Entering the chaos of our world

Here we are at 2013 already.   Praise the Lord, the Mayan calendar did not prove to be the end of the world as we know it as some were predicting!  (I wasn't too worried that it would.)  

Christmas was beautiful AGAIN here at the monastery in Clyde.  We decided many years ago to have our Midnight Mass earlier in the evening.  At first this was hard for our traditionalists, but I think most of us are glad to not have to go to bed at 2am anymore.  (We always serve refreshments to our guests afterward)  We haven't had guests in our chapel for Christmas for the past 2 years because of our renovation, but this year over 100 souls braved the cold weather to join us once again.  It's the only Mass during our year where we hear a lot more babies and little children rustling around in our choir stalls.  With organ, piano, harp and flute music filling our chapel - surely our Lord felt properly praised on the celebration of his incarnation!

Jesus is the Prince of Peace but the headlines tell us that it doesn't seem to be apparent to our world.  I read an article entitled "Why God?" by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times and would like to quote this small section from it - 

A contemporary theologian has described mercy as “entering into the chaos of another.” Christmas is really a celebration of the mercy of God who entered the chaos of our world in the person of Jesus, mercy incarnate. I have never found it easy to be with people who suffer, to enter into the chaos of others. Yet, every time I have done so, it has been a gift to me, better than the wrapped and ribboned packages. I am pulled out of myself to be love’s presence to someone else, even as they are love’s presence to me.

I will never satisfactorily answer the question “Why?” because no matter what response I give, it will always fall short. What I do know is that an unconditionally loving presence soothes broken hearts, binds up wounds, and renews us in life. This is a gift that we can all give, particularly to the suffering. When this gift is given, God’s love is present and Christmas happens daily.

May 2013 be the year we help Christmas happen daily!

Here is a poem for the beginning of the new year -

AT THE GATE OF THE YEAR
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year

'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'

And he replied,
'Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!'

So I went forth and finding the Hand of God
Trod gladly into the night
He led me towards the hills
And the breaking of day in the lone east.

So heart be still!
What need our human life to know
If God hath comprehension?

In all the dizzy strife of things
Both high and low,
God hideth his intention."

 by Minnie Louise Harkins 1875-1957