PART TWO - Focusing on the New Year with the Aid of Paul's Letter to the Philippians

If you missed it, here is PART ONE.

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The following Sunday was the Third Sunday of Advent...Gaudete Sunday...the Sunday of rejoicing.

Matt's dad (now to be referred to here as The Professor) was w/ us that weekend. The Princess had a cold, so Matt & The Professor stayed home from church w/ her. While I was upstairs getting ready, I heard the Gospel being proclaimed as Matt & The Professor were watching EWTN's Mass on the computer.

All of a sudden, I heard the priest exclaim, "Rejoice in the Lord always!" You can bet my ears perked up at that pronouncement! There was that verse, once again calling out to me! 

~~~ Philippians 4:4 ~~~

Once at church, the three boys & I sat in our normal spot, the 2nd row on the right side. When it came time for the homily, our pastor stepped forward, glanced toward the choir, & gave a slight nod. They broke into song, singing the words, "Rejoice the the Lord always, again I say rejoice!" The congregation joined in & we sang it over & over. Each repetition brought a bigger smile to my face!

 ~~~ Philippians 4:4 ~~~

OK God! You've gotten my attention! It was time for me to focus on what He was (& still is) trying to tell me through that verse.

My first step led me to the computer, where I found Bible Gateway...a site where you can look up any Bible verse, in pretty much any Biblical translation you want & in a wide variety of languages. 

Many of the translations I found for Philippians 4:4 were quite similar. The following are those that stood out the most for me. All gave me a better understanding this particular verse.

New American Bible (This is the Bible I still use myself...the one my parents bought me for my First Communion.)

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"

The Message Bible (in modern, plain-speak)

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him!"

The Living Bible

"Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice!"

The Voice

"Most of all, friends, always rejoice in the Lord! I never tire of saying it: Rejoice!"

Worldwide English

"Always be glad for what the Lord has done, I will say it again, be glad."

Next, I decided to look back over recent trials &/or stressful times I'd been through. How could I apply Philippians 4:4 to them? How could I rejoice in the pain, stress, &/or suffering I endured?

Well, as I mentioned in Part One w/ Matt's car breaking down (it was the alternator, BTW), he could have either been in or been held up by a major car accident. Without headlights, he also could have been hit while trying to get off the freeway & into Bob Evans parking lot.

The Friday after his alternator went out, we were heading to pick up his car. We got stuck in traffic due to an accident involving a semi & at least three other vehicles. That set us back about half an hour since police closed off an exit & were diverting five lanes of traffic into the far two left lanes. What a mess!

Prior to getting on the freeway, we stopped at the allergist for Matt's shot, but they were closed. There are two scenarios that give us cause to rejoice for that day.

1) If we hadn't stopped at the allergist, all of us could have been involved in the accident.

2) If the allergist had been open, we could've been caught up in that traffic for a much longer time. We would have been in rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon.

~~~ Philippians 4:4 ~~~

In September of 2013, I had a miscarriage. This baby was so wanted & prayed for by our family. When I first read the positive on the pregnancy test, I was thrilled. I was a little apprehensive about telling others & what they would think ~~ I'm over 40. I take medication for high blood pressure, thyroid, & high cholesterol (all safe ones for pregnancy). How could we afford a 5th child? ~~ All things I worried about myself, but trusted in God's design for our family.

This miscarriage brought several rejoicing opportunities for me.

1) In trying to conceive, Matt & I grew much closer to one another. This was more than just a physical closeness...we became more emotionally & spiritually attached.

2) I found that others were very supportive after all. No one made any of those critical remarks I feared & many were not even surprised at our pregnancy announcement. Once I miscarried, I received many letters, cards, & phone calls offering their condolences.

3) The soul of a baby is present at the moment of conception. So, even though Baby F.M. was never carried to term, a new soul was born into Heaven. We have a new saint to watch over & intercede for us. And, as HandyGramps said, our baby could share love in Heaven w/ those babies whose lives were taken through abortion & never allowed to live on Earth.

4) Our Blessings gained a first hand perspective & deeper understanding that all life is precious, not matter what stage it's in. We held a prayer service, led by HandyGramps, at a local cemetery. Baby F.M.'s remains were buried there among other dear babies lost to miscarriage &/or stillbirth.

~~ Philippians 4:4 ~~~

So, this brings us back to my focus word for 2014. Have you guessed what word chose me?

*** REJOICE! ***

The fruits of this word choice have already been evident. I have felt more peaceful over the past month or so & others have noticed. I "chose" at the beginning of Advent, to not get so wrapped up in the stresses that come w/ Advent & Christmas preparations. I truly think that has helped me find ways to rejoice in all circumstances.

No matter what trials life may throw at me in the coming year, I will find ways to rejoice in them. I will find the good in each stressful situation, financial setback, family disagreement, weather occurrence, broken dish, or anything else that may happen. God's got my back & I trust that He won't let anything happen that He & I can't handle together.

~~~ Philippians 4:4 ~~~

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say REJOICE!"

