#Happy New Liturgical Year

[firstumcschenectady]

"Be on Guard" based on Jeremiah 33:14-16 and Luke 21:25-36

As a general rule, I really hate Advent texts. I hate them because they're apocalyptic and messy and scary and generally reflect a future I hope we don't have.

When I reflected on this with Worship Committee last month, they looked at me knowingly and pointed out that perhaps that's exactly why we need the Lectionary Advent texts right now. Because 1. we need some connection to our traditions and 2. it feels really real right now.

Which, since you just heard the utter wonder of the Luke 21 text, you can tell I was convinced by those ideas. However, I'm particularly lucky that the Sunday Night Bible Study also just finished reading the book of Daniel and I'm way more aware of the genre of apocalyptic literature in the Bible than I normally am.

I do not, for the record, recommend reading the book of Daniel outside of the context of a Bible Study or without some truly excellent commentaries. However, I had the benefit of reading it with excellent commentaries and insightful fellow readers.

The thing about Daniel, and the book of Revelation, and I think this passage in Luke is: they're written as resistance literature. They can't be direct and make the point, “The person who has all the power an is oppressing us with it is not doing God's will,” because if they say that then anyone who has access to the document will be killed. #OpressiveRegimes So, they put things in different times. Daniel pretends to be from the past, Revelation pretends to be in the future. Then they speak about the abuses of power they see now, and do it in a way that it clear that God is still God and the horrors of this time will come to an end.

They are powerful tools of encouragement, of hope, and of resistance.

But, in order to obscure their points so people don't die, they're also a little bit hard to decipher.

I'm not really sure what Luke is trying to get to in today's passage. (The Jesus seminar is pretty clear this is all Luke's writing, not reflective directly of Jesus.) What we do know is that the early Christian communities experienced fairly extreme circumstances, and often needed encouragement and resistance literature. It seems that it could be common enough to feel like things were so bad that “people would faint from fear”. But Luke assures the people that things getting bad are just a sign they're going to get better soon. Because the people needed to be encouraged.

So, beloveds, as people who also might need some encouragement, the part of the passage that encouraged me this week was one little line, “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life.” Oh, I needed that reminder. Be on guard that your heart is not weighed down.

Sweet Jesus, thank you. (Or, rather, thanks Luke.)

Now, Jeremiah goes at this from a different perspective. Which is interesting because Jeremiah is known for being a significant downer as a prophet. But chapter 33 is one of Jeremiah's “good cop” chapters and Jeremiah encourages the people that the end has not come and good times are going to come again.

Now, I have to admit something to you. I rebel against the word “righteousness.” I don't think my objections are particularly fair. It is a good word. It means living well, living “rightly,” living in right relationship with God and neighbors. And yet, somehow, when I come across it, I connect it with purity culture and judgmental-ism and people judging whether or not one is righteous and it just ruins the whole thing for me. (I believe others struggle with Justice for similar reasons, and oddly enough I like that one.)

So, I thesaurus-ed “righteous” and the simplest substitute for it is “goodness” which I can handle. With that, we get a passage from Jeremiah that says:

The days are coming, God says, when I'm going to fulfill my promises.

In those days David's line will continue,

and the leader in the line of David will bring goodness and fairness to everyone.

The people will be safe and well.

Things will be so good that other nations will call my people by the name,

“God is our goodness.”

I like it. Sounds to me like yet another description of that beloved community or kindom of God we're co-creating with God. God reminds us, even in dark times, not to give up hope.

And Luke reminds us to be on guard so our hearts aren't weighed down.

Which leads me to invite us to think about both what weighs down our hearts, and what lifts those weights.

I can share that my weights are lifted by:

remembering all the organizations and people working for goodness

jokes and memes that hit at the crux of things with humor

feeling heard

being able to truly hear another person's heart

singing together

fiction and fictional portrayals that give me a break from the problems of this time

telling God exactly what I'm feeling and why

giving God time to respond (I may use this less than I wish)

helping others

baking

and as I was reminded in today's Advent Devotional – a snack and a nap!

