Month: December 2023

The following prayer was written by the beloved Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, of Poland:

The Infinite Goodness of God in Sending His Only-Begotten Son

God, You did not destroy man after his fall, but in Your mercy You forgave him, You forgave in a Divine way: that is, not only have You absolved him from guilt, but You have bestowed upon him every grace. Mercy has moved You to deign (or to consider it worthy) to descend among us and lift us up from our misery …

Unfathomable and incomprehensible in Your mercy, for love of us, You take on flesh from the Immaculate Virgin, ever untouched by sin, because You have willed it so from all ages.

The Blessed Virgin, that Snow-White Lily, is first to praise the omnipotence of Your mercy. Her pure heart opens with love for the coming of the Word; she believes the words of God’s messenger and is confirmed in trust.

Heaven is astounded that God has become man, that there is on earth a heart worthy of God Himself. Why is it that You do not unite Yourself with a Seraph, but with a sinner, O Lord? Oh, because, despite the purity of the Virginal womb, this is a mystery of Your mercy.

O Mystery of God’s mercy, O God of compassion, that You have deigned (or considered it worthy) to leave the heavenly throne and to stoop down to our misery, to human weakness, for it is not the angels, but man who needs mercy.

To give praise worthy to the Lord’s mercy, we unite ourselves with Your Immaculate Mother, for then our hymn will be more pleasing to You, because She is chosen from among men and angels.

Through Her, as through a pure crystal, Your mercy was passed on to us. Through Her, man became pleasing to God; through Her, streams of grace flowed down upon us.¹

¹Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul (Massachusetts: Marian Press, 2020), Verses 1745-1746, pgs. 617-619.

This Christmas season, I find myself reflecting even more deeply on the miracle of Jesus’ human birth.

The Lord of Hosts, who keeps company with the Angels, willingly comes to earth to join in the company of sinners. Jesus enters our world as an infant. He is born of a Virgin woman, in a stable, in extreme poverty. His first crib is a manger – literally a trough from which livestock feed. Jesus, who can ask the Father for more than twelve legions (or armies) of Angels (Matthew 26: 53), entrusts Himself to the care of human hands and hearts, becoming completely dependent upon the love of His Mother, Mary, and of His earthly father, Joseph.

Why does Jesus do this?

Do you ever feel concerned that even if you attend church regularly, you will not be able to live a Christian life? Do you worry that you are not worthy of God’s mercy and love, because of past sins?

I worry about these things. ♥ I think it is safe to say that any person who desires to know Jesus more deeply worries about these things.

But especially during the Christmas season, when I worry that my life and faith are not nearly enough for Jesus, I am grateful to gaze upon the baby Jesus in the Nativity. I am instantly assured of how much Jesus loves us. I am reminded that Jesus chooses to live among us – to meet us in the middle of our chaos and sinfulness – because He knows we need His very personal guidance to rise above our shortcomings and to live the life that God dreams for us.

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23: 34

Centuries after the Savior’s human birth, the Christmas season is a beautiful reminder of how much Jesus wants to love us, and to be loved by us. Jesus still lives humbly among us so that each of us may have the chance to know Him personally. He teaches us His just Commands so that we may begin to live good and eternal lives right now, here on earth. Jesus desires to tell and show us all these things so that His joy may be in us, and that our joy in Him may be complete. (John 15: 9-11)

Through the humble birth and life of Jesus, we gain a glimpse of how much the Father loves His Only Son, in that Jesus would choose to share that Love with us by dwelling among us – all of us, from the lowly shepherds to the wise Kings.

The Christmas season is a precious reminder that Jesus’ love for each one of us is as strong and true today as it was centuries ago.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13: 8

Come, let us adore Him, oh Song that the Angels sing.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming
As men of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter
When half-gone was the night.

Isaiah ‘twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind:
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright
She bore to men a Savior
When half-gone was the night.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us
And lightens every load.

“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”
German Hymn first appearing in 1599

“There are owls outside!” my husband announced, as he entered the house. He had been out walking with our German Shepherd.

It was early and pitch-black outside. A dense fog hung low and the morning air was still – the fog so thick that we could barely make out the neighbor’s barn light across the field. Without saying much, we grabbed our coffees and went outside to the silence of the front porch.

