Tag / Christmas

the families of Gaza represent the holy innocents
by Karen Twinem

The Three Days After Christmas: Faith Amid Evil

The church was very careful in how it structured the period immediately after Christmas. Using Christmas mindfulness, we can meditate on three stories of faith amid evil. This keeps us grounded in the true meaning of Christmas.

The Feast of Stephen

The first day after Christmas, Dec. 26, is the feast of Stephen, the first person killed for being a Christian. Stephen was a deacon in the early church at Jerusalem, respected for his holiness. Like Jesus, he was accused of blasphemy.

In his trial before the Sanhedrin, he glowed like an angel. And he gave an eloquent speech that ended with his accusation that the Jewish leaders had just betrayed and murdered the Messiah.

He was sentenced to death. As the stones fell on him, he saw a vision of Jesus in Heaven, welcoming him.

We can meditate on our own commitment to Jesus. Is it strong enough to take us through this kind of trial?

The Feast of St. John

Next, on Dec. 27, is the feast of St. John, the apostle I most look forward to meeting in Heaven.

John identified himself completely through his relationship with Jesus. He was “the one that Jesus loved.” That’s not bragging. It’s saying that he is who he is because Jesus loved him.

That love drove a life of evangelism and suffering. He was one of Jesus’ inner circle of three close friends. He went to Jesus’ trial. He stood at the foot of the cross with the Virgin Mary. The dying Jesus asked him to take his place as Mary’s son. He took Mary home to live under his care. He entered the empty tomb. He wrote five books of the New Testament: a biography of Jesus, three letters and Revelation. As an old man, the last living disciple, he was sentenced to hard labor at Patmos.

John is, to me, an icon of faithfulness. His understanding of Jesus was unparalleled.

The Feast of the Holy Innocents

The next day in Christmas week, Dec. 28, is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, in memory of the Bethlehem babies that Herod executed. Joseph got his family out of Bethlehem just in time.

Jesus came into the fallen world as an infant to start the process of ending suffering. The world was filled with evil then, and it’s filled with evil now. On this day, we can meditate on the suffering of the innocent in our own time. Think of Ukraine. Gaza. Sudan. The unborn and the born who are hungry and cold in wealthy nations.

On this day, we think about how we can be the hands and feet of Jesus to suffering children.

This prayer, from the Catholic Household Blessing and Prayers, is a good one to contemplate: 

Heavenly Father,
your holiness revealed in Jesus
challenges us to renounce violence,
to forsake revenge,
and to love without discrimination, without measure.

Teach us the surpassing truth of the Gospel,
which puts worldly wisdom to shame,
that we may recognize as one with us
even our enemies and persecutors
and see all people as your children.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Enjoy this precious time after Christmas. It tells a story of faith in the midst of countless evil deeds.

nativity scene reflects Christmas
by Karen Twinem

Start Advent With a Christmas Pledge

As the first week of Advent begins, decide to enjoy the season with Christian mindfulness. I always take a Christmas Pledge.

I wrote this down decades ago, and I can’t find the source online.  It has served me well.

The Christmas Pledge

  1. To remember those people who truly need my gifts.
  2. To express my love for family and friends in more direct ways that presents.
  3. To re-dedicate myself to the spiritual growth of my family.
  4. To examine my holiday activities in light of the true spirit of Christmas.
  5. To initiate one act of peacemaking within my circle of family and friends.

You can fulfill the pledge in many ways:

  • Give a Christmas present from your family to World Vision or another charity. You can have the youngest children pick out what the gift can be. We gave chickens last year.
  • Prepare a blessing bag with a Christmas card or other Christmas twist to give to the homeless you see. To learn more about blessing bags, click here.
  • Give a warm handwritten note to those you love most.
  • Introduce Advent activities into your Christmas calendar.
  • Go through your list of “must do” events to see if they reflect your values.
  • Reach out to family members and neighbors who voted differently than you did.

Advent can be the quiet holiday you crave. You have to view it through the lens of Christian mindfulness, or you will be swept along with the secular tide. A holy Advent season will lead to a happier new year.

suffering child in bombed out area
by Karen Twinem

The Suffering of the Innocent

The feast of the Holy Innocents falls just three days after Christmas. And that’s no accident.

Jesus came into the fallen world as an infant to start the process of ending suffering. But the world was filled with evil then, and it’s filled with evil now. This day we can meditate on the suffering of the innocent in our own time. Think of Ukraine. Afghanistan. The unborn and the born who are hungry and cold in wealthy nations.

