Fellowship leads to friendship, and friendship leads to intimacy. To me, intimacy is knowing someone inside and out and still loving that person. When the relationship between two people runs both ways into intimacy, issues can be freely talked about. It allows you to examine freely admit your character issues, and once they are out there, you have the opportunity to grow. I feel like this is the phase of life that Mass Chaos has brought me to.
God wants us to grow, and teaches us with many methods, many times for me it is through others, God's children. This weekend I had an epiphany about myself as I got to know Tom. We were discussing communication styles, and I realized something about myself that had evaded me, and caused me to feel bad about myself for years. What it was isn't as important as God taking the time to put Tom and I in the same space and opening my mind to what I was hearing.
Intimacy is something that is modeled by God, He knows us completely, and loves us knowing our flaws better than we can know them ourselves. Let us pray that we are able to follow the example God set for us.
Teri, Joe, Frank, Me, Julia, Kat, and Tom. Thank you to the nice woman who took our picture, I've met so many great people on this journey.
Location and Architecture:
Our Lady of Guadalupe, 2310 O Street, Omaha. Really, I was not paying attention to the date when I put Our Lady of Guadalupe on the calendar for December 12th. This is the feast day for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and hence the church was a busy place on Sunday. I'm not certain what is normal for this parish, but what was decorated for the feast day was beautiful. The altar was surrounded by (rows and rows) roses, we probably were fortunate to get the few pictures that we did. This church has one architectural oddity, it extends to the side, but only to one side.
Gospel:
"...what did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?" Matthew 11:7
These questions have struck me my entire life. What did they go out to the desert to see? John the Baptist is the answer. He was hardly a reed swayed by the wind, he was the Herald, making straight a path for the Lord's arrival. Did these people go out to the desert to see a prophet, a spectacle, or one sent by God to announce the coming of the Savior?
The same people looking to see a spectacle were probably not looking for the arrival of God's own son in the form of a human child. Were they able to see Him in a man who taught about humbling oneself, and living a life of service? Could they recognize Him in His Passion?
What are we looking for from God, someone to make our lives easier? Or someone who is here to teach us, help us to grow, and wants us to use our lives to better those of others?
John was sent to be the forerunner of our salvation. John put up the flyers, Mary provided the venue, and Jesus is the song of our eternal lives. He is King, but not with power that is limited to this world, His power is eternal. He can bring us to Himself for the rest of time.
Prayers:
Please pray for:
Tom who is being deployed to Afghanistan, and his wife and two daughters.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.
My mother Judy to have her back healed.
Next:
Sunday, December 19, 2010 @ 1100, Saint Frances Cabrini Parish, 1334 South 9th Street, Omaha.
Peace, Eric
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