Imago Trinitatis

As we approach the celebration of Christmas, the Church aids us in reflecting on the mystery of the Nativity, the coming of the Word Made Flesh in Jesus Christ.   Reflection on this historical event is not just remembering the past but making it present in our own lives right now.   A piece of advice I received from my spiritual director is to meditate on the characters in the nativity story, placing myself in the place of those who experienced Jesus’s coming firsthand.   One person I have reflected on over the past couple of years is Joseph.   Not much is really known about him; in fact, he never says a word in the Gospels!   What he does show, however, is that he is a man of action, justice, and wisdom, listening for God’s Word and acting on it.     Think about the confusion that would have reigned after Joseph learned that Mary was having a child.   In any other situation, Mary would have been stoned to death for having a child out of m...

The title says it all; so often, I am afraid to be poor.   For instance, I am sometimes very concerned about how much money and other material possessions I have.   It’s not that I want to be rich, but I just want to have enough for the basic needs of life plus some things to make life comfortable and enjoyable. I also don’t want to be poor in my duties and achievements.   For schoolwork, I often feel like I fail if I don’t get the best grade, and if I don’t achieve specific goals, then there’s often great disappointment.   I also always want to have rich friendships full of love and kindness, but how often I fail to love or to receive love from others!   Yes, the above confessions are pretty blunt.   Yet, these are what I have been forced to face over and over again in my years of seminary formation.   It takes a lot of strength to be honest to myself, and while I’ve had significant growth here, I know I still have a long way to go. How s...