It's my list, I don't know if yours has baking on it or not ;) But, if you are willing, would you work on making your list? What lifts the weights when your heart is heavy?

And, if you are willing, could you then put that list somewhere you can see it, as a reminder for when your heart needs you to guard it and lighten it's load?

Someone wise reminded me this week that it is hard to be disconcerted by reality at the same time that others are, because instead of steadying each other, people are pulling each other further off kilter. I say we work on becoming a fire break in the anxiety storm, a source of calm in the midst of it all. We guard our hearts and each other's, so we can be steady when others are off kilter. Are you with me?

I hope so. Thanks be to God for the opportunity to lift some weights from our hearts, so we have capacity to help others when their weights get too heavy. Amen

December 1, 2025

Rev. Sara E. Baron  First United Methodist Church of Schenectady  603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305  Pronouns: she/her/hers  http://fumcschenectady.org/  https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

[ameretat]

At that time, Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

— Luke 4:16

[queerprayers]

Hi! This advent I really want to honour my faith rather than just celebrating christmas in a secular sense. I found your post about advent and the liturgical new year inspiring, and I was wondering if you could point me towards some ideas or resources for advent practices or ways to go about worship specifically for this period - everywhere I've looked just talks about lighting candles, which I'm not able to do in my current housing. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you for your blog and everything you write here, and I hope you have a wonderful new year <3

Happy Advent, beloved! Candles are great (including fake ones or felt/crafted ones)—or you could recreate a similar weekly/daily thing, like hanging another star in the window. But that's not your only option. Here are some thoughts! (I also said some similar things last year you might find interesting.)

One of the most meaningful things about my Advents growing up was the fact that it was visibly not-quite-Christmas. We put up our tree maybe a few days before but we didn't decorate it until Christmas Eve. We didn't listen to Christmas music till Christmas—we listened to Advent music. We put our nativity set in the window, but gradually—we would set up Mary and Joseph traveling to it, and I remember waiting to unpack the baby Jesus until Christmas Eve. (The wise men were on the bookshelf until Epiphany.) I've put a painting of the Annunciation on my altar, but Christmas stuff will wait. 

It's very important to me to make each season distinct materially. The things around me, the music I listen to, the books I read, the prayers I say, change tangibly—in Advent and Lent especially. My emotions come and go, what I'm thinking about is different every day, but it's Advent because I am doing Advent—and not yet doing Christmas, no matter what the music in the grocery store or the parties I'm invited to tell me. (I don't refuse to find joy in them, I'm just conscious about the fact that I'm in a different season. It's not as big a deal to me as the Lent/Easter divide, though, which I will defend with every part of me.)

I love liturgical colors for this reason, too—my church isn't very extravagant and mostly looks the same throughout the year, but the altar cloth is a different color. I know exactly what season it is just from that. (Our Advent is blue to honor Mary, but most people's is purple like Lent with maybe a pink Gaudete Sunday.) My home altar also changes color, so I have that visual in my room as well.

So do it on purpose, candles or no. Maybe wait on a few Christmas-y things, like ornaments or music (don't worry, Christmas has twelve days and then you can keep doing it all through the Epiphany season if you want). Make it Advent, whenever you start! 

Historically, Advent traditions have been very similar (or identical) to Lenten ones. The Orthodox church calls Advent the Nativity Fast. It's been a penitent preparation. Things we may associate with Lent, like going without things or structured prayer, can find a home in Advent as well.

Secular celebrations and consumerism have affected Advent as well as Christmas, with countless calendars and just in general by filling our lives with Christmas themes that might make us forget Advent has its own themes. (To be clear, I support anyone celebrating Christmas—once a religion evangelizes/colonizes/rules, it has no right to accuse people of appropriating its holidays. I am simply talking about how the cultural practice differs.) Advent has themes of peace and love and hope, but it's got more specific themes than that, scarier stuff than that. It's about Christ's coming in the Incarnation, but it's also about Christ coming all around us every day, and Christ's promised future coming.