To share some of my history with owls, we lost my husband’s mother, days before Christmas, five years ago. My mother-in-law loved owls, and we have come to love them too. At the time we lost her, we were living in a heavily wooded neighborhood. A family of Great Horned Owls lived among us there – an amazing gift. At 3 a.m., the morning after we lost her, I was awakened by a Great Horned Owl calling loudly from our roof. This was a common occurrence, to find owls on our rooftop! But on that particular morning, the owl’s call was unusually urgent.

My dog, Grace, and I ran downstairs to our back door, just in time to see a massive owl fly down from the rooftop, swoop low across our deck, and land in the garden at the rear of our yard. The majestic creature sat there, by an angel statuary, intently watching me and Grace. No one moved for some time. And then he spread his wings and flew away into the early morning darkness. At that moment, I knew my mother-in-law was ok. God had swooped down to remind me that Love goes on. I will always remember that morning, and the kindness of His gift to me.

This Christmas season, I have been missing both my mother-in-law and the owls. It’s been some time since I have heard a Great Horned Owl, so my heart was heavy as I settled into a chair on our porch early today.

And then as if on cue, the Great Horned Owls here began to speak. My husband and I could make out two – maybe three – distinct owls. They had a lively conversation that lasted about ten minutes. I kept my eyes fixed on the fog, content to hear them and to know they were near to us, beyond the veil of fog.

So on Christmas Eve morning, as light begins to fill the morning sky, I am assured again that Love goes on. I am reminded that God’s kind of Love brings challenge and change as it compels us to live beyond ourselves. God’s kind of Love asks us over and again to trust in the goodness of the plans He whispers within our hearts, even though we cannot see or touch Him. And I am reminded that always, when we are uncertain or sad, He lovingly sends us visible signs – in any myriad of forms – to confirm that He remains near to us.

We need only to wait for Him in the silence.

What a beautiful and unexpected gift this Christmas Eve morning, to hear the owls singing in the silence.

What a beautiful and unexpected gift, to celebrate once again the birth of Jesus, and God in our midst.

Thank you, dearest Father, for Your most precious and unexpected gift of a Love like none other.

“The Lord, Your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew you in His Love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

As Christmas draws near, I am thinking again about the shepherds who are visited by the angels. The angels have come to announce the Savior’s birth. The Gospel of Luke recounts the story in this way:

“And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased!’

“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’

“And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” Luke 2: 8-18

Can you imagine how the shepherds feel when the angel of the Lord first appears? They are outside the safety of the city, tending to their sheep, in the middle of the night, when not just one angel – but a multitude of the heavenly host – appears before them. This must have been both terrifying and magnificent, and rightly so!

Their conversation must have been lively after the angels departed.  

Can this be real? Did we really just see and hear from angels?! Or are we dreaming? What on earth is happening?! What will we find in Bethlehem if we go?

Somewhere deep in their hearts, hope stirs. Can it be that the promise of the prophets is finally coming true? Is the Savior here among us now on earth?

Whatever fear or uncertainty they feel after the visit with the angels, the shepherds decide to follow their hearts and go in search of the Christ child.

We can only imagine the joy and wonder the shepherds feel when they find Mary and Joseph in a stable, with Jesus lying in a manger – an open trough from which the horses and cattle ate. The scene is exactly as the angels had described it.

This is a lot to take in, as I place myself within that time and place. This is perhaps how the Gospels are best read, by picturing ourselves within the various scenes. What would I have thought or done if I had been there? Would I have followed my heart to Bethlehem?

It is stunning to view the events of Jesus’ life and those who loved Him through the lenses of both our minds and our hearts. When I close my eyes, I can see Mary, so beautiful and trusting, handing the baby Jesus to the gentle shepherds so they can hold the Savior in their arms, close to their hearts.

What did they say to each other? They had all come so far. And as we know, their journeys were just beginning.

Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds were witnessing God’s incredible dream for us, come to life through His Son, Jesus.

Remember, God is a dreamer too. He was the First to dream.

The wonder of it all takes my words away.

Dearest Jesus, draw us near to You, this Christmas season. Wipe away our tears and doubts and fears, Lord. Help us to follow our hearts to Bethlehem.

It is almost Christmas. I hope your hearts are light as you await this celebration of Jesus’ first arrival on earth.   

