Later, lyrics to another song were puzzling: “Nothing comes from nothing, nothing every could. … “Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” –The Sound of Music-- I was curious about the meaning of this song. Someone explained that the song was about how someone found love and then assumed that some long-forgotten good deed was the source of this true love.

Is this how life works? Must we must be good in order for something good to happen? Is what happens today, based on the past? Well, in a way our past tends to shape us. For example, most would agree that being raised in a strong Christian family helps provide a secure foundation for life. It’s true, for better or worse, families shape our lives. The goal of Christian families is to help children grow up to love the Lord and His Church and the ever present awareness of God in their life. This is good.

But one is not limited by their past if one is a child of God. When we are in union with Christ our potentiality is beyond comprehension. No matter how bad some past events may have been, such trials cannot deny the presence of the Lord within us. In the light of Christ, even painful past experiences can be healed for ‘God works all things together for good.’

Our spiritual fathers specialize in helping their spiritual children journey to wholeness. Spiritual fathers help us to see that God is present and His grace at work, even in the worst times and events. And, He is always at work in our lives, helping us to bear better rather than bitter fruit.

We who have the faith of Christ are rooted not merely in our past but rooted in Him. We can fulfill our God-given potential as we are free to respond to Him and the world around us. We’re free to see ourselves as God sees us and then free to be ourselves as God frees us.

May the anticipation of this Advent Season bring a fuller measure of our rooted-ness in The One who’s nativity we will celebrate just weeks away.

All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead herein... on earth and man in heaven. He who is above now, for our salvation, dwells here below; and we, who were lowly, are exalted by divine mercy!

Today Bethlehem resembles heaven, hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices and, in place of the sun, witnessing the rising of the Sun of Justice!

Ask not how this is accomplished, for where God wills, the order of nature is overturned. For He willed He had the powers He descended. He saved. All things move in obedience to God.

Today He Who Is, is born! And He Who Is becomes what He was not! For when He was God, He became man-while not relinquishing the Godhead that is His...

And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him angels, nor archangels, nor thrones, nor dominions, nor powers, nor principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.

Yet He has not forsaken His angels, nor left them deprived of His care, nor because of His incarnation has He ceased being God. And behold kings have come, that they might serve the Leader of the Hosts of Heaven; Women, that they might adore Him Who was born of a woman so that He might change the pains of childbirth into joy; Virgins, to the Son of the Virgin...

Infants, that they may adore Him who became a little child, so that out of the mouths of infants He might perfect praise; Children, to the Child who raised up martyrs through the rage of Herod; Men, to Him who became man that He might heal the miseries of His servants;

Shepherds, to the Good Shepherd who was laid down His life for His sheep;
Priests, to Him who has become a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek;
Servants, to Him who took upon Himself the form of a servant, that He might bless our stewardship with the reward of freedom (Philippians 2:7);
Fishermen, to the Fisher of humanity;
Publicans, to Him who from among them named a chosen evangelist;
Sinful women, to Him who exposed His feet to the tears of the repentant woman;

And that I may embrace them all together, all sinners have come, that they may look upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! Since, therefore, all rejoice, I too desire to rejoice! I too wish to share the choral dance, to celebrate the festival! But I take my part, not plucking the harp nor with the music of the pipes nor holding a torch, but holding in my arms the cradle of Christ!
For this is all my hope!
This is my life!
This is my salvation!
This is my pipe, my harp!