To credit this phrase properly, I heard it spoken by Fr. Thomas Loya this morning on Relevant Radio's Morning Air program. He was speaking, as he always does in his weekly segment, about Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body", a rich treasure of teaching about our true natures of man and woman.
He was speaking of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and dropped this statement among others, but it dinged! in my heart and mind, fresh from receiving the Eucharist at a beautiful quiet morning Mass, and I repeated it to myself all the rest of the way to work. Who else but God could do it? Not only in the Incarnation, but truly only the Holy Spirit acts within us when we do good to others, as we make God's invisible Mercy visible through our physical actions of charity.
And it describes so clearly our Church! Jesus created and described His Church and His spousal relationship to it, and left it after His Ascension, visible, among us, in the Apostles, fuelled by the Holy Spirit.
And it describes so clearly our Sacraments! Never, ever take for granted the great gift of the Sacraments, physical, visible signs of God's Mercy, God's actual Presence among us.
May Christmas be for all of you a time of marvel, of awe, of plain old surprise at the great condescension of our Creator and Savior, stooping low to enter our physical world as one of us, being born as one of us.
When I die, they're going to find "Facetious" written on my heart, and I often say that the holidays are really an excuse to dial up my family's Cream Cheese and Sour Cream Delivery Systems to Eleven, but this morning, I've got a flame over my head as the Holy Spirit is singing the Truth in my heart that He came, has come, is here, and will come again!
3 comments:
When I die, they're going to find "Facetious" written on my heart
Me too. But at least we're sincere. I asked another blogger: "what the heck do I have to offer blogdom given that there are plenty of bloggers smarter, more knowledgeable, more holy and more funny." He replied "sincerity". Well, that's something I guess.
Anyway, good thoughts today Therese. Have a blessed Christmas!
Thanks, and a very blessed Christmas to you too. And thanks for crediting us with sincerity. I really AM sincere, although it isn't very effective behind the Groucho-nose-and-glasses and armpit noises that constitute my witness for the Lord.
Maybe the contrast between the Groucho glasses and the sincerity is what gives it such an impact. At least you're not dabbing a knockoff of "Odour of Sanctity" behind your ears every morning. Eeuuw.
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