Today is one of my favorite feast days of Advent: Our Lady of Guadalupe. As a homeschooling family, our home school was named after Our Lady of Guadalupe. For as long as I can remember, my family has spent today enjoying Mexican food and watching the CCC video of Juan Diego. What better day for this feast day to fall on than Taco Tuesday?
So now we’re going to jump over to the New Testament, to a quiet night in the middle of a field of sheep. After a long day’s work, a group of exhausted, smelly, dirty shepherds were resting on the ground, keeping watch over their flock. Rain or shine, winter or summer, shepherds stayed in the fields with their sheep throughout the night to keep watch and protect them from predators and other thieves.
While these shepherds were hanging out, perhaps while brewing a pot of coffee over a small fire, out of nowhere an angel appeared to them surrounded by a shining light. Not surprisingly, the shepherds were frightened. Who wouldn’t be, when a shining angel interrupts a routine, boring evening in the field?
The angel told them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2
What important news! I wonder if these shepherds knew the significance of what they had just been told. What do you think they talked about as they journeyed to the stable? What were they thinking? Did they just leave their flock and start walking? Did they rock-paper- scissors for who got to go and who got to stay
If you struggle with anxiety as well, I invite you to join me in my battle against it and focus on overcoming it this season. Pray a novena to St Dymphna, look into counseling and supplements that may help, reach out to a friend or join a support group on Facebook. If it isn’t something you struggle with, whisper a prayer or two for those that do.
