Third Sunday of Advent

The Pink Candle

Isaiah 35:5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

Matthew 11:4-5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.

Jenny, Mikos, Mike, me, Anthony, Sonja and Russ

This is the third week of Advent. The pink candle is lit because it is an indication that Christmas is just a week away. The readings for Sunday, December 15,  were from Isaiah 35:5 and Matthew 11:4-5 about opening the eyes of the blind and the deaf to hear. We all, at one time or another, experience spiritual blindness that causes us to go astray. Spiritual blindness limits us from appreciating the gifts that God has stored up for us. Christmas is a season of giving and receiving gifts. The greatest of gifts come from our Heavenly Father. We need to open our eyes, look up, and ask Him to reveal Himself to us. I promise if we do this, the spirit of the Almighty Father will manifest. All it takes is the faith of a mustard seed, and even if you have doubts, ask Him to remove them from you. The Lord patiently waits for us, so don’t be denied of your gifts this Christmas. During Advent our spiritual eyes will be opened. This is a time to strengthen our walk with the Lord. When I’m at Adoration all the busyness of the world is shut out. In the stillness of this time I seek His holy Presence. I’m inspired to write, I pray for the needs of others, and for my personal needs as well. There no better place to be than in His holy Presence. When we sacrifice this time to be with Jesus, the Lord pours upon us special graces. Tasks that would have taken hours are cut in half. We are given peace over every conflicting matter. This is one of  the ways I can plan and execute the tamale party. God’s grace is with us during Advent.

The Party

Mikos, champion of the Merry Christmas game and Brew Master
Judges: Ryan, Norma, Dave. Kathy, Jason, and Anthony

I could not have planned the party any better. My confidence was soaring; nothing was going to rob me of the win. Well, not until Anthony arrived. Anthony and his son Marcus were in town for the funeral of a mutual friend. Anthony had other business to attend while he was in town. He is a dear friend, so Mike invited them to stay at our home. Anthony has always been a big talker; he is also a self-proclaimed expert on tamales. When he heard that we were having the contest, he immediately assigned himself as a judge. “Cuz! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about the tamale contest. I make the best pork tamales in the world!” He raved about the tamales for several hours. In the meantime I was cooking up a batch of my tamales for him to sample. Ater tasting them he said,”These are good, but they ain’t gonna win a contest!” When Anthony is around, no one can get a word in edgewise because he never stops talking. After the slap in the face, I did my best to defend my tamales, but he continued to critique my work. “Cuz, your masa needs more lard! In Colorado we add much more, because it’s in the flavor of the masa that you’re going to get the best tamale.” Just when Anthony was done tearing my tamales into shreds, Larry walked in. Larry is married to Helen, my tamale nemesis. She has won the contest the last five years. Though I was hesitant to offer Larry one of my tamales in front of the expert, I went ahead and served Larry a tamale. I put on my poker face and watched as he took the first bite. “Lynda, these are good!” I asked Larry if I had a chance. ” Yes, these are definitely contenders,” he said. Then good ole Anthony had to open up his mouth and add his two cents’ worth. “Cuz, they ain’t gonna win!”

As the night progressed, a shadow of doubt entered into my mind. It was time for the judging. I carefully selected judges who seemed to have knowledge of what they were doing. Two women and four men, including the naysayer Anthony. I led the judges into the kitchen and explained the rules:

  1. No nepotism;
  2. Must have full knowledge of how a tamale is made;
  3. Judges are not allowed to speak to other judges;
  4. Judges must never influence the other judges;
  5. Rolling of the eyes or other physical gestures are not allowed; and
  6. Judges are never to look at the score sheets of other judges.
Score Keepers: David and Scott

Anthony broke two rules: He could not shut-up. We numbered the tamales,  and when Helen’s tamales came out, he announced, “These are Helen’s tamales! I know they are, I can tell by the masa!” I was about ready to disqualify him for insubordination, when I noticed the rest of the judges being influenced by his biased remarks. I reminded him that he was not allowed to speak, but that did not stop him from praising Helen’s tamales. Helen won with the full endorsement of the out-of -control judge, but in all honesty her tamales are really hard to beat. As the scores were being tallied, I already knew that I didn’t stand a chance.

 

Sonja, Helen (tamale Queen), Gianna, Marcus
Linda, Dave and me
Renae, me and Brandi
Pam, me, and Scott
Mike, Damian, Mark, and me

My Consolation Prize

Words of consolation from Anthony, “Hey maybe you didn’t win the contest, but you did win for best Christmas decorations, being the best hostess, and having the most comfortable guest bed to sleep in.” What can I say? Anthony is that friend who has an opinion on every single subject on this planet, but we still love him.

My prayer:

Dear Lord, may we all find special time to thank You for our blessings. May Your Holy Spirit be ever present during Advent. Bring us to another level of understanding of what Christmas is really about. Teach us to open our eyes and ears to the gifts you have in store for us. Speak to us in a still, small voice. Amen

 

Continue Reading

The Second week of Advent

 Tamales

Enjoying a sample of the Queen of Tamales, Helen

This is the time of year when my life starts to unravel; first it’s The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the eighth, then Mike’s birthday on the twelfth. (He shares his feast day with Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe). Then there’s our annual Tamale Party. We’ve made three batches of tamales so far; the first batch was burnt. The meat had that charred taste that overpowered, changing the flavor integrity of the sauce.  It was heartbreaking, but we had to start all over again. The second batch was great, and we had plenty of help too. I was so preoccupied with getting the ingredients ready that I did not really pay close attention to setting aside tamales for the contest. I had my friend Adele pick the ones that looked good from the outside. By the time we finished the production, we had only four dozen pork, and about six dozen chicken. I went to bed thinking that I should have looked for the old lady that was selling tamales at Mike’s workplace during the summer. Everyone raved about them. I wasn’t planning to cheat; I was just going to ask her for a few pointers. Fortunately Helen, the winner for the last four years, was willing to give me a tutorial. I took photographs, made notes, and mentally tried to remember every single step. When it was time to purchase the ingredients  for the tamales, I was  at work, so poor Mike was on his own. He’d text me with questions but, due to the strict orders of my boss (my daughter), I had wait until my break to respond.