Spend some time with Isaiah, spend some time with meditations on Mary (I just read some of Catherine of Siena's words which are here as a reading for March 25.). From the poem I posted, you can tell I spent some time with Joel last year. Here's the Revised Common Lectionary daily readings for these seasons—you could start a habit or do it for a season or explore some passages every once in a while. You can find the Book of Common Prayer's traditional Advent prayers here (The Collects >> choose Traditional or Contemporary language >> Seasons of the Year). The ancient "O Antiphons" accompany the Magnificat starting Dec. 17 (here's a booklet with commentary & Latin chant). Forward Movement has several podcasts, if you want to pray daily while commuting or taking a walk or right before bed.

There are a million Advent devotionals out there—you can find one from an author you like, or search your/a denomination + "advent devotional" or "advent prayers" and you'll probably find something. For some social justice oriented ones, I've found Red Letter Christianity's Reflections from Bethlehem (by Palestinian authors), Justice Unbound's Boundless: An Anti-Colonial Advent Devotional, and the UCC's Abolition Advent Calendar. Cole Arthur Riley (Black Liturgies) is doing an Advent series on her Patreon. Jan Richardson posts art and poetic blessings throughout the year.

In terms of books, I recommend:

Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas

Preparing for Christmas (Richard Rohr)

Celtic Advent (David Cole)

WinterSong (Madeleine L'engle & Luci Shaw)

Advent for Exiles (Caroline Cobb)

If you want poetry: Accompanied by Angels (Luci Shaw). 

I'll tell you a secret—most devotionals are meant to be read every day, but no one will know if you don't do that. You can start them at any time and read as much as you like whenever you like. Don't not start one because you don't think you'll be regular about it. 

And of course, you don't need a book to say "Advent" on the front for it to be an Advent book—or music or anything else. I'm about to start God Hunger: Discovering the Mystic in All of Us (John J. Kirvan) which I picked up at a book sale but it's on the Internet Archive! I'm drawn to poetry and Marian hymns in this season, and things that talk about the end of the world and prophecy. Whatever Advent is to you, surround yourself with it—and anything you're just starting to think about, you can explore.

The beautiful news is? The years spiral on, and Advent returns. Every year we're confronted with it, and every year I never do exactly what I wanted. But I've found some stuff to bring with me, some books to reread, things I know further my practice and things that don't. And when the spiral returns to this distinctive place of waiting for something already in our hearts, of hoping for something we don't understand, of inviting in someone who has already snuck in like a thief in the night, we can try again.

So happy Advent, and may yours be visibly, tangibly, purposefully Advent. May you be the impractical kind of hopeful and the holy kind of scared. Christmas is a miracle slowly being tended (rather than Easter's miracle erupting from the ground)—not that there's no blood, no surprise, but that for nine months Life itself grew quietly. So keep watch. Make your life a womb, make your Advent a narrowing toward the humanity God enters. Tend the darkness and bring in some light—a candle is just a way to do that, but there's so much light in the world. Here's to finding it.

<3 Johanna

[findingrome1]

Happy Advent again!! Here is another post with some thoughts I'd like to share about the season.

So Advent is one of two main fasting seasons of the Western Christianity (I know in the Eastern Christianity it is 3 to 4 depending on the liturgical cycle). For those who are new to the faith, or maybe in turning a leaf to be less lukewarm, committing to a fast can be hard. Especially if food is a maladaptive coping with feelings of stress, sadness or loneliness. But this is why fasting is important as a discipline. Another challenge someone may encounter while fasting is if they live with their family and they are none Catholic when you eat from this maybe a challenge. Something you can do is fast on different days when you do have control over what you eat. If you have trouble with fasting just start off small and work your way from there.

