O Come O Come Emmanuel

EWTN's Father's Know Best featured Fr. John Riccardo on Christians passing on the faith to their families and the world. The Jewish tradition for Hanukkah of asking the question "Why is this night different from all other nights?" starts the celebration and passing on of God's deliverance of the Jews from 400+ years of slavery and that the Ten Commandments were given to keep us from the slavery of sin. Fr. John leads us to our Christmas to pass on our faith - that Jesus died on the cross once and all to deliver us from slavery to sin so that we may have eternal life, peace and joy with him.

Fr. went on to talk about the special need for our fathers to have a personal relationship with God and to be the leaders of their families. I know for a fact that the example of the father determines most strongly the way that the children will go. A study showed that when fathers alone took their children to church there was a 66% chance of the children continuing to attend mass, more so than the 40% chance if mothers alone take their children to mass.

I left my phone at home by mistake this morning, and decided to sit in my car outside of church so I could hear father's talk. He gave 9 action items that will strengthen our families if we do them regularly:
1. Never miss Sunday mass
2. Attend weekday mass - with your children
3. Pray - before meals, morning and at bedtime (on your knees) Children seeing you pray gives an everlasting impression.
4. Read scripture with the family at night and before mass.
5. After mass, talk about the readings.
6. Go with your family to praise and worship.
7. Have your house blessed.
8. ?
9, ?

I then walked with Laurie and we discussed what we did yesterday and how we slept last night.

Had to make a decision whether to workout or go to Eucharist Adoration, chose spending time with the Lord. Quiet time with Jesus before I begin my day is such a treasure!

I always stop at Our Mother of Perpetual Help. When kneeling in front of her picture and the statue of Our Lady of Grace above, I feel her smiling at me, pointing me to her Son, and opening her hands offering many graces as she listens to my prayers for my loved ones and everyone I meet in the coming day.

I read today's readings out loud since no other person was there, and I was inspired to sing O
Come O Come Emmanuel (lucky to have the hymnals to read the words AND no one to hear my untrained, thick morning voice.) Emmanuel is God With Us and what better prayer than to ask God to be with us this day, in the muck and mire of our daily, very earthly, routines. The Word Among Us reading reminded me that God so loves me, and every person I know, that he who is God of the Universe became man to live With us, as One of us, and He knows and understands our every emotion, temptation, dilemma AND he wants to be with us and for us to lean on Him every step of the way.

It is a cold morning, 28 degrees, very dark because of clouds. As I reached our driveway and looked over the uncut cornfields across the street, stretching out to the West, there was a large opening in the clouds and Orion's belt and its surrounding stars twinkled at me. The distant city glow reflected on the low lying clouds lit the western horizon, casting the trees' branches in sharp relief.

This is a rambling entry this morning, but the peace and joy of this quiet time with God remains in my heart.

I love you Jesus. O Come O Come Emmanuel, remain with us today. I love you Jesus!