Finals Week

Finals week is always, it seems, the most stressful time of the year for pretty much anyone...unless they don't have school. If I don't do wel on my finals, my grades will drop, I'll fail out of school, I'll never find a job...or love...or happiness...and so we go down the slippery slope. Let's be honest with ourselves, though. What will actually happen if I don't do well on my finals?

• The world will still turn
• I will continue to breathe
• I will still be capable of loving
• God and my mother will still love me.
• I will most likely not starve to death
• I will still have my good friendships and important relationships

The list could continue for pages. The point is, is it really a life or death issue if we don't "do well" on our tests. Our Lord tells us in the Gospel of Matthew: "Do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek First the Kingdom of God and his righteousness -- and all these things will be given you besides."

As we near Christmas, preparing our hearts to seek the Lord, let us recall what is most important to us? At the end of our life, are we going to regret not getting an A on that final I took fifty years ago? Probably not. Will we regret not spending as much time with those whom we love as possible? Probably. Let's remember what our lives are really about. Love. Love of God and love of our neighbor.

DON'T WORRY!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

Today is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the New Liturgical Year in the Catholic Church. In honor of the New Year, I have decided to start this blog. I will be posting reflections on here about many things. I hope you all enjoy this blog. I will try to post on here at least once every two weeks, hopefully more frequently.

Today's reflection is on the season of Advent. Advent is my favorite liturgical season, mostly because of the music. The music of the Advent season has so much anticipation and looking forward. My favorite hymn is an Advent Hymn. It dates back from the 6th or 7th Century AD. I sang this hymn last night when I prayed Evening Prayer I of the First Sunday of Advent.

Most people in today's world skip Advent and go right from Thanksgiving (or even Halloween) to Christmas. This is a mistake. Advent is a time of penance given to us by the Church in order to prepare for the coming of the Savior. It is alomst like a miniature Lent. Perhaps we can all give something up for Advent, like we do for Lent, and use this time truly as a spiritual preparation for Christ's coming. Not just the commemoration of his coming into the world two-thousand years ago, but also his second coming, when he will come in glory to judge the living and the dead.

 

 

As we prepare for Christmas, lighting the candles on the Advent Wreath, let us remember to live by the Virtues of Faith, Hope, Joy, and Love whic these candles represent. When we go to Mass, let's remember that it is not Christmas yet. This is a season of great anticipation. Let's keep the anticipation in it and not jump ahead to Christams.