December 2014
Reflections of God's Goodness
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the darkness in our world and in our country. Some days it feels like all the news is bad news — war, Ebola, troubled children, campus shootings to name a few of the ways darkness enters into our awareness. We yearn for Good News!
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” — in this light is the profound mystery of Christmas. Jesus came to be the light of the world. Why did God send His only son to be born as a human baby? We cannot know the mind of God, but God knows us oh so well. This baby in the manger is so easy to love. His presence so profound that it takes us a lifetime to really take it in…God became human so we could share in his divine life!
As December dawns, we live among the frenzy of consumerism. And yet, we are attracted to the joyful music, glittering lights and dazzling colors. Light in our darkness. Faith calls us to recognize this yearning for light as more than what we see and hear around us. There is deeper significance here.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” The light Jesus brings shines into our hearts and lives to illuminate — to enable us to see how much God loves us. This grace-filled season of Advent is an opportunity to look intently for God’s presence on our journey.
Where do we see light in our lives? A special friendship, the love of a child, the beauty of God’s creation, the light of a candle, the sweetness of the Christmas crèche, the wonder of the love…
In these Advent days of preparation for Christ coming again at Christmas, let us make our Advent a tangible sign of our own transformation. Acknowledge Christ as the Light of your world. Ask Him, trust Him to dispel the darkness…and illuminate His presence in the days ahead…
…so that you may tell out the virtues of Him
who has called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.
He in turn will come…blessing us with His marvelous light…filling us with His love and tenderness to send us once more to be the light for a world walking in darkness.
This Advent/Christmas season, may each of us reflect the light of Christ to our families, friends and all those we meet.
Blessings and Peace,
Sister Mary Ann Barnhorn
Director of Development
…let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Father in heaven.
