Basic Truths | Finding God in Everyday Life

  Today is the Feast of St. Stephen. I remember getting pelted with walnuts on this day every year when I was growing up. My mother’s family is Polish and they have a tradition where the women and girls of the family throw walnuts at the men and boys in commemoration of the stoning of Stephen.   There is much to think about and emulate in Stephen’s life. He is described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). He must have been responsible and possessing a servant’s heart as he was one of the seven men chosen to oversee the daily distribution of food. Stephen is also described as “a man full of God’s grace and power…[who] did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). He was bold in giving witness to God even though he knew it would likely cost him his life. While he was being stoned, Stephen asked God to forgive those who were about to take his life.   As we begin this Christmas season and get ready to start the new year, ...

  We always have a welcome mat outside the front door of our house. My wife changes them out with the seasons. I like to think of them as “welcome mats”, as opposed to just doormats, because I want everyone coming into our home to feel welcome.   We are approaching Christmas, a time when we welcome the birth of Jesus into the world. This is a good time to welcome Jesus into our hearts again.   It’s also a good time to remember that Jesus identifies with His people. “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40). This involves more than just feeding the hungry and providing for the poor and needy although we should be doing these things as well. We should use this time to welcome others into our heart as we would welcome Jesus. Think of anyone that you may have shut out of your heart and welcome them back during this Christmas season.   May you have a blessed and joyful Christmas!

   I have cared for a number of patients with disabilities of one kind or another. Some have had a stroke with inability to use an arm or a leg. Others have had orthopedic injuries or problems that limited their mobility. Others have lost their vision due to complications of diabetes or other medical problems.   In many if not most of these cases, a single event led to a problem in one particular area but the effects on the whole person were devastating.   As Christians, we are part of the Body of Christ. Jesus wants His Body to be functioning, to be doing His work and carrying His message to the world. For His Body to function as it should, all the parts of the Body should be functioning well. We have a responsibility to support the leaders in our church and our fellow Christians. We are advised to “Carry each other’s burdens” (Gal 6:2). At the same time, we should realize that we are important, that if we are not fulfilling our role in the Body, the whole Body ...

  My cell phone is 4 or 5 years old. The battery is starting to wear down. With all the apps on my phone, it won’t hold a charge for the whole day unless I hardly use it for anything. I usually need to recharge the battery around dinner time if I’m going to use it in the evening.   Our lives just seem to get busier and more stressful all the time. We have new problems like COVID to deal with as well as the ongoing problems in our society. We have more demands on our time, finding ourselves constantly pulled in several directions at once while being bombarded by social media and other inputs. We can feel exhausted by the end of the day even if we have not physically exerted ourselves.   We need to recharge our battery during the day if we are going to stay at full power all day. We may already be used to the idea of having regular morning and/or evening prayer time.   We should try to get in the habit of being in prayer throughout the day to recharge our spiri...