• All the readings together
• Isaiah 61:1-2A, 10-11
• Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54
• 1st Thessalonians 5:16-24
• John 1:6-8, 19-28
• Click here to listen on YouTube
CORE MESSAGE
If we want this Christmas to the best Christmas ever then it must be connected to reality. If we really are going to welcome a savior we have to let God into our regrets, resentments, and resistances.
LETTING GO OF THE BANANA
“If our wanting is to be wholehearted then what we want must be connected to the rest of reality”
Regret
- Have we made decisions that have negatively altered the direction of our life?
- Have we made mistakes that have hurt us or others?
- Do we have relationships that have suffered because we chose to work too much or neglect the time needed to nurture relationships?
- Do we have sins we’ve committed that we’re ashamed of ... especially the sins we have been absolved of but can’t forgive ourselves of?
- Have we lost time in life because “we were lost” (“I’ll never get her teenage years back when I was drinking)
Resentment
- Do we have buried anger that we hold onto to protect us from the pain of the regret?
- Do we feel trapped because we can’t undo it … we’re angry at being trapped.
Advent
- We can resist forgiving
- We can resist asking for forgiveness
- We can resist the Sacrament of Reconciliation
- We can resist or struggle forgiving myself of?
HOMEWORK: LET'S TAKE CHRISTMAS SERIOUS
Regrets
Get a sheet of paper and make a list of the following regrets.
- Decisions I’ve made that have negatively altered the direction of my life
- Mistakes I’ve made that have hurt me or others
- Relationships that have suffered because I chose to work too much or neglect the time needed to nurture relationships
- Sins I’ve committed that I’m ashamed of ... especially the sins I have been absolved of but can’t forgive myself of
- Time that was lost because “I was lost” (time with God, family, etc.)
Resentments
Get a sheet of paper and divide into four columns.
- Column 1: Resentments. List it all (people, places, things, life, situations, God—everything or everyone with whom I am angry with, resent, feel hurt or threatened by)
- Column 2: The Cause. What happened? Be specific as to why I am or was angry.
- Column 3: Affects Me How? How did it or does it make me feel?
- Column 4: Where Was I To Blame? What’s the truth here? Where was my responsibility in this relationship? What might I have done instead? Where was I at fault?
Resistance
Prayerfully look at the insights from your reflecting on your regrets and resentments. Ask yourself the following questions and commit to action.
- Who do I need to forgive? Don’t forget, this person may or may not still be alive. What’s the best way for you to really forgive them?
- Who do I need to approach and ask them to forgive me? Be prudent here, don’t rush this process. Ask God to show you how to proceed.
- What do I need to bring to the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
- What do I need to forgive myself of? (If you need help with this, Fr. Mark can be of assistance.)
Let's Get Ready Confessions in December
- Friday, December 19: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, December 20: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Monday, December 22: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Tuesday, December 23: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 24: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Recorded Sunday, December 14, 2014 at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana. © Fr. Mark Toups, 2014
