…of a Christmas preparation overloaded breakdown. 🙁
Funny thing is I began my morning inspired and enlightened. I’d had the opportunity to attend morning Mass and Msgr. Borski’s homily hit home. When I wrote my weekly email to the young professionals I felt inspired to share:
I pray as we head deeper into the craziness of this season that we can take a moment each day to center ourselves in prayer and meditation of the gift in Advent (waiting) and at some point let all of the craziness be done so that you’ll have more than just a morning to relish in the joy of celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. As Fr. Borski said this morning, (paraphrasing) “We can get wrapped up in the warm and fuzzies of what follows Advent, the birth of Jesus but this is not fairy tell story. His birth also brings his crucifixion and as we anticipate the joy of this season we should learn to find a greater joy in why he arrived – to bring us eternal life.”
I was watching my favorite TV show last night I SURVIVED on the Biography channel. They have a spin off series called I SURVIVED – Beyond and Back. It is the stories of those who died but came back to life and had death experiences. In the end one woman said, (again paraphrasing) “I can enjoy the material things on earth, I’m not saying we should go without, those things can be fun…but what I learned from my experience in heaven is that our lives on earth are about learning how to love – to love ourselves and to love everyone around us because that brings you closer to the peace that heaven offers.”
I felt I had left the craziness behind and now I could truly enjoy the ‘peace’ of the season. However, between then and now I feel the tension burning in my shoulders. My oldest is stressed (and dramatic to boot) with all the last minute homework and projects that are due this week and my youngest is on my case about getting the gingerbread house done. But I cringe at doing the gingerbread house yet because I am hosting our parish staff party tomorrow and I’d like the house to be a bit clean…if even a bit??? AND not to mention that my Christmas cards finallyarrived so I was going to spend tonight folding the letters, stuffing the envelopes, putting on labels etc in order to get them out tomorrow. YET as I went to print out the labels I had bought the wrong set of labels (it doesn’t match my Christmas list document) sooooo…now I either buy new labels (which aren’t cheap) or hand write them to boot. 🙁
It’s not that big of deal. I mean, really, I should reread what I wrote this morning. It doesn’t help, though, when your husband walks in to you slumped over the computer (upset) and he says, “Shouldn’t those have gone out by now? Aren’t you late?” Really???? Thanks for the encouragement dear.
OK, here is another New Year’s resolution. I want to have all of my Christmas cards and shopping done by Advent next year. Wouldn’t that be awesome? I have a friend that did it, why can’t I? This way I could truly be at peace and focus on what is important. Hold me to it! 🙂
December 13, 2010
Memorial of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr
Readings: Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a; Mt 21:23-27
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.
Nm 24:17a
God became the Son of Man so that we might become
children of God.
Angelus
December 23, 2007
Blessings
Shannon