Shade Tree Wisdom 11/29/11

          Walking is pleasant these days. No breeze to speak of, just nice and cool. Finally feels a bit like Fall.

          With the first Sunday in Advent just behind us, we are reminded that the Church year is stating anew. And we are planning for the coming of the Lord Jesus as the Babe in the manger.

          The world around us is, of course, bent on celebrating, buying, preparing for entertainments of all kinds, meetings with friends and neighbors, and all the rest of it.

          The local paper recently carried an article on just such invitations. It aimed to offer some hints to either accept or reject such invites. If you turn one down, do it with grace and never ever tell a lie. If you’d rather just stay home and listen to music or read a book, it is perfectly fine to say, “I have other plans, I’m sorry” and stop there.

          But the year’s beginning suggests some cleaning up too. Because we live in a world that offers many fine things, but also quite a bit of ‘drek’, stuff that we would rather not have around us. However, just living means our hearts and minds can accumulate clutter. By rubbing shoulders with the world, we may unknowingly and inevitably pick up thoughts or develop habits that are not at all in keeping with the Christian life.

          St. Paul spoke of this when he says to the Christians at Corinth, “Do you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you received from God? You are not your own; you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.” 1 Cor. 6,19-20.

          So we can and do look eagerly to the birth of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.

GPD 11/29/11