by The Face of Grace Project | Jan 6, 2021 | Presence
The ghosts of New Years past: resolutions to change myself every New Year’s, Lent, birthday and Advent … the yo-y0 effect of being absolutely sure every morning that I’ll keep my resolutions only to give in about 3pm that afternoon … a scream of “YIKES” realizing that me changing myself fails because it remains centered in me … suppressing the “YIKES” and coming up with a ‘better’ resolution.
All we need for 2021 is one simple resolution: to ask God “What is one thing I need to do, or not do, that will change my relationship with you?” And then do it.
by The Face of Grace Project | Jan 3, 2021 | Presence
Over the millennia, people have been fascinated that the Magi traveled so far to adore a child King of a peoples not their own. The Magi could not have predicted from the stars when He would be born or how, or what was to happen “but conversely, having a long time before seen a star appear in their own country, they come to see Him that was born.” Then one asks why did they come at all? They weren’t there to pay homage to the child of a human ruler. He wasn’t their king, and they didn’t hesitate to risk telling the reigning ruler (Herod) of this new king in his kingdom. They took great risk in traveling the long distance. Arriving to find this King was an infant, they worshipped him rather than turning around and going home. Why did they bother?
by The Face of Grace Project | Dec 30, 2020 | Presence
This liturgical period gives many opportunities to grow profoundly in this relationship with God: the Holy Family, Mary Mother of God, The Holy Name of Jesus, all leading to the Feast of the Epiphany. It is not the bringing of closure to Christmas but, rather, the making of it an ongoing lived reality in our heart. Grasping at two simple truths and rejecting any contrary thoughts will change your life and, through you, those you love: (1) God really does love you deeply, personally and mercifully, and (2) You are worthy of it.
Let us allow God to remake us so that, like Mary, we may be the face of Grace to the world.
by The Face of Grace Project | Dec 27, 2020 | Presence
As we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, I need to ask myself, what does this mean to me? And to how I live my day today?
The church teaches that Mary leads us to Jesus. Interestingly, however, Jesus will also lead us to Mary. It seems that to truly give our heart to the one, we must give our heart to the other.
by The Face of Grace Project | Dec 23, 2020 | Presence
One morning, I was in the church chapel kneeling before the tabernacle. My gaze went to the window above it. Through the haze of the drizzling rain stood a tall, leaf-barren tree. High up in the tree was a very large bird’s nest. And it struck me how much life is hidden from us until the dead exterior is shed.
Problems in life drill down to Love, and when the absence of Love presents itself, we must look to ourselves rather than the other person. The only solution is to make a beeline straight to God to unload more dead matter from the soul. It is then that we have eyes to see the beauty in barrenness.
by The Face of Grace Project | Dec 20, 2020 | Presence
How often it may seem that our really ginormous God is too big to fit into our life. And yet the truth is, He is already there in every crack and crevice. He is the origin of every moment and sustains our life in that moment. Not because He has to. Because He wants to. And this really ginormous God came to us in the smallest way: a naked infant totally dependent on humans, willing to listen to His Father and follow His Spirit.
