From Surviving to Thriving: December 23,2025 ( Tuesday)

Come Oh Holy Spirit, please fill the hearts of thy faithful, please enkindle in us the fire of thy Divine Love, send forth Your Spirit Oh Lord, and it shall be created, and You Oh Lord, shall renew the face of the earth.

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This morning feels a bit blah!

There are people I do not wish to greet for this Christmas Season, but, proper etiquette and common decency requires as to go through the motion.

I have been wrestling with that for several days now.

My Christian teaching is reminding me to forgive 70 x 7 times.

Turn the other cheek.

Walk the extra mile.

I ask my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to grant me the grace.

Thank you Lord Jesus...

However valid the offense and the disrespect thrown at me...I am to humble myself and love my enemies with a kind regard.

We may not be chummy chummy anymore...we maintain our distance, but, I am going to pray for them and wish them well.

Thank you Lord Jesus Thank you.

https://kerygmafamily.com/modules/dailyreadings/read.php?date=2025-12-23

Today's reflection question:

What characterizes your relationships—intimacy or attachment?

Hmm...reading and re- reading the reflection of the layman and Fr. Joel Jason...gave me more thoughts to ponder on.

It clarified the distinction between intimacy and attachment for me.

Attachment has to do with insecurity and dependence.

While, intimacy leads to empowerment, not over-powering, where the other person is coerced and forced to do something he or she is not inclined to do.

My definition of the word intimacy is confined and limited to being very vulnerable to another person, usually in an exclusive relationship like a husband and wife relationship.

That is why, when a suitor, was quoted as saying he was intimate with me already, I had to put a stop to the blossoming relationship.

Checking dictionary.com just now, shows me that the word has 12 meanings, #6 has something to do with physical relations...sexual.

So, although, I was very much attracted to this person, I knew that his character and mine combined would be a nuclear disaster awaiting to happen.

So, yes, it could not be.

I prayed so hard to St. Joseph, to take him away.

And so, he powerfully did.

I am happy that this person is now happily married.

I wish them well.

Going back to the gospel readings, of Zechariah, naming his son John, and not his name...was a way of detaching his son to discover his own personhood and to pursue his God's mission for his life.

I pray for the same grace to not be attached to my daughter's choices and to start letting go and letting God work in their hearts and minds in Jesus and through Mama Mary's help.

Ave Maria.

Let me quote and read again and again her song of praise...her Magnificat, which was in yesterday's scripture readings :

Gospel | Luke 1:46-56

In her song of praise to the Lord, Mary extols His goodness, mercy, and kindness, particularly to the poor and the helpless. God has done extraordinary things in her life—He made her the mother of His Son Jesus. Yet it had come at a great cost, and Mary made herself available to the Lord and His purposes. If we also want God to do great things for us, let us follow Mary’s example of self-offering and abandonment to God.

Gospel Acclamation

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

⁴⁶ Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; ⁴⁷ my spirit rejoices in God my savior. ⁴⁸ For he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: ⁴⁹ the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. ⁵⁰ He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. ⁵¹ He has shown the strength of his arm, has scattered the proud in their conceit. ⁵² He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. ⁵³ He has the filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent away empty. ⁵⁴ He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, ⁵⁵ the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” ⁵⁶Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.