Christianity

 

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else" (C.S. Lewis)

What does believing in Jesus mean to me? It is an adherence of my whole being to Jesus Christ. Saying that I am a Christian means that I believe in Jesus' message, accept Jesus' covenant of love with me, and follow Jesus' teaching and example.

So many people use religion as an excuse to do things that shouldn't even be allowed by a modicum of good manners. It really is so sad. 

Jesus who, more than two thousand years ago had to escape tyranny as a newborn child, continues to be in exile even in so-called Christian and educated/developed countries, perhaps an exile also in churches and communities that shout out His name and follow Him.

"No one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother" (1 Jn 3:10).

This coming year, may our contribution to the healing of our world be our seriously living what we profess as Christians.

Never alone

 

On this last day of 2023, I pray that we may be grateful for its joys, humble for the victories, forgiving for the missed opportunities, and trusting that we are never alone as we face the coming year. God is with us. We are in God's hands. God shows his presence in different ways. It could be through persons, events, a sudden inspiration, or just a quiet presence in our heart that enables us to live one day at a time until we slowly discover that there is something, albeit small, to be joyful about.

Good things are meant to last

 

I feel disturbed when people say "Good things never last". It seems like a very skeptical way of looking at life. That is what I love about faith. It tells us that there is something beyond us, something that surpasses our way of looking at and understanding things.

If a thing is truly good, it will last. It may not be in the form that we have always known, but it will last. The challenge for us is to know when a thing is truly good. Following our criteria may not be a wise choice, because our criteria could be subjective as they follow our moods, our feelings, and our emotions. 

Look for a north star, a guiding light other than yourself. My faith tells me to look up to God. 

As we look up to that Guiding light, it will tell us what is truly good. And as we go through life, in its ups and downs, we will see that good things may change in forms and shapes, but they always last.r

Embraced by mystery

 

It is Christmas. We welcome the Word-made flesh among us, as the greatest manifestation of God's love. Our life has meaning. The incompleteness, the never-ending journey of living life's questions and paradoxes without desiring to have all the answers, is sustained by our experience of God's tender love. He is the dawn from on high that slowly illumines the darkness. Yes, slowly, almost in a hidden way. And if we are willing to wait, God gives us a glimpse of the mystery.

Shield

 

What shields us from pain might also shield us from growth.

Miracles surround us

I was stopped by a lady this morning. She excitedly told me "Sister, I received a miracle". Then she went on to say that she is diabetic and she was able to find a good hospital where she is being treated. My first reaction was, so what is the miracle there? She is still diabetic. But on second thought, Vittoria was right. 

When we think of miracles we think of instantaneous cures or the complete resolution of a problem. But miracles abound every day. They surround us. We need the pure eyes of a child who can see wonder in the most ordinary things. We need a grateful heart that doesn't demand anything nor take anything for granted.

Thank you Vittoria. Lord, grant that I may see.

Live in the present moment

 I went to St. Peter's very early last Saturday. What an experience. I basked in the silence and in the possibility of just walking and enjoying the views and buildings I have passed several times, without taking time to appreciate their beauty and timelessness. 

I felt grateful to have this opportunity to live in the present moment, fully immersed in the moment, because that is the only one we have in our hands

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