Liturgy 061: Christmastide 2025

🕊️ A Reflection and a Blessing for Communion with God

☕️ Lectio Divina

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

— The Gospel According to John

The spiritual journey is not a career or a success story. It is a series of humiliations of the false self that become more and more profound.

— Thomas Keating

🧘🏻‍♀️ Reflection

The miracle of Christmas
is not
that God eradicates
or condemns darkness.

But that God enters it.

The irony!
Our Christmas cheer
and New Year ambitions
won’t create space for darkness.

Curated Family photoshoots
Lofty Resolutions

This time of year
we are tempted
to embrace the harm
of ideal and denial
pretending all is fine.

But this is
the very thing
we Christians
celebrate

God comes to a world unwell.

The strangeness
and beauty
of the Manger Story
is Jesus doesn’t remove darkness.
He lives within it.

Burning the light of God
quietly for us to see.

In the dark
In the hopeless plight of Israel
God doesn’t just come to fix
God comes to commune.

This year
my Friends
do yourselves a favor
own the state of your soul.

Of course
practice gratitude
and give God praise
but not as a practice of denial.

If there is unexamined
grief, anger, fear, lament — honor it.

Name the very place
you find your soul today.

Our Emmanuel God will meet you there.

Merry Christmastide.

A Happy and Blessed 2025 to you and yours!

🕊️ Blessing

Dear Friends
Hear the good news.
Our God is an Incarnate God.
God draws nigh, even in the darkness.
Nothing will separate God from you.
May you dwell in God.
May God dwell in you.
All the year long.

In the Name of the One Who Hears
When You Call Upon His Name

Amen