Today we think about how we can be the hands and feet of Jesus to suffering children.

This prayer, from the Catholic Household Blessing and Prayers, is a good one to contemplate: 

Heavenly Father,
your holiness revealed in Jesus
challenges us to renounce violence,
to forsake revenge,
and to love without discrimination, without measure.

Teach us the surpassing truth of the Gospel,
which puts worldly wisdom to shame,
that we may recognize as one with us
even our enemies and persecutors
and see all people as your children.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
by Karen Twinem

Take the Christmas Pledge

As the first week of Advent begins, decide to enjoy the season with Christian mindfulness. I always take a Christmas Pledge.

I wrote this down decades ago, and I can’t find the source online.  It has served me well.

The Christmas Pledge

  1. To remember those people who truly need my gifts.
  2. To express my love for family and friends in more direct ways that presents.
  3. To rededicate myself to the spiritual growth of my family.
  4. To examine my holiday activities in light of the true spirit of Christmas.
  5. To initiate one act of peacemaking within my circle of family and friends.

Amen to that.

by Karen Twinem

Get Ready for a Calm Christmas

As we hide away from heat advisories in sweltering August, preparing for Christmas is a fun item on the to-do list. I picked up “Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy” by Beth Kempton for this purpose.

I already consider myself a mindful Christmas practitioner. Yet Kempton took an approach that I found fascinating. She proposes that Christmas has five storylines:

  1. Faith: The celebration of the birth of Jesus and the Christmas story involving church-based traditions and rituals like Advent candles, the creche and traditional Christmas carols.
  2. Magic: The story of Santa Claus, his reindeer and the elves, plus magical Christmas movies and songs.
  3. Connection: Things that connect us to Christmases past, such as “The Christmas Carol,” Christmas trees and treasured ornaments, Christmas dinners, holiday events and Christmas movie traditions.
  4. Abundance: The joy of getting and giving presents.
  5. Heritage: The Christmas practices of your family of origin and your background.

As a Christian, my Christmas celebrations focus on faith. But I was surprised to realize that my family also finds Connection as very important. For one family member, doing the same things that we have done, as in Heritage, is deeply important.

Talk to your family to see what about your Christmas celebration is most important to them. You can create an intentional approach to the season that meets everyone’s needs and desires.

“Calm Christmas” also offers a variety of ideas for a mindful approach to the whole season. I especially liked the author’s idea of spending the time between Christmas Day and New Years Day’s as a “hush” season. This is, she writes: “A time of long walks, hot coffees, languid lounging with leftover chocolates, adding birthday dates to the new diary, telephone catch-ups … and everything on pause.”

Wow! Can I have that in August, too?

by Karen Twinem

Mindfulness Behind the Wheel

Driving during the Christmas season is a chance to start a new habit: practicing Christian mindfulness behind the wheel. It’s an exercise in awareness and kindness.

So often we drive in a semi-conscious state, not truly sure how we got there when we arrive. Have you ever “accidentally” started driving to work, when you were going somewhere else? I know I have.

So first, we respect the reality: We are operating driving a potentially deadly piece of heavy machinery. We don’t want to be distracted. Staying aware helps us stay alive.

Awareness allows us to be intentional about practicing kindness and courtesy to fellow drivers, pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclers. Allow people to merge, for heaven’s sake. (And I mean that literally.) Watch out for those walking and cycling around you. And calm yourself when someone is actually obeying the speed limit in front of you. How many times have drivers raced around your car to find themselves sitting next to you at the next light? Plenty, for me.

Author Judith Hurrell, in a recent article in either Breathe or Oh! magazine (I lost the reference), suggested that we remind ourselves that everyone who is driving experiences happiness and suffering. She uses words from the loving-kindness meditation to bless people as they go by.

Blessing our fellow drivers helps us to recall that Jesus loves all of us, even the motorcyclist roaring by you without a helmet.

Bringing words of peace and kindness into the car with you also helps, whether it be a helpful podcast or beautiful music. In my former job, my commute could range from 30 minutes to 90 minutes depending on traffic. I truly enjoyed every moment because I was listening to calming (or funny) audio the whole time. I always arrived at work in a better mood than when I left the house.

The mindlessness of driving can be converted into a flow experience. When you bring intense focus to a task that involves skill and the ability to respond quickly, you can become deeply immersed in your driving. You can enjoy the shades of blue in the sky and the colors of the trees. This time of year, you can enjoy the lights and holiday displays, giving thanks to God for the joy that they create.

