December 15th Advent Reflection

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Rejoice always, Pray without ceasing, Give thanks in all circumstances: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

This is a tough one, to rejoice always. Who among us has not experience unbearable pain or sorrow? Therefore, it seems impossible to give thanks in all circumstances. One of the greatest sorrows in my life has been the passing of my mother, Elda Hayes Ptacek.  We were very close, and when she died, I felt lost for a very long time. Her missing presence was felt at Thanksgiving, on Christmas, on her birthday, and on so many other ordinary days as well. To get beyond the unbearable feelings of sadness, I found myself praying without ceasing, prayers for my mom to be safe in the everlasting arms in a peaceful place we call Heaven. Eventually my prayers turned into prayers of praise, thanking God for the wonderful gift my mom was to me, for all that she has given to me, and for all the life lessons she has taught me. I was able to give thanks in all circumstances, even sad ones. After a while I was able to get back to saying other prayers, thanking God for each new day, for a beautiful sunset, for a Robin’s song, for the beauty of a field of snow sparkling in the sunshine. Currently, as we reflect upon the tragedy of war in our world and the violence and unrest that takes place in our own country, it seems hard to rejoice always. The good news is that we can because God has sent us the gift of his son to show us the light.

Dear God,

Please show us your true paths so that we can find something to rejoice in always. Let us commune with you without ceasing in all circumstances of our lives, knowing that your son Jesus came to take away my sins and the sins of the world.  Amen                          

MM