Thanks to Fr. Philip

Thanks to Fr. Philip Powell for promoting my fledgling blog.  I've followed his for a while now: 
http://hancaquam.blogspot.com/


It's true that Philip was my "first husband" while at Aquinas Institute of Theology.  If it wasn't for that presentation on Edward Schillebeeckx and serious sleep deprivation there would NEVER have been any comparisons made to "I Love Lucy".

My Not-So-Holy Family

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family.  Who can compete with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus?  At first glance I would have to say that my little family is out of the running.  I am not the most patient person in the world, I can only handle “Bob the Builder” so many times in a day before I start to crack, and then there’s the constant picking up of cars and blocks and stuffed animals that cover every inch of the floor.  How on earth is my family at all like the Holy Family?

Instead of focusing on the BIG PICTURE, zoom in and look at the details.  The likelihood of me becoming Saint Deirdre is nil, but I can do what Mary and Joseph did.  The Gospel reading for today is Luke 2:22-40.  It is the story of when Jesus was presented to the Lord in the Temple; Jesus was consecrated to the Lord.  So what does that mean for me and my not-so-holy family?  To consecrate means to declare something holy or to acknowledge a divine plan and then to take it seriously.  Once consecrated there is a lifelong journey that follows.  

Perhaps we can be a holy family.  My husband and I consecrated our marriage before God.  Our son is a gift from God and we had him baptized into God’s family.  Now we are on God’s journey.  I suppose it’s to be expected that since I am the Divinity Diva I take religious and spiritual education very seriously.  I don’t know God’s divine plan for my son, but he’ll know how to look and listen for it.  

If your family is not like THE Holy Family, you’re not alone, but we can each be a holy family.

It's all about Love...

The doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of the Christian faith. 


The key to understanding the Trinity is relationship and the life of the Trinity is to be our model for life.  The three Persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have an intense relationship that is fueled by love.  There is so much love between the three Persons of the Trinity that it overflows into creation and is able to keep 7 billion people alive and knows every hair on each one of those 7 billion heads.  That is a lot of love!  


Without the Trinity there would be no earth, no people, no universe, no internet, no Mac sitting in my lap, and definitely no jewelry.  


The Trinity loves each and every person with complete freedom.  God is constantly saying, "I love you.  I want to share my love with you."  I actually have the freedom to say, "Uh, no thanks."  However, I say, "Heck yes!  Let me have some of that love, please."  


I am to take that love and share with others.  I am to go into the world and show the love of the Trinity to everyone I meet: a smile - a real, genuine smile, looking someone in the eye; an encouraging word; a compliment; an available shoulder to cry on; an ear willing to listen.  The love of the Trinity has been given to me first and that allows me to love others.  It really is all about love.