Mothering Christ Into a New Year

January 1, 2020

I am beginning this blog on the suggestion of a friend.  Year's ago now, I started one, but I was so heartbroken by so many things, I didn't have the hope or the inspiration needed to continue writing.  What's changed?  I continued writing by journaling as a practice for waking up to myself and to life, and I slowly found my way back into faith practices I had given up.  I've changed from being skeptical, critical, angry and despairing to recovering faith, joy and bounce (or flexibility and breadth of soul) back into my life.  I've grieved and continue to grieve well in this process of recovery.  I've forgiven, learned patience and trust in hope for the long haul...including with myself. 

I am a baptized Roman Catholic.  It's taken me many years to come into my own understanding and appreciation for my faith tradition while expanding my heart to better love people of all or no faith tradition.  I'm not fully there yet.  As one of my mentors wrote as the title of his book,  "Still Green and Growing", I see myself as still green and growing. I've had great mentors, but maybe it's time to add my own voice to the world...as I tentatively seek to share wisdom old and new from life experience and faith.

Today, at the beginning of a new year - a new chapter for our broken, fragile, beautiful world and planet - is traditionally known as the feast of Mary, Mother of God.  I am a mother and grandmother.  I know the struggles, pain, and humiliations of raising up children to see and humbly share their full, unique, dignity and responsibilities in the world.  I take up the mantle with Mary today and with this good, mother earth, and commit myself to mothering Christ her son into every encounter, every moment, every relationship of this coming year.  It seems daunting and I know it is...but why not aim for the stars? I trust in the quiet, hidden Presence of Christ in all things, and in the power of a Mother, especially his mother with me to give birth to the freshness, joy and pure goodness of a child ...a child who lost none of that freshness, joy and goodness in becoming a man, so why not trust him to heal and redeem my life?  I want to give birth in my way to this child grown into a man - Jesus the Word made flesh - with our tired, weary, troubled world.  God bless my words and make it so.  May whoever reads these words be raised up out of darkness, heaviness, and troubles, as I've been through the years. May whoever reads these words find in them healing, blessing and courage to love extravagantly and live simply for love's sake.