Have you ever had a powerful dream, one through which you believe you received a message or guidance? I have, and it can be a very disconcerting experience. I remember having to spend time discerning what I was supposed to do with the message I had received. Joseph has had a powerful dream experience. So powerful in fact that he seemingly needed no time to discern. He wakes up and takes Mary right into his home, no questions asked. Scripture says “he did as the angel commanded,” but what it really should say is that Joseph awoke and chose to listen to his heart, to put aside his fears and doubts and humbly trust in God’s will.

Today’s Provision— Humble Holiness: True humility is one of the hallmarks of holiness. Humbleness is not about lowering oneself; it is about raising up the other. There is a difference. C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”  Both Mary and Joseph were willing to put aside all they thought they knew about the world and how things work. And they were willing to listen. See today if you can hear God’s voice by listening closely and putting aside your own assumptions and expectations. Say a special prayer to St. Joseph for the holiness and humility to do great things for God!

Wednesday, December 19: “…this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines.” (Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a))

This is the story of Samson’s conception and birth. Note that the angel says he will begin the deliverance of Israel. No word that he will be the one to finish the job--we know that person comes onto the scene about a thousand years later! God does that a lot—gets the ball rolling--even with his own Incarnation. Yes, Jesus is the one to “save his people from their sins,” and yet he relies on future generations to keep his message alive and fresh and new to address the needs of the world as it evolves. Each one of us is consecrated and has a role to play in the saving work of God!

Today’s provision—Holy Labor in the Kingdom. “It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us. …We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.” (from The Prayer of St. Oscar Romero, written by Bishop Ken Untener)

Thursday, December 20: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Lk 1:26-38)

The term “imposter syndrome” has been in the news recently. Former US First Lady Michelle Obama says she suffers from doubt about her accomplishments and that she will slip up and be exposed as a fraud. I’ve had that sort of feeling too, especially when I was first starting out as a writer and spiritual director: “Who am I to guide people in spiritual growth?”  I wonder if Mary had those kind of doubts too—“Why me? I am no princess or queen to give birth to the Messiah. I’m nothing special.” Of course, we know Mary was something very special, but she also had the faith God would use her giftedness for the good of the world; hence her words, “Do unto me.” God has given each of us gifts too, but we might dismiss ourselves: “Who am I to spread the word of God, to tend to needy when I am so needy myself?”  We pray for Mary’s depth of faith that God knows our gifts even better than we do and, if we allow him, he will use them for the good of the world. Don’t be afraid. You have found favor with God.

Today’s Provision—Accepting Grace in Holiness (Round 4): When you think about it, dismissing ourselves and our gifts is really denying God the wonderful work he has done in each of us. Accepting the grace of our giftedness in the true humility is really a song of praise and thanksgiving to God as the source of all our gifts and virtues. Let’s model ourselves after Mary and not refuse the great work God has planned to accomplish through us.

Friday, December 21: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." (Lk 1:39-45)

And blessed are you when you believe that what the Lord has promised will be fulfilled. Blessed are you when you can look beyond the difficulties you face and the violence and anger that surrounds us and find joy and hope and peace in God’s word. Blessed are you when you take that joy and hope and peace and share it with everyone you encounter. Blessed are you, holy are you.

Today’s Provision—Sharing the Holy: Mary was willing to share the Holy with the world by bearing Christ. We are also called to bear Christ. Look for opportunities today to share the Holy within you with others.

Saturday, December 22:" I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.” (Hannah) left Samuel there. (Sm 1:24-28)

It’s difficult to imagine what Hannah does here, but the lesson of this reading is the lesson of our lives—letting go and giving back to the Lord what the Lord has given. Letting go…of our children, our need for control, past hurts and sinfulness, and in the end, our very lives…letting go is hard. In Ignatian Spirituality, this letting go is called “holy indifference.” It isn’t about not caring or the attitude of “whatever.” On the contrary, it’s a freedom we grant ourselves and those we love. By growing in indifference and letting go, we can love more honestly, care without being needy, give without the expectation of receiving. It’s the recognition all we have and all we are are gifts from God, and the only thing that really matters is God’s love and grace—these alone are enough.

Today’s Provision—Holy Indifference: “The very essence of motherly love is to care for the child’s growth…Here lies the basic difference to erotic love. In erotic love, two people who were separate become one. In motherly love, two people who were one become separate…It is at this stage that motherly love becomes a difficult task, that it requires unselfishness, the ability to give everything and to want nothing but the happiness of her child.”  (Erich Fromm) Joy and peace can elude us precisely because of our inability to let go. Start small and release yourself (and the other if it involves another) from that irksome little slight or mistake that keeps popping up. Ask God to accept it, knowing it’s going to take some time to let go completely. Each time it comes to mind, say “This belongs to you, God.”  The more you do this, the easier it becomes.