Christmas wish

I am sitting in the living room alone right now.  I just put a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving (in two days) in the oven.  Before that I put some dry brine on the gigantic turkey.  The other pie crust I put in the freezer to deal with tomorrow.

  I sat down a moment ago to start a show on Netflix, and some cheesy Christmas movie preview automatically started showing.  I sort of balk at it in my head thinking, "It's not even Thanksgiving yet!"

Then I began to think, "I wish people knew about Advent. Is this even related to Christmas?  Why are all these Christmas movies the same? "

All those heart warming cheesy Christmas rom-coms we find now on Netflix and the Hallmark channel that flood the screens as soon as the weather begins to get cold all seem to swirl around the same theme.  Unfortunately it isn't Advent.  It isn't even really Christmas.  At least not Christmas if we're talking about the birth of  Jesus Christ.  I think most of them revolve around wishes.

"Christmas" wishes.

Will I get what I want?  Will it be the most wonderful romantic man I've ever dreamed of?  A knight in shining armor?  Will it be the puppy I've been begging my parents for?  Will it be a warm fuzzy feeling because all of my family is gathered around me drinking cider around the fireplace singing Christmas carols and sounding like Pentatonix?

Where did this idea that Christmas gives us all we ever wished for come from?
Maybe it's because Christmas gives us more than we could ever wish for.

I've been thinking a lot about those transcendentals lately.  How the true, good and beautiful are supposed to lift our minds and hearts to God.  The truth said and heard in our daily lives.  The good people we meet, things we have, or food we eat.  The beautiful Cathedral we worship in or earth we walk on.

All of these wonderful things we see and sometimes wish for have their place.  They have their purpose, to help us remember the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty.

I think it's important as we break open the season of advent to remember that our wishes and desires need to be properly ordered, to reflect our truest desire, to be in union with God for eternity.  Nothing is more exciting, thrilling, heartwarming, or beautiful than that.

God will love us infinitely more than that cheesy knight in shining armor from the holiday Netflix movie.

Who's excited for Advent?  Woot!  Let's prepare our hearts for Jesus.

A glimpse of heaven

Last weekend I got to do something amazing.  My awesome husband let me escape for a few days so that I could join my sister at Evans Lake.

 It was the summer camp we both worked at for numerous summers.  Before working there, I was also a camper for a few years.  They were holding an event called Camp Big Kid where former staff members could come up for the weekend and play like a kid at camp. 

It was a glorious three days.  I'll get into more details about it in a moment.

After I left camp, I went to Sunday Mass with my parents at their Parish for the Solemnity of the Ascension.  It was a beautiful Mass, unfortunately the homily was just sort of ho hum.  Nothing earth shaking for me.  

After a couple hours of driving and a random search at the border where I was detained, (yay, thanks border security), I got home and happily listened to a great podcast homily from my good friend and old College buddy Father Bryan Ochs out of St. Rose in Longview, WA.

You can listen to the homily here.

In his homily he speaks a little bit about how we can have glimpses of hell and of heaven on earth.  He talks about isolation from others being a sort of hell.  He then talks about how being in communion with others gives a glimpse of heaven and the communion of saints.

I found this part of the homily particularly pertinent to my experience that day and that weekend.  I had just come from camp and all of the words said, things experienced, and people I love were still close in my mind.  The goodbyes were still fresh and I was still in disbelief that camp was over.

No other place, (outside of Mass) makes me feel closer to God than Evans Lake.  This fact in particular is one reason I have been going there in my mind for the last few months in my daily meditations.  I have been spending time with Jesus in prayer at the rockslide, at campfire, on chimney rock, on the lake trail, etc.  

I got the feeling last weekend that a few of my friends felt close to the eternal there too.  One of my friends Steve said, "Evans Lake is my religion, and I haven't been to Church in a while".  My other friend Kalen said something like feeling like he was in heaven while we were on a hike in the Evans Lake forest.  Why?  Why does being in this particular forest with these people  doing crazy things make us feel this way?

I think there are a few things to note here.

First let me point out, Evans Lake is not affiliated with any religion.  It is a secular camp.  The staff comes from all different backgrounds, liberals, conservatives, Christian, Atheist, Pagan, Jewish, Buddhist, Gay, Straight.  You name it.  Everyone is represented.  

Second, I have not seen these people in several years.  Some of them ten years or more.  Some of the newer staff I had never even met.

I think that being in a place outdoors speaks to our hearts of the divine and the eternal.  In the Catechism it says that through seeing the beauty of creation we can come to a knowledge of God.  So while admiring the beauty of nature, our hearts immediately turn to thank God for that beauty.   

I have also noticed that at camp, even though we have such different world views and political leanings outside of camp, when we are at camp we just love and respect each other.  There has always been a great deal of emphasis on respecting the people you encounter at camp.  So in this effort to be respectful I find that we have often been able to love each other for our little quirks and special qualities.  I think we feel so loved for just being ourselves.  I heard that a friend said, "I can be my whole self at camp".  We feel free.  We act weird.  We dress up like crazy people for themed lunches and breakfasts and we don't feel self conscious because there's just this knowledge that we will be loved through all of it.

