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.

Staying on my theme from last Thursday of “God Is With Us,” below is an excerpt from the Gospel of Luke that describes an encounter of two disciples with the Risen Jesus. This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible!

The disciples are making their way to a village called Emmaus. As they walk, the two disciples are discussing everything that has happened – the trial of Jesus, His crucifixion, His purported resurrection – when Jesus shows up alongside them:

“That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all that happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.

“And He [Jesus] said to them: ‘What is this conversation which you are holding with each other.’ And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas answered Him, ‘Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’

“And He [Jesus] said to them, ‘What things?’

“And they said to Him [Jesus], ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we had hoped He was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find His body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb; and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.’

“And He [Jesus] said to them, ‘O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

“So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He [Jesus] appeared to be going further, but they constrained Him saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So He went in to stay with them. When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished out of their sight.

“They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He [Jesus] talked to us on the road, while He opened us to the Scriptures?’ And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and the found the Eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon [Peter]!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread.” Luke 24: 13-35

I love this story because it fills me with hope. As I observe Jesus join His disciples on their walk to Emmaus, I realize the depth of Jesus’ empathy and compassion for humanity. Jesus knows how hard it will be for His disciples – and for all of us – to understand all that has happened throughout His life, trial, crucifixion and resurrection. He takes extra care to help them – and to help us – to understand.

Later on at dinner, the disciples recognize Jesus as He blesses and breaks the bread. As soon as He is recognized by the disciples, Jesus vanishes! What do the disciples do? They go running back to Jerusalem, to share what has happened with the other disciples.

Can you imagine the wonder and joy the early disciples feel, in discovering the Risen Jesus within their midst? This story reminds me to slow down – way down – as I move through my days, so that I don’t miss Jesus and the things He is trying to show me.

Jesus patiently reveals different pieces of the mystery of His life, death, and resurrection to each of us, as we are ready and willing to make time for Him. Why? Because He wants to help all of us to understand the depth of God’s Love.

Every single story of the Bible is an attempt to reveal God’s Love for us – and to assure us that God is still here among us.

No matter what our present circumstances may be, Jesus is here, calling us to move forward with Him into greater fullness with God the Father.  

Jesus is here right now, beside you and beside me.

As the week closes, my thoughts remain on Monday’s Mass, during which my friend professed his Final Vows, after 22 years as a Jesuit priest. I wrote about the experience earlier this week. Here is a broader excerpt from his closing comments:

“It is at the edge of our capacities that we encounter the Christ. It’s in coming to know our frailty that we come to understand the Grace, and that which is constantly calling us forward into greater fullness.”

I have been thinking all week about the places in my life where I am standing “at the edge of my capacities.” In talking with my youngest sister last evening, I described feeling really uncomfortable as I recognize and wade into some murky problems that are difficult to solve. My sister, who knows me well, observed that I seem to be having an “oh crap” moment – and as usual, she is right!

Despite my uncertainty, I do not want to turn back. Instead, I want to venture to the edge of my capacities, because I believe that Jesus is standing there. I want to venture out of my comfort zone, where I “think” I have all the answers, because I long to know Jesus more deeply. I am tired of the places in my life where I am stuck because I am afraid. I want to embrace, as my friend described, “the wildness and goodness of this wonderful life.”

I want to go forward, into greater fullness with God and with Jesus.

I want that for you too, dear reader.  

Early this morning, I was thinking about the Bible scene where Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden. I have read the Chapter in Genesis (Chapter 3) that describes this scene so many times. It’s easy to recognize the tragedy unfolding. We observe the power of doubt and fear to wreak havoc in our lives. We understand that evil is real and exists in the world. We witness the devastation that occurs when we choose to disobey God. We recognize the sense of loss that both humans and God experience when we separate from God.

However it’s easy to lose sight of the beauty of this scene. We witness the amazing and unbelievable gift of free will. We understand how much God cares for us, as we read how He stitches leathers to clothe Adam and Eve.

And we observe that no matter how we behave, God does not leave us. This last part is easy to miss. Look closely at the final verse of Chapter 3:

“When He [God] expelled the man, He settled him east of the Garden of Eden; and He stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3: 24

This verse tells us that when God expels Adam and Eve from the Garden, He goes with them. I think it’s easy to miss this point – I missed it for a long time! But remember that Moses wrote the Book of Genesis. Moses had such a close relationship with God! Anytime he wanted, Moses could enter the meeting tent that housed the ark of the covenant, and have a personal, face-to-face encounter with God. (Exodus 33: 7-11)

Consider the precision of Moses’ choice of verbs in that final verse of Genesis Chapter 3:

“He settled him east of the Garden of Eden.” The action verb “settled” indicates that God very actively and directly helped Adam and Eve to find a place to live, outside the Garden.