Fasting at its heart is not about the absence of food or another activity, but exchanging an ordinary part of our daily routine for an activity that will deepen our relationship with our God. If fasting is about eating less and avoiding meat on certain days but nothing else changes then you aren't in the spirit of fasting, you are merely falling the letter of the prescribed dietary practice by the Magistrium. You are making the Faith a checklist.

Fasting is best accompanied with a difference in routine as well because it ties the acting of abstaining with an increase in spiritual practice. Here are a few things I intend to do, so feel free to borrow from my example.

Before I was a Catholic I would read the Bible in the year (minus the Deutro Cannon). Now that I am I plan to read the Bible in a year, every year at the start of the liturgical calendar.

Do the daily Gospel readings throughout Advent.

Praying Novenas with the saints through the season.

Going to cemeteries to pray for the dead and sing hymns.

Finally and very important is to remember what Advent is about. It isn't just some count down to Christmas. It is the season where remember how Christ our Lord was born for you. The infinite chose to surrender his power to humble himself and be part of our finite world and participate in it, in the ultimate way: Christ our Lord has died for you. By his death we are allowed us finite to now participate in the life of the infinite. So then now, we keep watch for his second coming for when all things are made new. We don't go to heaven, heaven is coming down to us.

[egglishmajor]

this sideblog was accidentally password protected until today so no one could see it ... and here I was wondering why no one ever interacted. anyway, with the start of the new liturgical year (happy advent, everyone!) interact w/ this post if you post catholic things & want a follow!

[aure-entuluva-2407]

Christus Vincit

Lo, He comes with cloud descending, Once for favored sinners slain! Thousand thousand saints attending Swell the triumph of His train: "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God appears on earth to reign!" Every eye shall now behold Him, Robed in dreadful majesty- Those who set at naught and sold Him, Pierced and nailed Him to the tree, Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, Deeply wailing shall the true Messiah see. The dear tokens of His Passion Still His dazzling Body bears- Cause of endless exultation To His ransomed worshipers! With what rapture, with what rapture, With what rapture gaze we on those glorious Scars! Yea, Amen! Let all adore Thee, High on Thy eternal throne! Savior, take the power and glory, Claim the kingdom for Thine Own! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Everlasting God, come down!

It's the Solemnity of Christ the King, one of my favorite feasts and the end of the Catholic Liturgical Year! On this feast, we celebrate Christ as King of the Universe, and look towards His second coming at the end of time- fitting, as next Sunday begins Advent, our time of preparation in remembrance of His first coming at Christmas.

God bless you, and Happy New Year (almost)!

[that-catholic-shinobi]

Also Happy Liturgical News Years Eve to my fellow Catholics

[gaelic-symphony]

hi!! :)

i hope this isn't weird, but i love reading your posts about judaism to learn more from it. i don't follow any religion but i love getting to know them from people who do

and if you don't mind me asking, what are your favourite things about it? <3

i hope i have expressed myself well and you don't mind this 🫶🏼

I actually love this ask, and I'm so glad you sent it! There are so many things I love about Judaism, it would take me forever to come up with a list of them, but here are a few of my favorites:

I love our everyday rituals. I love keeping kosher and going to the kosher supermarket. I love that every time I eat or go grocery shopping, I'm affirming my connection to my people and my ancestors. I love that we have blessings for the most mundane human activities like washing our hands. I love ending every week with Shabbat. I love how it gives us a day to rest and reflect and be thankful before we start a new week, and I love having the weekly marker of Shabbat to track the passage of time. I love that you don't have to subscribe to any particular version of Jewish theology or believe that we do these things because Hashem commanded us in order to participate fully in these rituals. You can do them just because you find meaning in them. You can do them just because you're proud to be Jewish and follow the traditions of your ancestors.

