Category: Jesus

Sharing a birthday with Jesus

12/29/2024

Filippo Lippi

December is a busy time for everyone. That's a fact. There is Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year's, with one or more of those for everyone. For me, so much that is personal is packed into those five plus days at the end of the year: Jesus' birthday on the 25th and mine on the 30th (with my wedding anniversary on the 28th).
     As I look back on those December birthdays, I see that I was gifted some important life lessons. Early on I learned to say,  "My birthday is five days after Christmas." Those were my words; that's how it was referred to by friends and family; that's how it is still identified; that's how I still say it.  Deep in my heart, however, I have always known that Christmas is the favored December birthday to celebrate
      I have memories of wrapped presents under the tree, waiting to be unwrapped upon our return from church after we celebrated Jesus' birthday. We had been to the carol sing and candle light service on Christmas Eve, but today was Jesus 'actual birthday, and so mid-morning, off we went.( No discussion, no complaining allowed!) I am very grateful for that gift my parents gave me, not a gift to unwrap, but the gift of going to Jesus' party at church on the very day of his birthday.
     You might think that that is the end of my birthday story, but it isn't. Six years to the day, five days after Christmas, my sister Margot was born. I love sharing my birthday with her; no, not my birthday but our birthday. It has always been easy. After all, I had already learned to share with Jesus.

Finding Jesus in Edinburgh

3/4/2024

In cased you missed it, I'm in Edinburgh.  Other than 'Quotes' and 'Word and Image' my postings have become sporadic in the past couple of years--I know, I know. Maybe it is because my faith journey has been intense, boundless, comforting, all-consuming, personal…all of that and more. I feel less need to put it into words or to share it. Some journeys we take with others, some alone. This feels more alone with God.
      I am writing this from Edinburgh, where I am on a week long journey with my son and his family. Lots of fabulous trips around the city and beyond. And yet, I have time to journey alone.
      Yesterday I attended 9:30 Eucharist at St. Giles Church on the Royal Mile.

At the Edinburgh Castle in St. Margaret's Chapel there was the stained glass window of Jesus in the boat with his disciples.

Wherever I go, Jesus appears.

The Convent of San Marco and Fra Angelico

12/4/2018

Here it is again! A slideshow of Fra Angelico’s frescoes in the monks’ cells in the Convent of San Marco. At 8:15 I was the first visitor of the day, and for a while I had the place to myself. I have a set of these same pictures stored on my computer, so why take them again? Because these are of the moment, this moment of prayer.

Being both human and divine

8/27/2018

It is said that Jesus was both human and divine--a concept I easily resonated with on my walk this morning. I set out with the intention of walking with God—to meditate and be in God’s presence by letting go of all my everyday thoughts—the monkey mind, as it is called. At varying intervals I was able to do this, to be with the divine Jesus.
     However, I was also present to the human Jesus. How could I not, with sweat dripping down the back of my neck, with my legs letting me know they were working hard, and with thoughts of thirst?
     I’m glad my faith celebrates both the human and the divine, not just in Jesus but in each one of us humans. Without thought or commitment we all participate in the human. But although the divine is there, we have to chose it and practice bringing it into our consciousness and actions.
     So did Jesus. He was out and about in Galilee walking and talking with people, but he there were times when went off to walk and talk with God. And then there was the cross, where he was fully human, and then in some mysterious, unfathomable way, showed us how also to be fully divine.

Life's purpose

7/2/2018

As an older person I spend time thinking about my purpose in life. When younger, purpose wasn’t an issue. I always had plenty to do, plenty of purpose—family and job—that kind of thing. Now, even though I have less to do, I have a satisfying balance—family and church—that kind of thing.
But there is something else going with me about purpose. My satisfying balance has to do with a new underlying purpose, which is to do for God. I pretty much do the same kinds of things that I always did, but now I do them, not because I was brought up to be a ‘good’ person, but as a disciple of Jesus who calls is to be stewards of the earth and ‘fishers of men.’

Child abuse at our borders

6/15/2018

     Yesterday on my cottagebythesea blog I wrote about the child abuse our government is carrying out on children and mothers seeking asylum as they courageously dare to enter the United States through Mexico. I’ve posted it below.
     Here on this prayerdiary I want to talk about all the praying that’s going on for the situation. People are praying and I trust you who read this blog are doing so as well.
      That’s the first thing I want to say. The second is that as Christians we are called to feed the poor… what you do to one of these, you do unto me. That’s what Jesus tells, and whenever I need a refresher, which I do, I read Matthew 25. It’s all there.
      Finally, what about the law? Jesus told the man who asked him which law to follow in order to gain eternal life, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Luke 10:27). You can find a similar response in Matthew 22:37.
     That sums up Jesus’ entire message. Just a few phrases, with a chapter or two thrown in for amplification and clarification.