May God bless each of you in this new year & tend to your every need!

Peace, 

Maria

PART ONE - Focusing on the New Year w/ the Aid of Paul's Letter to the Philippians

As 2013 comes to a close & we welcome 2014, many people are making resolutions or goals for themselves. Some want to gain better control of their health. Some want to strengthen their minds through further education, books, or puzzles (like Sudoku!) The possibilities are as varied as the number of people in the world.

To help with these goals (I prefer that term over resolutions), many choose a "Focus Word". I've done so in past years, but haven't been as good about staying the course. The year, however, my focus word chose me just before the new liturgical year began on the First Sunday of Advent.

Let me take you back to November 28, 2013, Thanksgiving Day...

We began our day by going to Mass. Our pastor gave another of his incredibly inspiring homilies. In past years, he's shared something he's been thankful for over the past year, then asked parishioners to do the same if they feel inclined. He decided to shake it up a bit this time. He shared, & asked others to share, an experience in which God showed His presence in the past year.

One man stood to share how a particular Bible verse appeared to him on two separate occasions, both at times of funerals for close family members. 

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"

Philippians 4:4 (NAB)

Later that afternoon, on our drive to my parents' house, we drove past a local Methodist church. Lo & behold, guess what verse was posted on their outdoor sign...Philippians 4:4!

Less than one week later, on Wednesday, Dec. 4, a Facebook/college friend posted Philippians 4:4 as part of his status. Hmm! I began to wonder if God was trying to tell me something, but I didn't fully take the time to pray about it.

The following Wednesday & Thursday (Dec. 11 & 12) were not very good days for me. Wednesday, Matt called to say he was on his way home from work. I went online to order pizza for him to pick up on his way home. Shortly after, he called to say his car died & he just barely made it to a Bob Evans parking lot without lights or any power.

So, I called to cancel our pizza, gathered up the Blessings, ran through the drive thru at Sonic, & met him at Bob Evans. The first thing The Prophet said when Matt got in the van was, "I'm glad your car broke down!"

Now, that sounds strange, but it was the truth. You see, if his car was fine, then he could have been in the major accident we passed on the way to meet him or he could have been stuck in that traffic for a LONG time.

~~~ Philippians 4:4 ~~~

The AAA tow truck arrived about an hour later. He said it wasn't worth trying to jump after Matt's description of the problem. He loaded up the car & we all set off for our mechanic's garage.

Thursday morning, because I needed the van, we all woke early & took Matt to work. We stopped back home for about half an hour before going to the boys' band rehearsals. While home, I received a call from my doctor's office w/ the results of my gallbladder ultrasound the previous day...gallstones that will require surgery. I wasn't so much worried about the surgery & recovery, just the inconvenience of its timing & the financial stress it will create. 

When I picked the boys up from band, The Prophet blamed me for his unpreparedness...he didn't have his Christmas carol book & thought I'd lost it putting his folder in the van. I reminded him that he had loaded his stuff, not me. I went to talk to his director & he dropped a bomb...not only did The Prophet not have his book, he hadn't practiced at all the previous week. How did he know? The Prophet asked if he'd left his book in the rehearsal room last time. Lightbulb! (I'm saying that in my best Gru voice!) Wouldn't he have realized that sooner if he'd practiced?

We used this as a lesson in responsibility & commitment. The Prophet got a calm, yet firm, earful from me on the way home. He let his director & fellow band members down by not being prepared. The band is only as good as the weakest player.

Once home, I returned the surgeon's office's phone call. I wasn't sure if I hoped to get in before the end of the year (good for insurance because of "Obama-doesn't-care" & all its violations after Jan. 1st) or after the first of the year (get through Christmas & Matt's PTO time would start over, but more money out-of-pocket). Well, they couldn't get me in until Jan. 3, so I just prayed for no emergency attacks by then. So far, there haven't been any!

 ~~~ Philippians 4:4 ~~~

Click HERE to Continue to Part Two

Bulletin Reflection for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 / James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 / Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

In today’s Gospel, Jesus chides the Pharisees for holding to traditions even though their hearts are not in it. Traditions can be good, but when done by rote or on automatic pilot, they tend to lose their meaning. Many people cling to traditions because they fear change. Last spring, my nephew was in his school’s musical, Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye, the lead, tries to fight the changes happening in the outside world by clinging to the Jewish & family traditions he’s always known. It takes the marriages of his daughters & the revolution for him to embrace change.

We need to take a hard look at our lives & the way we live. In today’s society, just as in Tevye’s time, there are constant changes – many of which try to draw us further from God. Do we stick with the old traditions or do we reach out & embrace change? Some of those traditions may not be strong enough to keep us close to God, so we need to change. Mix up your prayer routine a bit. Attend Adoration & Benediction on the 1st Friday of the month. Join a Small Church Community. Create a new tradition for your spiritual journey.

What traditions to you cling to? Do they hold you back from God or draw you closer?

What changes can you make to help you draw closer to God?