thinking and change of heart lead them to reexamine their behavior.
So, they would ask John,
What should we do? (Luke 3.10) His answer was disarmingly simple. He says, Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise. Luke 3.11
His profound prophetic instruction was simple: Share what you have. If you have extra… If you have more than you need…
Share with those who have less than you. Share with those who don’t have anything at all.
Sharing is a basic component of nature and creation. In fact, the whole process of creation, the way in which it was made to work relies on the concept of sharing. It is how God formed creation to grow and go, from flowers and fruit to bees and babies, they are all the product of sharing. Sharing sun, soil, water, seed and Love!
That’s how it was meant to be, but as with many things sin obscures and confuses this process. We misunderstand the idea or we simply forget;
Often times we just stifle the thought of sharing and giving. We’ve become selfish and want to hold onto our own stuff. That’s why it is a spiritual issue, a part of the process of repentance that John the Baptist talked about. Changing our thinking, to change our feeling, to change our behavior.
A basic way in which we love one another is by sharing. The Christmas season is above all the season of sharing.
And sometimes it is most compelling when it’s done for people we don’t even know, people who may never repay us or even thank us.
Two weeks ago many of you participated anonymously in our Angel Tree Program. Thank you for choosing to share in that way.
Here is another great way you can anonymously share. Financially donate to Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities makes a tremendous difference in thousands of people’s lives. If we have your correct email address you would have received our newsletter this weekend with a link to give online for Catholic Charities, either to the general fund, or specifically, to Catholic Charities’ Hurricane Michael relief fund.
If you prefer you can give to Catholic Charities by putting a check in next week's collection made out to Catholic Charities.
If you want a check to go specifically for Catholic Charities Hurricane Michael relief fund, just write Hurricane Michael on the memo line. Put your check in the basket or bring it to the church office. Thank you for sharing in that way.
Probably most of us are familiar with John the Baptist and his role in the Christmas story. Every year, during Advent, we are use to hearing his announcement to prepare and to share.
But we shouldn’t allow the familiarity of the message to mask the impact of the message. John the Baptist’s announcement concerns the advent of grace and truth that is the coming of Jesus Christ. And that coming changes everything. At least it can, if we let Jesus in.
This Christmas forget the anxiety, anger, or anxiousness. Invite the grace and truth of Jesus into your busyness. Choose to give God your best yes.
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