St Andrew Novena Starts Tomorrow!

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

Question For Today

If we were asked to give of ourselves by God Himself, for example maybe the very coat off our backs in this cold weather, would we have to clear out so much of our own "stuff" beforehand that we might just miss the opportunity?

As I went to stand in the Chapel for Mass, I reached my chilled hands into my coat pockets only to find them full of junk. Notes I had made at Christmas Village over the weekend for customers, my phone for some reason (turned off), my wallet, my keys and a few other receipts from a previous trip along with some change. Now really. Why all the junk? And, I heard loud and clear, "If I needed you to give that coat to someone less fortunate right this very minute, you would have to take several minutes just to clear out your own "stuff" and by then, the need could be over." Seriously. It made me stop and think about how much I have in my life that I truly need to get rid of physically or mentally so that I can give to those God wants me to give to instantly. We often burden ourselves or bog down ourselves so much that we make ourselves unable to do His work efficiently and in this world, with all that is going on, we need to be efficient and effective in God's work on earth.

Between this week and last I have been stopped inside the store, inside Church, at a Christmas show and at a workshop and asked to stop everything I was doing and pay attention to one of God's people. I have been asked to listen to, to pray for, to work with and to take time for and as I reached into my pockets this morning, I was given an image of what God saw as I tried my best in the midst of my busyness. I'm not saying that I didn't do well or poor pitiful me, I have so much on my plate. I'm just saying that I heard Him say to me this very morning, Be Ready! Lighten your personal load and help me out! Be an empty vessel! Be open! Be prepared!

So, if you're like me during the Holiday Seasons and you tend to load yourself with a lot of your own "stuff" or even throughout the year if your mind and your heart and your calendar are always cluttered, maybe it's time to let go of some things and make room for the One that really matters.