Oh Holy Spirit!
Consume my soul as fire consumes wood.
Transform my heart as wood is transformed into ash
And scatter it upon the Earth where it may best serve you according to your will.
© 2009 Michael Teixeira, SFO
Contributor
- Michael Teixeira, SFO
- I am a professed Third Order Franciscan since 2002. I have dedicated my life to living and following the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order. I have been the Vice-Minister and Minister of my local fraternity. Recently, my faith journey has taken me east to the Byzantine Catholic Church. I look forward to spreading the work of Saint Francis in my new found home. Even more recently I find that I am being called to walk more closely in the footsteps of Saint Francis. Our world is in desperate need a restoration of Faith, Hope and Charity. It is to this end that I devote my life.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Anno Domini 2009 (Byzantine 7518)
Christ is born!
Glorify Him!
Last night was the one year anniversary that my wife and I along with a friend of ours first stepped foot in Sts. Cyril & Methodius Byzantine Catholic Church. It was remarkable a year ago, and still as remarkable a year later. The Byzantine Catholic spirituality is so rich and so alive that I wish everyone could experience it at least once in their lives.
As with many of Father Rick’s homilies, I seem to hear thing a new for the first time. Last night’s homily during the Christmas Eve Liturgy spoke volumes and I wish to summarize it for those who did not hear it.
Humanity was created in God’s image; however, due to the fall of Adam and Eve, we were reduced to a suffering, beastly, dying people. We constantly find ourselves at what are low points in our lives where God seems so far away from us. Nevertheless, it is in these moments when God is closest to us.
Christ the Divine fully embraced our humanity. In His life, only twice is it recorded where He was at His weakest point in His life. The crucifixion is probably the one time that we most recall from scripture. The celebration of the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is actually the first event where He allowed Himself to be at His weakest point. As an infant, He was totally dependent on His Earthly parents (Joseph and Mary) to feed Him, clothe Him, nurture Him and protect Him. At that point, God was in the same state of weakness as His human creation. Christ entered the world at His weakest point and died at His weakest point only to turn His weakness into our salvation.
Therefore, when we find ourselves weak, tired, and broken, it is at this point that we are closest to God and God closest to us. It is in the weakness of others that we find Christ. It is in their weakness that we must hold them, embrace them, nurture them, protect them like the infant Christ whose birth we celebrate today. I find it sad when I hear pop Christmas songs asking where did Christmas go. The answer is nowhere. If we see the infant Christ in others, we will live the “Christmas Spirit” all year long.
May you nurture the Christ babe throughout this Christmas Season and all through 2010.
Pax et Bonum.
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