Some of these people who I haven't seen in maybe 14 years since I last worked there immediately gave me long happy hugs when I arrived.  It's like we never skipped a beat, friends for all this time.  

It reminds me of a part of the Theology of the Body (Pope John Paul II's book) where we speak about mankind before the fall, where there was original justice and harmony.  People could love without fear of risk or rejection.  They were free to be their whole selves without fearing abuse from the other.

Coming back to camp felt like coming to a wedding reception.  Everyone you know and love is there and everyone is happy to celebrate!  It reminds me of how heaven is described as the wedding feast of the lamb in the Bible.

Lastly, while we are at camp we're goofing off.  The weight of the world seems far away.  We trust whoever is the COD (coordinator of the day) that whatever comes next will be amazing and hilarious.  We act like kids, playing crazy games, knowing what to expect and accepting whatever is given to us.  We return to a sort of innocent and playful childhood.  

Wouldn't it be amazing if everyone's experience of Church were like this?  

 Seeing God everywhere we look, feeling loved by everyone we meet, feeling free, confident and trusting WHO is in charge? 

The reason my friends feel God in this place is because He is there.  Through the beauty of his creation, through the love of the people present, and through the joy in the heart of being childlike again.  God was there.  It was beautiful.

I pray that everyone find a community like this.  I pray that my own church can grow more communities like this.  And I pray for all of my Evans Lake buddies and their beautiful lives, spouses, and children.

To my friends at camp, you are amazing.  The weekend in our forest home was unforgettable and I thank you all for being there and bringing all of yourselves out to play.  It was good for my soul.

Keep being amazing human beings.  

Remember, (like Mer said) where we're all supposed to go if a zombie apocalypse breaks out...bring food and supplies and we'll blast the road.  LOL!

I love you all.  Big hugs.

The dawn from on high shall break upon us.

Today I got a text message in the morning from a friend about a "stop abortion bans" rally happening at a local park.  The rally is happening no doubt in response to Alabama's new law banning abortions in their state.

I told my kids what was happening and got them caught up on the current events surrounding this rally and asked them if they wanted to go and counter protest.  The answer from my five kiddos who are 10 and under was a resounding "yes!"

A friend and her kids were joining us and she texted that they had their St. Benedict medals ready to go.  The response from my kids was both surprising and inspiring when I told them to get their St. Benedict crucifixes, after the reminder from my friend.  They went into full spiritual combat gear up mode.  The 7 year old had just gotten a small holy water key chain container for his First Holy Communion, so he grabbed that and the Lourdes water he received as well.  They all grabbed rosaries, the 8 year old put on his St. Michael the Archangel t-shirt, they all wore their St. Benedict crucifixes and the 10 year old made sure we had the pro-life signs.  Taking a hint from my kids I grabbed some of our exorcised salt as well to take with us.

It's funny, they don't always know how to get ready to go for school, or a simple outing to the grocery store, but they seemed to know exactly what they would need to ready themselves for spiritual combat.

Seeing them readily gear up and hearing them so naturally pray the rosary with their friends today was a big sign of hope for me.  The Alabama law seems like the first break in the pro-choice wall that has been up for decades.  I think one of the most exciting points to note is that it was signed in by a woman.

There have been dark days lately.  For the world, and for me and my immediate family.  But the dawn is breaking it seems.  There are signs of hope and inspiration.  I have finally opened my eyes wide enough to see them.

Here are a few I have noticed lately:

-My husband is a hero.  Even in spite of pain and illness he still manages to be gentle, patient, and caring with the kids.  He manages to be patient, humble and gentle with me despite my moods and issues.  But most of all, through this rough time for him, he keeps on going.  He clings to hope and to God even when it is difficult and when he is frustrated.  That is everyday heroism. 💖💖💖

-Last Thursday I saw three boys, classmates of my kiddos, run out of their Spanish class as soon as it finished so that they wouldn't be late for altar serving at daily Mass.  Their dedication to going to daily Mass inspired us to follow them there and it was a joy to watch them serve so reverently.

-I see my parish priest toughing out the daily grind amidst his own physical illness and suffering.

-I see my priest friends keep loving and serving their parishoners despite backlash and sometimes hateful behavior.

-I see my friends ministering to and praying for others while their baby boy is in the hospital getting open heart surgery and going through hurdle after hurdle in recovery.

-I see my friends celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary, defying the throw away culture we live in and showing the world God-like love.

-I see my friend battling cancer while caring for her toddler and baby boy with strength, grace, hope, courage and love.

All of these things give me hope for a new day.  All of your beautiful lives and holy crosses are bearing the fruits of hope, peace and love in my heart and soul and also in the world around you.  Thank you all for living holy lives for the world to see.  Keep it up.  You are inspiring.

Thank you Jesus for these people who all answer the call to receive your love and bring it forth into the world.