January 1
Praise the Lord. I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Psalm 111:1
The joy of togetherness. What a privilege we have in gathering together to honor God in our places of worship. In some countries as we read this, someone is being persecuted and prosecuted just for doing so. However, as much as we have freedom of religion in our Country, subtly we are being persecuted for our Faith as well. Our “rights” and the “privileges” of practicing our faith are slowly being chipped away at, under the guise of “civil liberties.” Consideration of offending others has become so great, that right before our eyes even the visible signs of our Faith are being slowly removed! How many of us have had our beautiful Nativity Crèches removed from our public common places?
We are faced with a challenge that most of us, only a few years back, could never have imagined would ever come to pass. The responsibility of continuing our practices, partaking in the Sacraments and keeping the light burning for our children and grandchildren is ours. As we gather together to “give thanks to the Lord” in our places of worship, listen to the unison of voices. Listen to the praise. Listen to the petitions. Let your heart be filled with the Holy Spirit and praise God for the privileges that are ours in the United States of America and think hard about the responsibility that comes with them.
Dear Lord of Heaven and earth, as we begin this New Year fill us with your spirit. Help us to be beacons of your love and mercy. May our lives reflect your teachings and bring those whose lives we touch closer to you.
In addition, I ask you to please keep in your prayers our Aunt Roberta and her precious granddaughter Brittany, who lost her life this past weekend in a tragic automobile accident. Take an extra moment today to hug your loved ones close.
May God bless you and your loved ones with "togetherness," good health,throughout the coming New Year!
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson