Sunday, January 3, 2016

Epiphany

As Epiphany rolls into our homes and we see the changing of them we have a chance to reflect on what may have been "in the way".  With a new year comes new surprises, new delights, new friends, and a whole world of beauty that we need to offer.  This blessed Twelfth Night has many traditions - the annual blessing of our homes and families and the expulsion of that which is not desirable to make room for the Christ Child and the salvation that comes only through Him.






Today the tree and lights came down.  The train board is put away and stored for the next year.  The stocking holders go into storage and the leftover candy becomes designated to become repurposed for Super Bowl treats.  Now that I've shared the "perfect world" we all like to show, let's be real.

The tree had been up for 3 years.  Yup - 3 years.  For reasons I am not willing to admit on the internet the tree and trainboard which take up 1/5 of our living room and 75% of the natural light have been there.  The stocking holders?  Yeah - I don't even remember the last time they weren't up there - so I'm guessing 5+ years.  Possibly longer.  I know they came down the first year or two we lived here but after that it's kind of a blur.

As the tree came down and I had the chance to bask in the natural sunlight a few things occurred to me:

  1. Trees come down for a reason - the dust that came off that thing is nothing short of a biohazard. 
  2. Those windows let in a LOT of light....blaring bright light....light that requires new blackout curtains. 
And then the wheels begin to turn in my brain and the light dawns and I must stop the cleaning frenzy to have a chat with all of you.  I swear this isn't metaphorical - it's true...as the clutter came out, and the dust faded away, the light shone through.

Think about that for a minute.  What is your "stuff" blocking from you?  What "light" are you keeping out?  Friendship?  Family?  Fellowship?  Love?  Joy?  Peace?  Tranquility?

How do we get rid of the pile of "stuff" that is physically blocking us from the light of Christ?  How do we let the physical go and embrace all that He has to offer us?  Are you willing to take the risk?  Have you kept the light out for so long that you have difficulty adjusting to it? 

See, the light was there all along - the tree sitting in the bay window was the only thing blocking it from entering into the room.  The light is blinding because we are not used to it - we have grown accustomed to the darker, more secretive cave-like feeling instead of the joy that can come from letting it in.

And so we come to a close - and my first challenge of 2016 to you:  Let the light in.  Shed the "stuff" between you and God and open your door wide open to all the blessings he has in store for you in 2016 and beyond. 

3 comments:

  1. If you're at all interested in knowing . . . the Catholic Dogmas . . . that we *must believe* to get to Heaven . . .

    We list it on our website > > > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com

    The Dogmas have in fact ... been hidden from you.

    The Catholic God knows . . . what we think and believe . . .

    Catholic writing of Romans 1:21 >
    "They ... became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened."

    Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Job 21:27 >
    "Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against Me."

    The fact that "islam" is not a religion is on Section 113.1 of the site. Mohammed in the "koran" wrote exactly the opposite of the Old Testament Prophets.

    Proverbs 30:4 > "Who hath ascended up into Heaven ... what is the name of His Son."
    koran - maryam 19:35 > "It is not befitting ... Allah that He should beget a son."

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  2. Dear Catholic Crusader,

    Five hundred years ago in 1517, Martin Luther made public his 95 complaints against the Roman Catholic church (hereafter, RCC). Today, we shall do likewise, with another 95 reasons. However, in this critique, we will exclusively fixate on the nucleus of all Catholic doctrine called, Transubstantiation. This teaching is built on the premise that when the priest utters “This is my body” over bread and wine that the “combustible” syllables of these four words ignite with such power and energy that, unbeknownst to our cognizant senses, the substance of bread and wine miraculously change (“by the force of the words” says the Council of Trent; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1375). They are then abruptly replaced with something else entirely; namely, the very body, blood, soul and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ in some mysterious form which leaves only the outward appearance of bread and wine (i.e., the color, shape, size, taste, weight and texture -- or "accidental" properties, remain unchanged in objective reality). It is claimed that the supernatural power that creates this miracle on a daily basis, 24 hours a day in Masses worldwide, “is the same power of Almighty God that created the whole universe out of nothing at the beginning of time” (Mysterium Fidei, 47). The question is: does the sacred rhetoric of Jesus lead us to conclude He intended it be recited like a magician recites his incantations? (Reason 6, 74). That at the recitation of these four words, the world is obligated to be transfixed on Transubstantiation???

    We should think that a rollercoaster of 95 reasons against this doctrine should at least pique your curiosity, let alone make you wonder if, like the calmness of a ferris wheel, you can so calmly refute them. The issue is far from inconsequential, since it’s claimed our very eternal destinies are at stake. So while sensitive to the fact that many are captivated by this doctrine, we are persuaded that the theological framework of the Bible conveys a persistent and vigorous opposition to this theory. God's word tells us to, "study to show yourself approved" (2 Tim 2:15) and we have indeed done just that.

    The almost “romantic fidelity” to Transubstantiation springs forth from the opinion that consuming the “organic and substantial” body of Christ in the Eucharist is necessary for salvation (CCC 1129 & 1355; Trent, "Concerning Communion", ch. 1 and “Concerning Communion Under Both Kinds”, ch. 3; Canon 1; Mysterium Fidei, intro). Our burden here is to safeguard the gospel (Jude 1:3). If a religious system professing to be Christian is going to demand that something be done as a prerequisite for eternal life, it is vital to scrutinize this claim under the searchlight of Scripture and with “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Proverbs 25:2 says, "the honor of a king is to search out a matter". We shall do likewise.

    Determined to test all things by Holy Writ (1 Thess 5:21; Acts 17:11, 2 Cor 10:5), the following 95 reasons have been compiled to an extravagant length to provoke you to consider the cognitive complexities of this doctrine which we conclude are biblically unbearable. We are so convinced the Bible builds a concrete case against this superstition, that we will not allow the things we have in common to suppress the more urgent need to confront the differences that divide us, such as Transubstantiation. We are told this issue directly impacts our eternal destiny, so it must not be ignored. The Lord Jesus came to divide and conquer by the truth of His word. He said, "Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division" (Luke 12:51-53).


    For the full essay of 95 reasons, kindly e-mail me at
    Eucharistangel@aol.com

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  3. Catholic must know Dogma > Ripped from your soul.

    If you're at all interested in knowing ... the Catholic Dogma ... that we *must believe* to
    get to Heaven, and which you have *never* seen ...

    I list it on my website > > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com

    And no ... the anti-Christ vatican-2 heretic cult (founded in 1965) is not the Catholic Church (founded in 33 A.D.).

    Currently ... you are outside the Catholic Church and so ... have no chance of getting to Heaven.

    Physical participation in a heretic cult (vatican-2, lutheran, evangelical, etc) ... automatically excommunicates you from the Catholic Church (that is, Christianity) >
    www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_13.2.2.html

    Mandatory ... Abjuration of heresy to enter the Catholic Church >
    www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_40.html

    Dogma that one must Abjure to leave the vatican-2 heretic cult and enter the Catholic Church >
    www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_40.1.html

    The BIBLE says ... 15 TIMES ... it is not the authority on Faith,
    the BIBLE says the Church in it's Dogma and Doctrine ... is the authority on Faith and the definition of the Catholic Faith ... www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_6.html

    The Catholic God knows ... what we think and believe ...

    Catholic writing of Romans 1:21 >
    "They ... became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened."

    Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Deuteronomy 31:21 >
    "For I know their thoughts, and what they are about to do this day."

    Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Job 21:27 >
    "Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against Me."

    Regards - Victoria

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