How beautiful it is... I was driving back from a great weekend in Vienna with two of the Franciscan University students. They were moved by the love that was shown to them by the Filipino community in Vienna. We were talking about the gift of life and how those who know the Lord become humbled (by his greatness, power, love, etc.). When you are humbled you learn to appreciate things more; you see things as gifts and opportunities to grow. When someone who does not know the Lord (and even those who do know the Lord, but in their weakness fail at times) in an intimate way encounters a new morning, they could have the reaction of: "Oh no... another day that I have to get through. How will I ever do this? Why am I doing this? What am I doing anyway?" But the Christian who is intimate with God and humbled by the gift of a new day knows that the Lord loves him and has a plan for him can encounter this gift with awe and wonder. Thus they can say: "Lord thank you for another day. It is a gift for me to even be alive. Grant me the grace to do your will. Help me to love you above more than anything else, and help me to love my neighbor as myself." Everything is a gift. Everything is grace. Like St. Therese of Little Flowers wrote, "All is grace."
I, personally, am blessed. I feel like I am always blessed. I cannot even begin to thank the Lord for all He has done for me. He has given me a great life: good family, good friends, good job. Who am I Lord to deserve this? Thank you. Lord, if I didn't have these things, or if these things were taken away from me in a moment, I would hope I would still be thanking the Lord.
This Advent season I ask the Lord to show me more clearly the gift of life and how precious it is. It is so short. I hope that I may be able to really prepare this Advent for the coming of Christ in Christmas. After all, that is what Advent is; it is the commemoration of the first coming into a manger in Bethlehem, and the anticipation and preparation of the second coming when He comes back in glory. Life is so short. My heart is ready. Come Lord Jesus.
