On the Feast of the Incarnation we celebrate Almighty God’s decision to become man by assuming the body of a human being. The Heavenly Father announced to Mary that she was chosen to be the mother of God’s only begotten son. Mary had been immaculately conceived in her mother’s womb, and was made ready from her conception for this supreme moment in the history of the world.
One of the best ways to be faithful to the Lord is to take him at his word: “Be not afraid.” This is a call to courage. Jesus is asking you to be calm in the storm of life, not only for your own peace of mind, but for the well-being of your loved ones. You can decide to present the face of Christ to them, by showing them your faith in his strength.
It’s normal to worry about the future. The threat of war looms all around us. North Korea, Iran, Isis, they all pose serious threats to our peace. We don’t have a crystal ball to tell us what’s going to happen next, but we do have a body of wisdom that saves us from a lot of confusion and dread. It’s synopsized for us in the Apostle’s Creed.
Become the body of Christ, get involved in your parish
Written by Effie CaldarolaWhen I lived in Alaska, I was an extraordinary minister of holy Communion to the homebound. Looking back, I’m rather amazed that I volunteered for this task, which often took me on ice-clogged roads that meandered haphazardly into the snowy hillsides of Anchorage.
The years have turned me into a much more timid driver.
The sun rose this morning in dramatic flourishes of pink and orange. Never mind that later the clouds and the gray winter reasserted themselves as members of my family left for the airport.
I am grateful for the memory of standing in the front room with my youngest daughter and marveling at the stunning moment that was today’s brief sunrise.
When I was a young woman, I went to the grocery store with my mom in the farm town where I grew up.
It was before the days of computerized cash registers that automatically revealed the amount of change due. You needed some rudimentary math skills back then to work at a store.
After divisive election, prayer precedes activism
Written by Effie CaldarolaThe Wednesday after the presidential election was a very emotional day in America.
Like millions of others, I was up way too late on election night, waiting for results to be clear before heading to a sleepless bed.
In the morning, social media exploded. No matter how one voted, passions prevailed. People exulted or were despondent; people were euphoric, depressed, angry, at times, simultaneously.