Today’s video reveals the inner match that goes on between the “religiously-correct” speeches that we give and the reality that we live.
“The authenticity of our faith is always being tested, especially during Christmas. It’s not just our words that matter. It’s our genuine responses and actions that also speak to whether our faith is real.”
The tension between what we believe and how we live out those beliefs in our daily lives requires that we continually examen our actions and ask ourselves if they align to what we say we believe.
Christmas is a time in which we remember and recognize God’s gift to mankind; immersed in the experience of his love we experience ourselves compelled to live that same love in our own way, through the tradition of gift-giving.
While it is something very positive the fact that such a tradition is recognized and accepted on a global scale, there is also the danger of diluting the authentic message of Christmas so as to conform ourselves with the cultural paradigms.
Do we too not fear and indeed find that the doors of this world seem to close when we come bearing Christ in our arms? How do we react to such a situation? Do we simply hide the child Jesus, ignoring him in our conversations, in our actions, in our families?
Are we too one of those who has taken up refuge in the false protections of hypocrisy? Are we too one of those who sings the carols of Christ yet ignores or forgets them the moment we step out of Church? Or, are we firm in our faith and convicted enough in the immensity of the gift of Christ that we are willing to take the risk, even when it implies that we end up on the meager arrangements of a stall and a manger?
Let us remember that this time is, above all, a time of conversion, in our own personal lives and in those around us. Let us make sure that all that we do, all the traditions, the songs, the conversations, the meals, the prayers –everything– have conversion as the essential spirit and goal.
Additional Resources:
How to Make Your Examination of Conscience (With Illustrations!)
To properly make an Examination of Conscience, review your day, but do so in dialogue with Jesus. Go over the main points in your day: what struck you, what was beautiful, what was difficult, what wasn’t clear, etc. No need to be rigid here, give your memory a little space and time and allow things to flow smoothly.
Source: catholic-link.org/2016/02/22/how-to-make-your-examination-of-conscience/
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