Geeky Catholic Dad

Gospel Reading: Luke 2:41-52 Highlight: "His mother kept all these things in her heart." Reflection:  A lot of things that happened in Mary's life probably didn't make sense in the moment. But she kept them in her heart. None of us is raising the Messiah, but I'm willing to bet that we don't fully understand the full significance of most events in our lives. We should imitate Mary, and hold these things in our hearts. Not to stress about them, or ruminate, but rather to offer them up in prayer. Later, if we're fortunate, we'll be able to look back at those moments and get a glimpse of God's plan, and the part we played in it. Geeky Quote: "Run, you clever boy, and remember." - Cara Oswin Oswald,  Doctor Who Prayer:  God, help me to be a willing participant in your providence. Amen. To get these short reflections every week, click the Subscribe button at the top of this page, or you can "Like" or "Follow" the...

Gospel Reading: Matthew 1:1-25 (Vigil), Luke 2:1-14 (Midnight), Luke 2:15-20 (Dawn), or John 1:1-18 (Day) Highlight: "Behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Reflection:  We have great news. Our Creator loves us so much that he became one of us, to save us from sin and prepare a place for us in heaven, a place of endless joy. There is literally no greater news than that. But so often we just keep that news to ourselves. It's just part of our religion, and we don't want to impose that on other people. But surely there are ways of sharing this fantastic news without "imposing," right? We don't have to stand on the street corner handing out pamphlets. We can share our faith through our behavior, through our attitudes, and through our relationships with others. So let's "go tell it on the mountain"! Geeky Quote: "I come with glad tidings of a world made free." - Loki "Reindeer Gam...

Gospel Reading:  Luke 1:67-79 Highlight: "The dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace." Reflection:  What a striking visual we're given at the end of Zechariah's canticle. The dawn form high shall break up on us. The dawn is what comes after hours of night; it is salvation from darkness. When things are as bad as they can be, when it feels like we are about to be strangled by sin, God comes down like the dawn and saves us. Why? Because He loves us. Geeky Quote: "There suddenly upon a ridge appeared a rider, clad in white, shining in the rising sun. 'Behold the White Rider!' cried Aragorn. 'Gandalf is come again!'" - Gandalf's arrival at Helm's Deep,  The Two Towers Prayer:  Lord, save me from my sins. I look forward with hope to your coming. Come Lord Jesus, come! Amen. Tomorrow is Christmas. Make sure to check back h...

Gospel Reading:  Luke 1:39-45 Highlight: "At the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy." Reflection:  When Mary came to visit Elizabeth, both Elizabeth and her unborn child John were aware of the presence of Jesus inside Mary. And that impacted how Elizabeth addressed Mary. Now, as far as I know, none of us are physically pregnant with God Incarnate, but we do carry Christ's presence inside of us in a spiritual way. Does that impact the way we interact with each other? Geeky Quote: "Therefore when [the Ainur] beheld [the Children of Ilúvatar], the more did they love them, being things other than themselves, strange and free, wherein they saw the mind of Ilúvatar reflected anew, and learned yet a little more of his wisdom, which otherwise had been hidden even from the Ainur." - The Ainur (analogous to angels), seeing Ilúvatar (God) in His creatures,  The Silmarillion Prayer:  Jesus, help me to see you in ...

Gospel Reading:  Luke 1:46-56 Highlight: "He has scattered the proud in their conceit." Reflection:  There are a couple of ways we can take this verse. For those who have suffered at the hands of people in power, it might be some comfort to know that while the proud seem to get whatever they want, they will not be rewarded for their pride in the next life. On the other hand, none of us is totally without pride. It was the first sin, and it is the root of most of our sinful behaviors. This is not to say that we should cower in fear of a vengeful God who will punish us for our sins. Rather, God scatters the proud in order to remind them that they can't rely only on themselves. He scatters them in order to gather them back to Himself. Geeky Quote: "Twice the pride, double the fall." - Count Dooku, Revenge of the Sith Prayer:  Jesus, there is nothing I can do without your help. May I rely only on you, and let my soul magnify your glory. Amen. To get these...

Gospel Reading:  Luke 1:39-45 Highlight: "Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country... where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth." Reflection:  Imagine being Mary, just given the news that you would be responsible for raising the Son of God. It would be totally understandable if she had turned inwards, to focus on preparing herself for this great task. Instead, she went to visit Elizabeth and help her in any way she could. Even when she was a pivotal player in what was arguably the most important event in human history, Mary still recognized that it wasn't all about her. How can we be more like Mary? Are there people in our lives who could use our help? Geeky Quote: "Let's get out of here. All of us." - Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Prayer:   Lord, help me to see beyond my own desires and difficulties, so that I may bring your love to others. Amen. To get these short reflections every da...

Gospel Reading:  Luke 1:26-38 Highlight: "Of his Kingdom there will be no end." Reflection:  No matter how bad things get, we can have hope in two things. The first is that Christ will be victorious over evil, and His Kingdom will reign. The second is that this Kingdom will last forever. So rather than put our faith in the institutions of this world, we should strive to be worthy citizens of the Eternal Kingdom. Geeky Quote: "Wakanda forever!" - T'Challa, Black Panther Prayer:  Jesus, please don't allow me to get so attached to material goods and human institutions that I lose sight of Your Kingdom. Amen. To get these short reflections every day of Advent, click the Subscribe button at the top of this page, or you can "Like" or "Follow" the GeekyCatholicDad Facebook page  here .