Especially during this time of year, I love to read the Gospel of John’s record of Jesus coming to live with us:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father.” John 1: 1-5; 14

This Gospel is based on the memories of Jesus’ apostle, John. I imagine John with tears in his eyes as he recounts the life and teachings of his beloved friend, Jesus. The miracle of Jesus coming down from Heaven – His humble birth and life, His ministry, His death and His resurrection – is almost too much, frankly, for the human mind to comprehend.

A sense of loving wonder and mystery fills the pages of John’s Gospel. As I mull the events over and over in my mind, I realize that this is where the heart steps in, guided by the Holy Spirit, to help me to understand and trust in the amazing grace and mercy we have been given, through Christ.

I am filled with hope.

May your hearts also be filled with hope, as you read this beautiful Gospel.

Where there is hope, there is everything.

Christmas is coming.

Throughout the Advent season, as I begin my day, I have been reading various Psalms. The Psalms are so beautiful – a collection of prayers and exultations and lamentations for literally every life circumstance we encounter.

Today, with Christmas days aways, I felt inspired to write my own prayer of thanks:

You Are, Lord

You are the Love, Lord, that burns deeply in my heart.

You are the Longing, Lord, that I cannot voice but is ever present within my being.

You are the Song, Lord, that is ever on my lips and waiting to be shared.

You are the Desire, Lord, that compels me to act with more courage and humility.

You are the Hope, Lord, that never leaves me, strengthening my faith in the Father.

You are the Grace, Lord, that lifts me from shame so that I may try again.

You are the Breath, Lord, that offers me the gift of choosing eternal life with You.

You are the Peace, Lord, that settles within my heart when I realize all is not lost.

You are the Splinter in my Eye, Lord, that helps me to see the goodness in others.

You are the Laughter, Lord, that dances over the leaves and echoes within my ears.

You are the Joy, Lord, that fills my heart to bursting.

You are the Solace, Lord, that lifts me up when plans crash around me.

You are the Fortress, Lord, that I run to in times of need and danger.

You are the Promise, Lord, that transforms and gives purpose to my life.

You are the Wonder, Lord, that I cannot explain and from whose gaze I will not turn.

You are the Glory, Lord, that brings me to my knees in adoration and expectation.

You are the Savior, Lord, who reveals the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

You are my Everything, Lord Jesus, the Perfect Love that reaches to the Heavens.

© 2023. Stepping Stones to Grace. All Rights Reserved.

The desire within your heart for something more … the notion that perhaps you should ask God for help in figuring out your life. This is Jesus, working within your heart, calling you back to Him.

Every prayer we utter … every cry for help … is a response to Jesus, wanting to draw us near, and to fill our hearts with peace and joy.

Every prayer is a response to Love.

Always remember that the world is round, and those places that may seem like endings are so often new beginnings. God’s love is also round. No matter how far we move away from Him, we can always circle back to His Mercy and Love.

God is always there, waiting to love us.

Hello, everyone! I have been working to transition my website to a new domain host. I have also changed the website name and url to steppingstonestograce.com as part of this process! Be sure to bookmark this new page!

My intent for this website remains unchanged: To share a variety of reflections and stories that reveal the depth of God’s love – and that of His Son, Jesus – for us. God is constantly calling each one of us to Him and longs to satisfy our thirst for purpose and meaning in our lives.

I hope the new name for this website also reminds readers of the saving grace of God, won by Jesus, and offered freely to us. (Romans 3: 21-26). The choice is ours to accept and embrace fully God’s grace – to turn away from our sinful ways, to be sorry for them, and to believe in Jesus Christ and the gospel.

St. Paul was keenly aware of the power of God’s grace in our lives. So pervasive was St. Paul’s sense of grace that he refers to it at the beginning and end of every one of his letters! He understood that God’s grace enables each one of us to do and to be what we cannot do and be on our own. He spoke personally of the impact of God’s grace on his life:

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15: 10

I cherish those words from St. Paul. Each new day offers us the chance to move one step closer to trusting fully in the love and grace of God.

I am also grateful that we are on this journey together, to know God. We each have unique roles to discover and insights to share. God alone seems to have this magical blueprint of how our lives connect into a fortress of love and grace that nothing can penetrate.

God loves us deeply.

Thank you for continuing to visit my website.