Slowing Down for Christmas

One of the busiest times of year has to be the Christmas season.  Everyone is bustling around trying to find the hottest gift at the cheapest price, decorating their homes to look like magazine pictures and making the perfect homemade Christmas goodies.  We get stressed fighting the mall crowds and getting all the gifts bought and wrapped by the holidays.  Holiday parties add to the stress since we also have to find the perfect Christmas outfit.   Who has time now during this busy season to experience Advent and reflect on the coming of Our Savior? 

To truly experience joy at Christmas, it is more important than ever to slow down, take time to meditate, read inspirational books, and observe traditions that are connected with Jesus.  Here are some of the ways I will work on experiencing Advent instead of the shopping craze:

1)       Gradually put up the decorations.  They do not have to be put up in one day but spread over several days or weeks.

2)      Look at family traditions and pick the ones with the most meaning.  You do not have to do them all to have a wonderful Christmas.  My favorites are lighting the candles on the advent wreath and baking a Christmas recipe from my childhood.  However, there is nothing wrong with buying store-bought Christmas cookies if there is no time to bake them.  (Cookie exchanges are also an idea when time is short).

3)      Take time to attend a church event that focuses on Advent or the Nativity.  For example, one church in my area sponsors a walk through Bethlehem that recreates the town at the time of Jesus.  You could also make time to go to an additional mass or church service or simply go to your church to pray.

4)      Outreach is important even if it is simple and inexpensive.   My church has a giving tree.   People pull off tags with basic needs for the homeless shelters such as shampoo or underwear.  I got my kids involved by having them pick out a tag, buy the item  and return it back to church. 

5)      Take time off work before the holidays to do Christmas shopping and baking.  The stores are less crowded.  I get all the shopping done, gifts wrapped and food prepared so I can relax closer to Christmas.

6)      Choose an inspirational book or devotional to read daily during Advent.  Plan to devote at least 30 minutes a day for reading.

7)      Last year when I felt stressed, I imagined myself at the manger in Bethlehem and felt the peace and joy of the scene.   This year, I am meditating on Mary as she walked to Bethlehem.  She must have wondered why she had to make this journey while close to giving birth to Our Savior.  However, she completely trusted in God and it all worked out so gloriously in the end.  As we get stressed by inconvenient events, we need to be more like Mary and surrender to God.

I hope everyone has an uplifting and inspirational Advent season!

My Progress So Far in Being Monastic

I have not updated the blog for a while due to extreme exhaustion.  The doctor found a vitamin deficiency.  Also, I received good news that I do not have breast cancer. However these physical issues and a pileup of other crises led to my current state of tiredness.  I still continued as much as possible to keep a routine of morning contemplative prayer, inspiring readings, slowing down and praying Divine Mercy at night.  These practices were an anchor for me as the storm intensified and raged around me. 

During this time, I read a couple of books on Benedictine spirituality.   Brother Benet Tvedter wrote a  book called How to Be Monastic and Not Lose Your Day Job.  (That title definitely caught my eye).  He emphasized a life of “balance, moderation, and a lot of humanity.”  There needs to be a time for prayer and work but “don’t work so hard that you don’t have time to pray.”  

I also read parts of The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris.  It was interesting to read a protestant’s perspective on her time spent in a Benedictine monastery and its influence on her spirituality and writing.  When living outside the monastery, she offered a few good ideas on taking the monastery with you.  She takes a walk at dawn, reads daily psalms, sings hymns and meditates on biblical passages (lectio divina).

Both of these books inspired me to start opening the bible and at least read a psalm.  I have not done this every day but hope to make it part of my regular routine.  Sometimes, I used the psalm that was part of the daily mass reading.  I also have just randomly picked a psalm.  One day, I fell upon the powerful Psalm 55 which has one of my favorite bible verses “Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you.  He will never let the righteous fail.”  Psalm 55:22  I did not know that David wrote it after suffering from betrayal and being under siege in a fierce battle.  I felt God revealed to me that He understood my suffering by showing me this psalm.

l also will continue to study St. Benedict and write more on him in the future.  My church had a yard sale recently, so I picked up the Rule of St. Benedict for the bargain price of $.50.  Maybe God is sending me in this direction. 

The Lord is also telling me to spend time with Mary on this journey.  As a convert, I have had struggles with this aspect of Catholicism.  A couple of nights ago, I saw Tom Booth in concert at my church.  He used to be a music minister there but is now a Christian artist.  I was tired and fought a raging headache, although the music did uplift me.  He ended the concert by singing a beautiful prayer to Mary.  At that moment, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to turn to Mary who suffered greatly from grief after her Son died and thus understood my suffering.  I then prayed a most desperate plea to her to intercede for my healing and wiped away tears flowing out of my eyes.  It was an extremely powerful experience and I truly believe she heard my prayer.  All I can do now is wait and trust in the Lord .