It’s a great time to communicate with God, who made all these things. Praising the Lord as you head to an appointment is a good way to be open and attentive during the day.

Starting now to be a holy driver can create a habit that brings joy all year.

by Karen Twinem

Feel God’s Peace

The Holy Spirit lives in every Christian, so it is possible to feel God’s peace, joy and love every day. But it doesn’t just happen.

The easiest way to begin is to spend time in quiet. Silence often leads to an expanded sense of God’s presence. Just sit quietly and pray, “Holy Spirit, fill me with your peace.” Let it happen.

As you feel the peace fill your mind, give thanks. An experience like this seems to lead naturally to gratitude. We can reinforce this gratitude with a simple “thank you” walk or a worship song when the world invades and disturbs our peace.

Once we walk in the present moment in God’s presence, feeling his peace, we can move step-by-step through the day and display love to everyone we meet. That goal would be much too much if we had to do it on our own.

Allowing God to flow through us … to abide in us … to be the vine support our branches … that is how we feel God’s peace and do the most good.

woman listening
by Karen Twinem

Give the Gift of Presence

Christian mindfulness allows us to give others a precious gift: our full, concentrated attention coming from a place of God’s grace.

As the year winds down and the pandemic continues, let’s show our loved ones, colleagues and acquaintances that we care about them. The way of Christian mindfulness calls for us to be fully in the present moment in the presence of God. We bring that approach to others by listening with full and concentrated attention. We have no agenda of things to fix about them. We judge not, lest we be judged.

Meeting people as they are … where they are … is a precious gift. We open up to become truly engaged in their words. We ask open-ended questions that begin with “what” or “how,” rather than “why.” We say, “Tell me more.”

At the same time, we shield ourselves from becoming enmeshed in other people’s problems. That requires detachment along with the compassion. In the past, we may have heard things that were fodder for gossip and judgment. In the presence of Christ, these same things become concerns to lift in prayer. Privately.

The only way this can happen is through God’s grace. Being willing to be a conduit opens ourselves to an outpouring of grace in our own lives.

by Karen Twinem

Help Today’s Holy Innocents

A fear-crazed king orders the execution of all baby and toddler boys in a city. Today is the day that Christians traditionally remember these Holy Innocents. We also remember that Joseph, Mary and Jesus … warned to run … became refugees. So many little ones … some many refugees who need help are all around us.

Christian mindfulness calls for us to be present to this suffering. As we observe, we ask the Lord what he would like us to do. COVID-19 has only made the suffering worse. While it feels overwhelming, even a small offering can bring a bit of light into a dark place.

To honor the children slaughtered in Bethlehem and to help those struggling today, we made a contribution to International Rescue Committee, founded by Albert Einstein in the 1930s.

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises in more than 40 countries and over 20 U.S. cities. It provides clean water, shelter, health care, education and empowerment support to refugees and displaced people. The board of advisors includes people I trust, not the least of whom is Jeffrey Garten, retired dean of the Yale Business School and Ina’s husband. A generous donor is tripling all contributions given today. You can learn more here.

Dozens of other ways exist to help children in honor of the Holy Innocents today. Giving a family the gift of livestock through World Vision. Sponsoring a child through Compassion International. Contributing to your own church’s relief fund.

Today we recognize the violence against children isn’t new. And that the pandemic will only make the suffering of the innocent worse. Let’s be a force for good.

wrapped gift
by Karen Twinem

The Last Two Gifts

The feast of Stephen, known as Boxing Day in the United Kingdom, is about sacrifice. On this day. let’s give two more gifts.

First, pray to discern which not-for-profit organization has most touched your heart during the Advent season. My social media channels frequently feature a video asking for money to help people in refugee camps. The little girl shown looks a lot like my granddaughter. It’s so painful to watch that I click it off as soon as the internet allows. I will send them some money today.

Second, let’s make a sacrifice of thanksgiving. The Bible tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. I’m guessing that includes pandemic and political tumult.

Practicing Christian mindfulness opens us to the possibility of experiencing the presence of Jesus in the present moment at all times. Whether we felt Him or not, He is there. In all circumstances. So let us offer up thanks and gratitude. We will eventually see what this difficult year has taught us … how it has allowed us to grow. So have faith that the Lord has been with you and give thanks for your circumstances. It’s a gift to God.

Last year’s idea for the feast of Stephen is here.