December 10, 2022

Here’s an interesting image to meditate upon during this time of year:  pieces of popcorn being slid down a needle and thread in an effort to decorate the Christmas tree.  Each kernel locks into place with a kind of precision and certainty that can remind us of how to proceed when holiday drama arises.  This person pushes our buttons, this person puts the bait out there, this person with the slight of hand, and this person is just plain belligerent.  If we are attentive to our spiritual lives, our inner thread will be a sure path for us to keep aligned and our affairs moving forward with logic and consistency amidst it all.  One day at a time, one step at a time, one thing at a time, our focus will prevail and we shall be left with a coherent experience while the world spins around us.  One has to think that this is how Jesus operated – those long nights in prayerful solitude paired with a clear mind and an uninterrupted sense of purpose (cf. Lk 6:12, Mt 14:23, Mk 6:46).  Let’s therefore spend the coming weeks being faithful to our personal paths to holiness, and in doing so, allow our thoughts, words, intentions, memories and emotions to be strung together in an elegant way worthy of decorating the Tree of Life (Rev 22:2).  Ave Crux, Spes Unica.