Neglect Not Yourself
By: Eric Gajewski
As we approach Christmas Day let us be reminded Christ was found in the silence and solitude of the manger beneath the stars. The 3 magi had to journey to find Him and thus we too must do the same. Amidst this busy season of moving to and fro from one retail establishment to the next and from one task to the next be reminded of what is truly important. Assuredly family is important but without Christ we are nothing. There would be no season for proper greetings. A season and more specifically a Day now under attack by the New World Order agents of death who seek to usher in their false messiah instead. For some Christ is not enough and because of this what can these men truly say they have in the final analysis?
Do not wait until to Christmas to be a cheerful giver. As Catholics following Christ and His true doctrine we are called to give testimony to Truth therefore we must do acts of charity and mercy. Not because we have to but because it only comes natural. To give is not just for Christmas but it is for everyday of the week in reality. This certainly does not diminish the arrival of Our Lord but we must remember that until we are completely empty within Christ cannot fully live in us. You resolve to give and yet you will not detach you heart from inordinate things which preoccupy your heart and thus your mind. You give little throughout the year because you are full of yourself and yet Christmas reminds us of the Path of Selfless Love. Who is this Christ? Why does He choose the cold? Why does He choose a manger and obscurity?
He is away out of man's sight on this journey. The 3 magi traveled and so do we. This applies to all of us. You say you will do this and that for Christ and yet how will you do this and do it properly without first emptying yourself? How will you be able to give Christ completely to your neighbor if you refuse Him an hour a day alone in this journey within. We must come naked and completely clothed in humility alone. We come in this dark and cold night to bring the very gift of ourself to Christ. Where is Thy Love O' servant of God? Can you strike the jagged rocks within your heart long enough to cause a spark? How is it with you and Jesus these days? Do you prepare a special dinner for Him daily in the most intimate quarters within? Is it about the scene that we create during the holiday season or is it about Jesus? The man not willing to journey never finds the safety of the manger and eventually the dark and cold consumes him. But in the Presence of Jesus we are taken out of the dark and cold of this night. We come giving something only to leave never wanting again. We forget all things. For He is our Prize.
Slow down Rudolph. I know the season is busy and you are gitty to get the sleigh off the ground but slow it down. Life moves fast and it moves even faster in these modern times. Do not take Our Lord and His graces for granted and make each act of the heart special like a man who first falls in love with a woman. Let this love renew as we head closer to the Day we get to behold Him face to face. We have this example of Rudolph to show us that when we try to lead our lives our noses will glow a bright red. God will pull back on us and tell us to slow down. Who is leading who is heard in the wind this night. If you find "nothing is working" according to your plan this holiday season perhaps it is time to consider what occupies your heart? If it Christ alone than how can you say the day didnt go your way?
His House has many mansions and yet he chose a manger in this world. I meditated upon this tonight. This is quite profound. We truly do have the capacity to fully understand all that God has awaiting for us yet He leaves behind this scene of the manger. Yes, it is through this manger we see the simplicity and humility of Our Lord. It is true we will never get to these mansions if first we do not go through the manger. God resists the proud and they are content with their false cities of security this holiday season. They are not looking for a manger for their eyes stay carnally fixated in this life. The kings and princes of this life now actively plot against the true Christ. They are seeking all first born in attempt to get rid of His followers for good. Thus, I tell you we have another Royal Home in which to hide. This is, of course, our Blessed Virgin Mary. The more we engage in prayer with Mary the more intimate we become with Christ. She is the Fortress of the Soul who guards, defends and protects against the dark and cold. Her Walls are firm and foundation is steady. Her innermost quarters nourish. Christ too chose this House for protection and if it is good enough for Him it is assuredly good enough for me.
Neglect not yourself. Over the course of the final days leading up unto Christmas please realize that in order for Christ to be present the self in you must be absent. The process is grueling and tedious. Yet without giving your self time to reflect you will neglect Our Lord. Without prayer we will be asleep to the knocks of the Savior who awaits outside the door. If we are overly distracted then we have the TV's on too loud and thus we cannot likewise hear these knocks. Be attentive to Jesus and remember that thes epractices are not just for this time of the year. Many will be overly concerned that they cannot control all of the details to their Christmas this season and yet were we meant too? Control what you can control and leave the rest up to the Lord. The day we get overly busy into others affairs is the day we begin to stop reflecting upon our own. Do not be afraid to fail Jesus be afraid that you never once again make this journey. Faith pleases God doubt displeases God. If you take enough time out daily to self reflect then you can begin to make progress interiorly. At the end of the day the more you detach from things the greater freedom you will acquire. An eagle has two wings of Faith and Hope and yet if he does not spread them he can not fly. Likewise, if he does not first take that first "leap of Faith" he will never experience the skies.
Ave Maria!