Moses goes on to write: “And He stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Moses’ use of the word “stationed” indicates that God left the cherubim there on guard, so that He could go into the wilderness with Adam and Eve.

God has never intended that we should find ourselves alone at the edge of our capacities, and in despair. Rather, this single verse confirms that, from the beginning, God has desired to love us and to be with us – and that He is with us, here in the wilderness.

Jesus, through his life and death, confirms even more explicitly the desire of God to be with us:

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1: 14

The wonder and depth of God’s love for us is truly magnificent.  

We are not alone, at the edge of our capacities. All is not lost, when we feel afraid and vulnerable. Jesus is standing there, waiting for each one of us to call for Him:

Please show me the way, Jesus. I do not know what to do. Take the gifts You have given me and show me how to use them more powerfully, and for Your Purpose. Lead me to the people in my world that You want me to love and make me not afraid to love them. Let me walk with you Lord, beyond the edge of my capacities, and into the life You have dreamed for me.

With Jesus, those places that may seem like endings are merely new beginnings.

God loves us so much.

Some moments will remain in our memories forever. Last night is certain to be one such moment for me.

I had the opportunity to witness my friend profess his Final Vows as a Jesuit priest. This joyful milestone in his spiritual journey was observed through an ordinary, daily Mass celebrated within a campus chapel.

The chapel was filled with hundreds of faithful friends and family members. Seated in the pew before us was an old man, praying the rosary. He was there for daily Mass. I heard him lean over to a nun seated next to him and ask, “What is the occasion this evening?” His eyes widened at the news of what was in store.

The officiating priest and Jesuit Rector welcomed us warmly and noted the diversity of people gathered. His voice softened as he encouraged us to look around at one another and said –

“This is a glimpse of what heaven will look like.”

There were people of all ages and ethnicities and walks of life present – all of us touched, somehow, by the life and faithful witness of my friend. The talented musicians were led by a young Jesuit priest. Overall, I counted nearly 30 Jesuit priests in the chapel, as well as nuns of different orders – some wearing street clothes, and others wearing long habits and flowing robes.

The Mass was moving. Our voices echoed off the walls and ceiling, growing louder and louder as we prayed and sang from our hearts. All of the Jesuit priests participated in the Act of Consecration during the Eucharist, invoking the grace of the Holy Spirit to change the substance of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

As my friend prepared to receive Holy Communion, he knelt humbly before his Jesuit Superior and recited his Final Vows. He paused in the midst of his Vows, visibly overcome with the Spirit and emotion of the moment. I can still see him standing on the altar, after his Vows, his eyes fixed on the precious gift of the Blessed Host he was holding in his hands.

Before Mass ended, my friend spoke a bit of his journey. His words remain on my heart this morning:

“It is at the edge of our capacities that we encounter Christ.”

A stunning observation made by a remarkable soul.

Come Holy Spirit; fill us with Faith to believe wholly in God’s Promise. Fill us with Hope as we meet the trials of life with steady purpose and courage and joy. Dearest Jesus, shower us with the Love we long for, as we discover You, standing in all Your Glory and Mercy, at the edge of what we deem possible.  

And Loving Jesus, please continue to deeply bless and guide all faithful priests and servants, here on earth:

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be … And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” 1 Peter 5: 2, 4

Dear God,

Please guide our every thought and word and action – in every moment of every day. When we respond in ways aligned with Your love, encourage us to open widely our hearts so that Your Love and Grace can flow freely through us to others. When we lose our way, please redirect us, and draw us nearer to You.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

There is no end to God’s love for us. His mercy is always there, ready to be poured out upon us. No matter how much we love someone here on earth, God’s love is deeper and broader. He loves us in a perfect way that is always patient, always kind, and always forgiving.  God’s love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. His love always protects and perseveres; and never fails us. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)

God’s majesty is reflected in the way that He loves. His love has the power to transform us.

Our God is the God of second and third and fourth – and forty-ninth – chances! And yet there are times when so much fear builds up in our hearts that we begin to worry we are not good enough for God. We doubt the depth of His love, and we separate from Him. If only we understood how much He wants good things for us. If only we understood that His mercy and love are real and always available to us.

Dear God, help us to ponder Your great majesty. When our fear rises up, help us to trust in Your great love for us.

“Today, the majesty of God enveloped and transpierced my soul to its very depths. The greatness of God is pervading my being and flooding me so that I am completely drowning in His greatness. I am dissolving and disappearing entirely in Him as my life-source, as in perfect life.”¹

¹Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul (Massachusetts: Marian Press, 2020), Verse 983, pg. 378.