Monday, December 8, 2008

I have checked my planner this morning so I know that I have 2 masses today - one at noon and one at 7:00. I changed the numbers yesterday and double checked them. I made the worship aides for tonight so that's all set.
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I put together the orders that need to go out today and put in a pickup request. I poured tea light shells Saturday and yesterday and have 4 left to fill the order of 13. (I only have one mold). I poured Advent candles and still have several sets to do. I have a couple of stockings to make for family gifts. I have a bunch of something to do that I can't mention here because the recipients read my blog. I finished some other presents which I also can't mention here. I have 13 gift packages for student aides that need to be put together. (Hmmm, that number 13 is dogging me.) Sometime this week I need to get boxes together to mail out for Christmas. A girl at school said something about someone wanting some fudge so I'll be making that too.

I managed to get the living room cleaned up. Unfortunately, to get to it, one has to pass through the messy laundry room and the cluttered music room making sure not to look into the disordered kitchen when passing by. 15 minutes at a time, I'll get there, though. I did get my lighted garland wrapped around the porch rail, however it is in direct contrast to the scarecrow and corn shock with still grace our bell pole. That comes down tonight as soon as I find my boots.
There's more to do, but I have inflicted enough torture on myself for one day, and I'm sure everyone else is in the same boat. LOL! Why do we do this to ourselves? I do it because it's fun. I really do enjoy it. I suspect most other people do too.
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Last night, while trying to find some decent recordings of arias from "Messiah", I inadvertently added a second playlist to my blog. So "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel" loads and then the second list loads "Carol of the Bells." It was an interesting statement on how we prepare for Christmas. We have the evocotive Advent Carol which speaks of the coming of our savior, but intertwined with it is the phrenetic Carol of the Bells. It seemed almost a dual between the spiritual world and the secular world. Interesting! Sounds like a God-Breeze to me.
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I said that I was going to get back on track with my fitness goals so I am off to do a stint on the treadmill.

Daily stats:
Type: Treadmill
Route: Manual
Time: 20 minutes
Average heart rate: 115
Max heart rate: 132
Above my target goal wt. for today

Word of the day:
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel
Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Because today's readings talk about the annunciation there is often some confusion about the meaing of the "Immaculate Conception." For many years I believed that this referred to Jesus' conception.

Here is a clip from an article at Catholic Answers:

The Immaculate Conception means that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin or its stain—that’s what "immaculate" means: without stain. The essence of original sin consists in the deprivation of sanctifying grace, and its stain is a corrupt nature. Mary was preserved from these defects by God’s grace; from the first instant of her existence she was in the state of sanctifying grace and was free from the corrupt nature original sin brings.

When discussing the Immaculate Conception, an implicit reference may be found in the angel’s greeting to Mary. The angel Gabriel said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). The phrase "full of grace" is a translation of the Greek word kecharitomene. It therefore expresses a characteristic quality of Mary.

The traditional translation, "full of grace," is better than the one found in many recent versions of the New Testament, which give something along the lines of "highly favored daughter." Mary was indeed a highly favored daughter of God, but the Greek implies more than that (and it never mentions the word for "daughter"). The grace given to Mary is at once permanent and of a unique kind. Kecharitomene is a perfect passive participle of charitoo, meaning "to fill or endow with grace." Since this term is in the perfect tense, it indicates that Mary was graced in the past but with continuing effects in the present. So, the grace Mary enjoyed was not a result of the angel’s visit. In fact, Catholics hold, it extended over the whole of her life, from conception onward. She was in a state of sanctifying grace from the first moment of her existence.

In other words, Mary received at her conception, that which we receive in Baptism - an entryway to heaven through Jesus Christ. God is her savior just as he is our savior.

In light of Mary's obedience in making room for Jesus in her life, we would do well - in the midst of this hustle and bustle - to remember that making room for Jesus in our lives is the top priority. Now and always.




God bless our troops!