Friday, January 16, 2015

Dealing with Reality

Often times in life we are faced with challenges that lead us to worry and concern.  The issue is; "Is it Real?"  I found that we tend to speculate and manifest situations that may never come to be.

Once you have regarded something as real there needs to be steps to a solution.  Where does this solution come from?  How is it made?

The solution comes from an understanding of the situation and the steps are a way to move the situation into a positive light.

The way Jesus handled this was that he lived in the moment.  He was concerned about what reality is and not what might happen.

The woman at the well is an example.  Jesus knew that the reality of the situation was there was a woman who was outcast from the community and He needed to reach her, so He went to the well at noon.

Noon is very important here because the woman had to go to get water when all the others had gone home for the day.  Jesus met her where she was and dealt with reality in her life to show her that Love is for everyone.

The Good Samaritan is another example.  There is a man who is left to die by robbers and the ones that you would expect to help him walked aside and let the man there.  The reality is that there is someone in need and Jesus tells us to stop and go the extra mile to help him.

Dealing with reality in the face of opposition can be a very difficult thing and may give you a "name."

It's ok, do it anyway.

Reality is what is in front of you at this very moment, not what might be.

Jesus might have thought, What if someone sees me talking to this woman and stones me or shuns me?  That's not reality, it is a fear and it would have stifled the interaction.

The Good Samaritan may have thought, what if. . .

You see where this goes?

If it is real deal with it, if it is not, let it go.





Thursday, January 01, 2015

Living Christmas


The secular season of Christmas leads us from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas shopping, pre-Thanksgiving, and drops us off on the 25th then quickly races to a celebration preparation for New Year.

In the Catholic Tradition and other similar traditions we are slow to move out of the Christmas season and celebrate the Christmastide and then the Octave of Christmas to The Epiphany.

There is a song that helped out with teaching the youth about the sanctity of the days following Christmas and the song is, The Twelve Days of Christmas , which today is a catchy song that has lost its intended meaning.

Look over the link and see how the lyrics relate to what you may have thought they meant.

Have a Merry Christmas, the Wisemen are on their way, and have a Happy Octave!

http://www.catholic.org/clife/advent/advent.php?id=2