Isaiah gives us a vision of the future to tell us what God has in store us. The only way he can describe it is to describe our reaction to the things God is planning. This is how he sums it up, he says that our “hearts will throb and overflow…at what we see”.
We have just celebrated Christmas, the birth of Christ, our Savior. The most ancient of prophesies has been fulfilled, and we have joined in the festivities. The good news has gone out to all the earth, into every nook and cranny, carried in the hearts and minds of believers through- out the ages. Christ came to restore what was lost – our union with the divine. As our celebrations wind down, we can ask ourselves these few questions. Are our hearts throbbing? Are we overflowing with joy, peace, a clam inner spirit? Are we rejoicing because “the glory of the Lord” is shining in us? That’s what we celebrate today, God’ faithfulness to His promises of old, by repairing the breach that separated creatures from the creator, the human from the divine. What a cause for celebration!
The spirit of Epiphany is one of an awakening to all that surrounds us. Epiphany happens each and every day we chose to surrender ourselves to God and let Him guide our way, our thoughts and our actions. This is what gets our hearts into a constant state of throbbing and keeps them that way. Yes, a new house…. exciting for a while; a new car… fun, until the first dinger; the beach house…that will get the blood flowing during the summer. But where can we find the one thing that will fill all of our hearts desires and keep it throbbing? In the most unlikely place possible… in the very quiet within each of us; that place where God most high has chosen to dwell among us.
May the spirit of Christ dwelling within us cause our hearts to throb and overflow as we begin this New Year. And may the love within us reach out to others giving them comfort, hope and joy so that their hearts may throb and overflow with the love of the Christ child.
Enjoy these early days of 2024! (and all the rest that follow :)
Deacon Tom
Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as Paulist Fathers Deacon Affiliates engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.
OTHER RESOURCES
Recommended Reading: The Saints Guide to Happiness by Robert Ellsberg A noted spiritual writer seeks answers to life's big questions in the stories of the saints In "All Saints"---published in 1997 and already a classic of its kind---Robert Ellsberg told the stories of 365 holy people with great vividness and eloquence. In "The Saints' Guide to Happiness," Ellsberg looks to the saints to answer the questions: What is happiness, and how might we find it? Countless books answer these questions in terms of personal growth, career success, physical fitness, and the like. "The Saints' Guide to Happiness" proposes instead that happiness consists in a grasp of the deepest dimension of our humanity, which characterizes holy people past and present. The book offers a series of "lessons" in the life of the spirit: the struggle to feel alive in a frenzied society; the search for meaningful work, real friendship, and enduring love; the encounter with suffering and death; and the yearning to grasp the ultimate significance of our lives. In these "lessons," our guides are the saints: historical figures like Augustine, Francis of Assisi, and Teresa of Avila, and moderns such as Dorothy Day, Flannery O'Connor, and Henri J. Nouwen. In the course of the book the figures familiar from stained-glass windows come to seem exemplars, not just of holy piety but of "life in abundance," the quality in which happiness and holiness converge.
Recommended You Tube: Blessed Among Us: Thea Bowman Based on the book "Blessed Among Us: Day by Day with Saintly Witnesses" by Robert Ellsberg, this monthly video series of prayerful meditations on lives well-lived continues with Servant of God Thea Bowman (1937-1990), a religious sister who transcended racism and prejudice to leave a lasting mark on U.S. Catholic life in the late 20th century. Check out this YouTube site to find a treasure trove of Catholic Witness who lives support and encourage our faith through our day-to-day challenges.
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