Dear Folks,

Sometimes, with writer’s block, I peek to see what I wrote for a feast in previous years. I found in 2018, I wrote about spending time with my parents in “staycation” after Christmas, and how great it was. My New Years resolution, was “more quality time with my parents.” Wow, I didn’t know that it would be my last Christmas with my mother!

What a simple gift, that the Lord gave my soul, a gentle nudge to spend more time with my parents, because He knew how short the time was. Dad and I watched stupid ‘guy’ movies, with lots of explosions! And there was even a Hallmark movie for mom!

I pray that in the holidays you got some time to do nothing. And by “do nothing” I mean spend time with loved ones without some great master plan of all the things you will accomplish. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for someone is to just be with them, or watch the movie they want. Then maybe you will hear what they want to do, or better yet that they will just want to be with you.

In the words of as 8th century monk: “He who neglects contemplation is deprived of the vision of the light of God; he who is carried away with worry and allows his thoughts to be crushed by the tumult of the things of the world is condemned to the absolute impossibility of penetrating the secrets of the invisible God.”

A Blessed Feast of the Epiphany to you!

Pax,

Father John Mosimann