The First Sunday of Advent ushers in the new Liturgical Year. This year is Year B in the Lectionary. As we prepare our hearts to receive the gift of Jesus' birth, let us pray for confidence in God's love for us and trust in his power to do what is best for us. At my retreat on Friday I heard many things that spoke to me. In particular was the idea of emptying ourselves so that God can penetrate our hearts. In order for that to happen we need to let go of all our worries and live in the moment. Buddhist Mindfulness - intentional, deliberate focus on the present - is one way to do this. The Buddha said, "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." How difficult a thing this is for us to do, particularly in our profession.
Another way to empty ourselves for the Lord is by following St. Teresa's idea of Contemplative Prayer. Contemplation is a great act of love. We desire God as God desires us. We give
our hearts to God, and it is within our hearts that we encounter God in his Son
through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. A person puts aside the self—the
“me”—and sees everything in terms of the gospel and the unconditional
compassion of Jesus Christ. It requires few if any words. Here is a suggestion from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on how to proceed with Contemplative Prayer:
- Find a quiet place, you can have music playing
- Find a comfortable position, breathe and quiet yourself
- Focus your attention on an image of Jesus
- Acknowledge the things that are trying to get your attention---thoughts, worries, plans, aches and pains, sights and sounds around you.
- Slowly let these things go.
- In your silence and stillness, let God’s Spirit within you make itself known.
- Do not expect anything to “happen”; put yourself in God’s hands.
And finally I would like to share a quote from Blaise Pascal for you to think about, "The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of." When I realized what it was saying, it made so many things clear. Maybe it will speak to you too.
The representative from our cleaning company will be here Tuesday for a walk-thru. If there is something you would like me to point out or tell him, let me know. I am considering a new cleaning company for the school. I met with the rep and had a good feeling about the work this company does. One plus is that they are very familiar with cleaning schools. If there is something you need done in your classroom over Christmas break, please let me know by Friday. Hopefully the new AC will be installed over break. This should alleviate some of the leak issues we have been having. I'm also hoping the awning will be installed over break and we ordered 4 new picnic tables for the playground thanks to the Angel's paddle item. Another addition to the property will be 4 more speed bumps in the parking lot which hopefully will slow down drivers who currently race through the lot. Allen and I are working on getting these ordered. The Lord is good!
Please be sure to pass out envelopes on Friday and remind students that this weekend coming up is the weekend to wear their uniform and grab a holy card for free dress. Thank you for all you do and I am praying that everyone experiences a meaningful retreat this Friday.
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