I love our holidays. So many of them commemorate our survival against those who tried to wipe us out: Purim, Chanukah, Passover. Every year, we tell the story of our peoples' perseverance. We reflect on the strength and courage of generations of Jews before us that allowed our continued survival into the present day. Other holidays are seasonal markers of time. Tu B'Shvat is a little over a week away, and it's our "new year for trees," the time of year when the earliest trees start to bloom in the Land of Israel. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mark the end of the old year and beginning of a new one, and give us the chance to leave our mistakes of the past year behind and learn from them moving forward as we start fresh with a brand new year. Sukkot is a traditional celebration of the annual harvest. And other holidays, we're just so happy to be Jewish that we need to throw a party about it! Shavuot celebrates the Israelites receiving the Torah from Hashem at Mount Sinai, and then we celebrate the Torah again on Simchat Torah, when we read the very last verses of the book of Dvarim and start all over again with Bereshit.

I love our music. Our daily prayers are set to music, with special nusach (melodies) for Shabbat and holidays. When we read from the Torah or the books of the prophets, we chant the words to the same melodies our ancestors have done for centuries. We sing as a way to connect with each other and with Hashem. We sing the psalms of King David, and we sing wordless melodies we call niggunim. We've developed our own styles of secular, non-liturgical music and dance: klezmer and canciones, the horah and the Yemenite step, and many, many more!

I love our scholarship. Our scholarly tradition is one of questioning and arguing, neither of which are viewed negatively in Jewish tradition! We love to ask ourselves "what if" and "why," and the point isn't so much finding a singular answer as it is the process of engaging with the text. Does it really matter as a real-world issue whether there are any Pokemon that would be kosher to eat? Of course not! But that's exactly the type of thing we love to argue over, and if the ancient rabbinic sages like Hillel and Akiva and Rashi and Maimonides were alive today, I guarantee you they would have opinions on the matter.

I love our joy. There is so much joy that comes with being Jewish, a joy we feel just for being alive against all odds. Most of our prayers are not asking Hashem for the things we want, but thanking Hashem for the things we have. We have a brachah we say specifically to thank Hashem for the opportunity to fix what is broken in this world. Our history has rarely been a happy one, but we have always found reasons to rejoice. We danced and sang and celebrated our holidays and life events even in the Warsaw Ghetto. This past December, during one of the saddest, heaviest, and scariest times for our people since the Shoah, Jews all over the world celebrated Chanukah like we always do. In the midst of our mourning, we found joy. Literally and figuratively, we came together as a tribe to create light in the darkness.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

29th November >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Friday, Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II))

First Reading Apocalypse 20:1-4,11-21:2 The book of life was opened, and the dead were judged.

I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven with the key of the Abyss in his hand and an enormous chain. He overpowered the dragon, that primeval serpent which is the devil and Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and shut the entrance and sealed it over him, to make sure he would not deceive the nations again until the thousand years had passed. At the end of that time he must be released, but only for a short while. Then I saw some thrones, and I saw those who are given the power to be judges take their seats on them. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God’s word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not have the brand-mark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged. The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 83(84):3-6,8

R/ Here God lives among men.

My soul is longing and yearning, is yearning for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my soul ring out their joy to God, the living God.

R/ Here God lives among men.

The sparrow herself finds a home and the swallow a nest for her brood; she lays her young by your altars, Lord of hosts, my king and my God.

R/ Here God lives among men.

They are happy, who dwell in your house, for ever singing your praise. They are happy, whose strength is in you: they walk with ever-growing strength.

R/ Here God lives among men.

Gospel Acclamation Luke 21:28

Alleluia, alleluia! Stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand. Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 21:29-33 My words will never pass away.

Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[frangipani-wanderlust]

Advent Wreath up, as today is the first Sunday of Advent. And happy new year to anyone who knows the liturgical calendar.

The purple candle symbolizes penitence and longing, in preparation for the coming of Christ.

[apilgrimpassingby]

Happy Orthodox Liturgical New Year!

(Which means stocking up on holy water, and the priest walking down the aisle sprinkling holy water on everyone.)

