Faith

"Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralytic, 'My son, your sins are forgiven'." 
(Mark 2:5)
Faith is always personal, but it is not "something we acquire by ourselves".
Faith is a gift of God and a gift of others, the Christian community. It is not something we have because we deserve it.

"And Jesus said to the paralytic, 'Stand up, take up your mat and go home'. The man rose up ... he took up his mat and went out." (Mark 2:11-12)
Then the faith that we have received is called to mature, to be the soul that gives life to our thoughts, words, and actions.

A healing touch

Jesus heals the leper by touching him.
Jesus could have easily accomplished the same miracle by a word, but He chose another way.
And thus, Jesus healed the leper of something much deeper than leprosy: isolation.

God bless the child

As I continue basking in the Christmas experience, I realize that it takes a simple and attentive heart to recognize God's manifestation of Himself. He couldn't have chosen a more ordinary way than that of a baby.
And so I learn that this is God's favorite way of "encountering" me - in the ordinary.

Touched by mystery

"Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen". (Lk 2:19-20)

Our experience of God is something to keep and ponder in our heart first of all because it is not something to be consumed right at that moment. A God-experience is not meant to burn, rather, it is meant to warm the heart, freeing it of all self-centered and egoistic concerns.
Only then can we be like the shepherds who glorify and praise God from the heart. We don't force others to accept God; rather, we share our experience of God.

Grateful

As I grow old, I am not too much into making New Year's resolutions anymore. This for several reasons, one of which is that long before January ends, I realize that I just cannot be faithful to them. Perhaps I have made them with so many unrealistic goals in mind.
I am still being torn within myself as regards making New Year's resolutions. Perhaps I will let this day pass so that I can think more clearly after the euphoria of New Year's day.
There is one thing, though, that I would like to take up with more awareness: to be grateful.
Gratitude is to acknowledge that everything is a gift. No matter how hard I work in order to control everything, there is always that one (or even more) factor that depends on the kindness of others. I want to start the year believing this.