Here are this morning’s gratitudes:
I’m grateful I had the freedom to nurse my two children.
I’m grateful that I am sooooo angry that nursing children are being taken (grabbed) from their mother’s breast at our Mexican border.
I can’t believe that my gratitude has to do with anger. As I’ve written before, every morning my husband and I start the day saying what we’re grateful for. Those ought to be positive, right? And they usually are because isn’t that the nature of gratitude? Isn’t that how we want to live?
But this is a totally new concept for me (and I’m sure I’m not alone), this separating nursing mothers and children. Separating is bad enough, but taking a baby from the breast? Child abuse is hardly a strong enough term. Is there any argument that says it’s not child abuse? I’m not saying abusive in some general, vague term. I’m using the full term: CHILD ABUSE.
Who are these people who physically carry out this child abuse? Border guards, men and women. I assume that more of them are men, because that’s the kind of job men have. A few may be women, but I can’t imagine any woman would grab a child from a mother’s breast. More likely the women border guards are probably in the detention centers comforting children and mothers.
I assume that these border guards are citizens of this democracy called the United States of America. How can these men and women stand by and be complicit in this child abuse? They need the job to support their families and they are powerless—the two go together; I get that. I also get that that is what German citizens said as they unwittingly participated in Hitler’s cult, which let to the Nazi state. And now, our the United States government, via the president, is requiring its citizens to participate in immoral and unethical acts against fellow human beings.
I’m angry but refuse to admit I’m powerless. I have to believe that I am a citizen of a democracy. I can speak out against this child abuse, but is there something more to do?

Gospel according to me~

3/19/2018

In the Week 6 Day 1 post of the Society of St. John the Evangelist Lenten post, Br. Curtis suggests that there is a fifth Gospel, the Gospel according to you. What an intriguing idea, one that challenges me to give it a try. As Br. Curtis suggests, it will tell what my life is about. As I begin, the one thing I know for certain is that my Gospel will tell that God has called me to pray for people-- that is definitely a God call because never in a million years could I have thought that up myself. Prayer will be the special message of my Gospel.
meetingjesusinjohn.org/2018/01/01/week-6-day-1-sent-into-the-world/

Early trust~

2/28/2018

The other day my niece sent me this photo of me at age two standing with my mom at the mailbox. Undoubtedly my dad took the picture, but it is my mom and me having this moment of love and tenderness that formed the basis of our intimate relationship that lasted until her death at age 101. This trust that my mom (and dad) offered me continues to open me up to an intimate relationship with Jesus.
My mom once told me that she tried to start each day being grateful for her family and friends, her health, her life, and her faith. I try to do the same. Thank you, Mom. Very Grateful!

Personal savior

10/4/2017

     “Jesus Christ is my personal savior,” is not something I’ve ever proclaimed, much less said, nor do I hear it from any of my church-going, Christian friends.
     With the murders in Las Vegas and the devastation in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas, however, I’m beginning to appreciate what that statement means. Without Jesus, I’d be wallowing in the chaos, groping in the dark, seeing no way out. No way to see the light.
     Yesterday I realized that I had been walking in the dark, absorbing the negative energy out there. It doesn’t take much—just listen to the news. But negativity was oozing out to all the situations in my life. No one could do it right. I had righteous indignation about everything, everybody.
     But then Jesus slipped in, turning on the light of love, his ONLY place of salvation. And that awareness saved me. So, dare I say, “Jesus Christ is my personal savior”?

One hour a day~

9/28/2017

How much time do we spend praying? Christian tradition reminds us a time when churches were open for services night and day, and when monks and others participated in the Daily Office. But nowadays? We’re on the run, at least those still working. As a retired person I have the luxury of time to pray, and since I have this call to pray for people, I’d better take the time. Intercessory prayer takes time. The preparation is intense in itself. Empty my mind of chatter and judgments so that thy will be done can enter.
“Could you not watch one hour with me?” (Matthew 26:40), Jesus asks his disciples. He is asking me, for I am a disciple. I try to do just that for the first hour of my day. It’s a good practice, and for me it feels like a privilege.