[monstrousgourmandizingcats]

Happy liturgical New Year!

[angeltreasure]

Hi I'm new to Catholicism, and growing up I was always told birthdays were pagan? I know they're not but could you pls prove that and explain why they're not?

I’ve never heard a birthday as being a pagan celebration.

A birthday celebration is not a day to worship a regular human. God alone deserves our worship, because as Catholics we believe there is only one God. Our birthdays are celebrating the day we and loved ones are born, a day to give thanksgiving to God in prayer and show love to our neighbor. Birthdays are a chance to express our happiness that we are so happy a loved one was/is born and we look forward to more time with them in the present moment. We can also use birthdays as a day to look back and remember past years of good times growing up surrounded by our dearest family, friends, coworkers, and churchgoers. To love our neighbor is a direct teaching of Jesus Christ.

Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

“Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him, and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

And no one dared to question Him any further.

- Mark 12:28-34

Unlike Islam, Catholics do not view birthdays as bad. We don’t see birthday candles as a replacement for prayer to God. There is no replacement. They are just decorations on a piece of food.

And also, as Catholics, we literally celebrate the best birthday of all every single year: Christmas, the birthday of Jesus Christ!!!!!!!! His birthday is the best of all. ❤️ It’s a real holy day we celebrate, in fact, a whole liturgical season. The pagans are mad about our calendar day, but at the end of the day, their fits don’t matter. What matters is that Christ was real. We express our happiness in His birthday too and thank God the Father for sending Him (and thank the Holy Spirit too). We honor Mary the Mother of Jesus and we honor Jesus’s adoptive father, St. Joseph. The mass on the day of Christmas is so awesome it changes in readings depending on the time of day or night you go, making it all the more special. I make a birthday cake for Jesus every year and I celebrate His birthday through our traditions. What an awesome gift, the Messiah! Oh how my heart soars like a dove just think of Christmas!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

- John 3:16

The world forgets Jesus in their secular celebrations in their relativism and consumerism, but Catholicism remembers Jesus Christ, our King. What will you give Jesus for His birthday?

[supergeekie]

Starting My Journey

Happy Lunar New Year, Everyone!!

For those who don’t follow my twitter, I’ve been trying to better my health and I’ve found the best way to do that is to try and get the biggest support system I can and be HONEST with them.

So today, I’m going to start a weekly update on some things I’m doing and welcome any feedback and advice and hopefully we can all progress together!  I’m doing this on tumblr because it’s easier to ramble here... don’t judge me.

So welcome to my first Self-Care Sunday!

So today I am 9% to my goal which is not much but every little helps.  And today I want to talk about something important.

Meditation

Now while I am trying to improve my physical health, spiritual and mental health is a huge part of that.  So I actually make a point to mediate twice a day.  But honestly, even once or twice a week can be enough to make a huge impact on your mental state.

Now I’ve been meditating since I was in high school so it comes naturally to me but there are a lot of resources out there if you’re just getting started.  Some are free... some not so much.  Find what works for you!  And if you’re of the religious persuasion, there are many ways of connecting to the spiritual in any faith.  Morning and evening prayers, centering prayers, liturgical music... whatever you need to get in touch with the spiritual.  And if you’re atheist?  ...Sorry, can’t help you.

In my case, I actually start the day meditating.  Some people jump out of bed in the morning saying “Thank God for another glorious day!!”  But me?  I usually want to lie in bed saying “Lord, give me the strength to get through another day.”  And so I both ask for that strength and give myself that strength too.  I need a moment to adjust to being alive again, so I make it a point to hit the snooze button every morning.  And in that 3-9 minutes I just take a moment to breathe.  Just be aware of my body and my surroundings.  I try not to think about what I have to do that day quite yet (despite my hungry cats) and I just focus on being.  Now you may ask “But how do you keep yourself from falling asleep again?”  Well uh... OK, I do fall back asleep more often that I would like to admit.  But that’s OK, likely my mind and body needed that little extra rest.  I just have to be sure I’m ready to face the day when the alarm goes off a second time.

