CatholicSoup is a religious-run blog designed to provide Catholic insight through personal experience.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

A Savior is Born


Merry Christmas! Christ has been born! and God, in his Divinity, comes down through the womb of the ever sinless Virgin to take on a lesser humanity, so that He can save us all by death on a cross. The birth of Jesus marks the start of our salvation, and the end of our broken world. Christmas comes from the Latin, "Christ's Mass" and marks the celebration of the birth of our Messiah. It even marks the nativity scene when kings and shepherds traveled far to greet the newborn King and to pay him Homae.
During Christmas, sure the season is a time of Joy and laughter, and spending time with that mean old aunt of yours but even past that, Christmas is a reminder for us all that Jesus, in our brokenness still is to be born, to redeem us, bring us and keep us. So many times we forget the meaning of this mystery of the Incarnation and the birth of Christ by looking at history and what the modern world has to say. The weight of the subject is not where or when Christ was born but a bigger part is that Christ was born and He did it so that we could gain joy in Him, happiness in Him and salvation through Him. The Birth of Christ through the Virgin is the cause of our joy this season of Christmas because like the gathering at the nativity, so too our families gather in the communion of joy because our Savior has finally been born.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Being a Light of Christ: Guiding Principle

For me in my prayer life, I like to pray that I be a light for all that I meet. A light that shines from my word and deeds so that people can see Christ through me. I want people to experience Christ through me and what I do as a person.
In our faith and lives as Christians, it can be super hard, being a light or a reflection of Christ. It sounds like a radical idea especially when we allow other things to exist in our lives like envy; which brings hate, or impatience; the stripping of the very peace that we're ordered to, even the presence of sin and slavery that puts a rift between our relationship with God. It is true that our actions are louder than words, everything that we do has a positive or negative impact on the people who look up to us and see us like our family and peers. I am a victim of all these things, in my prayer of being a reflection of Christ to all, God still, in our weakness delivers and provides all that is necessary to be that light or be that message. God gives us the gift of Grace that binds us and strengthens us to use and reflect to everybody we meet. In our weakness, we do fall but in our strength of guilt we rise and return. The prayer of being a light that reflects to all people is not for self-pride but I think rather permission to be the mediatrix between man and God. In Christianity there can't just be one light, but many. Lights are meant to lead out of darkness. So we are called to be the light for the many, reflecting Christ. Isn't it true that a light is seen more clearly at night?  Even when darkness is present, or sin or trial, the Grace and the light of faith of a person is the guiding principle. Let there be light! 

Jesus, help me be a light for all those I meet. That everyone I meet and come in contact with see YOU through everything I do, and everything I am.  Amen.

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