The second time I meditate is right before I go to bed.  This is a much longer mediation, usually around 30 minutes.  I have a few methods I like to use for this.  There are many videos out there for meditation.  Either walking you through one or just soothing sights and sounds to help calm you.  In my case I don’t use those for a few reasons.  As someone who has done this a long time, the instructional voice is more distracting than helpful.  And the videos cast light into my room which is what I’m trying to avoid.  I turn down the lights an hour before meditating.  I also make a point of turning off my computer and TV at this point but I will admit it’s harder to let go of my phone... but I do attempt to look at the screen more sparingly.  So instead I just listen to calming music (although white noise is just as valid).  I either listen to a half hour playlist or turn on the iheartradio app and put on the half hour sleep timer (the drawback of this is the adds but if you’re able to pay for add free it might work for you).  As you can imagine, I do this as I attempt to fall asleep.  The timer is critical but I’ll go over that later.  First, what’s important is the mental state going in.  I begin to meditate on the day.  Not everything I did wrong, but everything I did right.  Some days may seem like a failure but the best way to improve is not focus on what you got wrong but on what went well and vowing to repeat such patterns going forward.  Even if all you did was get out of bed, brush your teeth, wash your face... whatever successes you had, focus on them.  As for the limit to the music, as I mentioned I do this meditation to more easily fall asleep.  If the music ends and I’m still awake enough to be aware of it, it means I’m having insomnia and I need to restart.  I’ll go into more detail how I do this some other week.

I think that’s about it.  Let me know if you guys have any questions, tips, or ideas and I’ll see you in the coming weeks!

[apostolicattilan]

Technically the New year for Catholics is the beginning of Advent, when we start a new liturgical year, but Happy New Year all the same.

Whatever your plans are, be safe.

-Fr Owen Flanagan

[catholicmemoirs]

I'm late setting up for Advent.. and it's okay!

It's 1am on December 2nd and our Thanksgiving weekend got ahead of us.

I just got around to bringing up our stack of Advent things, but I really need to get rest since I'm back to work tomorrow after taking the week off.

These are all the Advent countdown things. I didn't get a chance to hang the Jesse Tree countdown cards, so will have to ask my husband for help tomorrow.

The Advent wreath isn't even close. I have to remove old wax and we don't even have the wreath!

The earliest we can do is take our preschooler to go wreath shopping after work tomorrow. I think he'll enjoy taking part in the setup of what we do for Advent.

Lastly, I printed out my liturgical planner since it will take around 2-3 weeks to print and deliver the book copies, so I need to do planning on printables for now. Sadly, I don't have time to post a listing of these, so again they're late for the new liturgical year!

We went to Latin Mass. The Gradual (Psalm 24: 3, 4) literally moved me to tears. The soprano soloist in our schola was so talented, her singing shook me to the core and before I knew it, I had tears streaming down my face. I decided that the Gradual would be my Lectio Divina study for today.

The word "wait" stuck out to me. It's actually an interesting word choice because it could mean "to wait" like waiting for something to happen (passive) or "to wait on someone" like to attend to their commands (proactive), kind of like a handmaid to a queen. The latter drew me in more because there are lots of Scripture from mass that mention people waiting on an important figure. This ties into Mary's fiat acceptance ("I am the handmaid of the Lord") and the Church being Christ's queen. Handmaids are usually specially hand picked by the queen or the king and not a role given to most people. They're usually the queen's most trusted and most loyal people. By waiting on the queen, her handmaids also serve the king.

Anyway, back to Mass. Our baby was asleep peacefully in our arms all the way until Communion where my spiritual director was celebrating mass & he blessed the baby when we were up at the altar rail. It was a really peaceful and holy mass today.

At the end of it all, this is all okay. It will all happen soon enough. Happy Advent!