Hard working crew, Mike, Mikos, Sonja Maddie, Mick, and me
Me, Sonja, Maddie, Mick, Adele, and Emily

The tamales turned out great! Even our son Mikos loved them. Last year he was quite the critic, and put a damper on my confidence of making tamales. Well it didn’t help that the tamales turned out soupy either. Our neighbors were so kind to show up for the production. Emily, Adele’s soon -to- be daughter-in-law, was a  great help. Mikos, Mick, (Mikos’ father-in-law), Maddie, Sonja, and Adele crowded over our kitchen table to produce some really good tamales.

I still was not feeling it, something was missing; so on Sunday after Mass Mike and I went to Northgate Market. This grocery chain is like a Mexican Whole Foods. For assurance I wanted to try their masa. Mike had already cooked the meat, so I made six dozen more pork tamales, and it was through the grace of God that I was able to complete this task on my own. The spirit of Superwoman overtook me, so I also made three dozen sweet tamales.

Saturday will be the the big day. I’ve asked our parish pastor to be one of the judges. Maybe, just maybe, he will have pity on my plight and show my tamales favor (or not!)

Honoring Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

Mary’s Role in Advent

I was part of a lay ministry that always performed Christmas plays. These plays were executed with great heart. Everyone who participated had different work schedules, and traveled from several neighboring communities.  We rarely had time to practice for our Christmas productions. One play that I will never forget was about the Virgin of Guadalupe. My role was that of the Spanish maid of Fray Juan de Zumarraga, the Bishop of Mexico. My friend Robert played the part of Juan Diego. It was through this production that I learned the history of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. December 12th  is her feast day. I love the Blessed Virgin Mary, not only because she is the Mother of God, but because she is the perfect role model for all women. I know that those of you who are not Catholic believe that we pray to her. We do not pray to her, but we do venerate her. History tells of how God used His mother’s intervention to convert Mexico, a polytheistic nation that sacrificed as many as 50,000 people a year, including their children. According to Monsignor  Eduardo Chavez Sanchez, an expert on the history of “Santa Maria de Guadalupe,” Guadalupe’s Arabic name means “the river bed,” “the one who carries the water.” Msgr. Chavez said that it can also be translated as “river of light.” In just eight years after the apparition, with the help of the Spanish Franciscan missionaries, almost 9 million Indians had converted to Catholicism. Mexico was changed forever. On December 12th, if you live in a highly Hispanic populated area, you can attend Mass and really appreciate how we in the South West venerate Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. I know on this day our Lord will smile down on us as we honor His beautiful Mother.

Second Sunday of Advent Message

The Gospel reading was from Matthew 3:1-12, the preaching of John the Baptist. John always spoke what God put in his heart; he never feared or wavered in his message. He always operated under the supernatural anointing of God. He did not care about the things of the world; he ate locusts. The camel hair coat he wore was turned inside out, to remind us of repentance. The great prophet Elijah wore similar clothing (2 Kings 1:8).  These garments were meant to set them apart. They came into the world solely to do God’s work. I wish John the Baptist were around today. He would most certainly put Nancy Pelosi in her place. I believe he would say something in the lines of: “Stop hiding behind the Catholic Church and confess all your wrong doings! Do not take communion unless you are in a state of grace.” Yes, that’s pretty much what he would say.

My Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for allowing us another year to celebrate Your Son’s birth. We humbly stand before Your holy throne.  Send Your mother’s intervention to help us repent of all of our sins. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, you know your Son better than anyone else. Ask Him on our behalf to bring peace and conversions to our hurting nation. Blessed Mary, just as you directed the servants at the first miracle at the wedding in Cana to “Do what ever He tell you,” ask your precious Son to restore faith in our nation. Amen

Continue Reading

Preparing for Christmas

The Christmas Job

As if I were not busy enough, our daughter Sonja asked if I wanted to work with her as a seasonal hire. With a little trepidation I agreed. My first day was “Black Friday,” the busiest shopping day of the year. My job description was simple: stand near the entrance of the store and greet the customers. About an hour into the job my ankle socks were creeping half way down my foot; first the left, then the right. Even though it was uncomfortable, I kept it to myself; no complaints on the first day. As the day progressed I got to meet several of my co-workers. These dedicated people are required to park off the premises to allow shoppers to have first dibs on parking. It’s a distance from where they normally park, so they must allow another half-hour in order to make it to work on time. Sonja’s team is kind, courteous, and always willing to help facilitate customer satisfaction with every sale. I watched as each one of them shared their special gifts on the sales floor, so different from one another but working  beautifully in sync.

Surviving the first day of work

Since I was closest to the door, I had the advantage of  watching the shoppers passing our store. I saw a couple who were wearing matching necklaces of outdoor lights around their necks. My only conclusion was that they were hanging the outdoor lights when they realized it was Black Friday, so they just wrapped the Christmas lights around their necks as a reminder to put the lights up once they got home. Then there was a lady who stepped into the store pushing a baby stroller without a kid in it. I kept my mouth shut, but I wanted to ask her, “Excuse me ma’am, but did you lose your child?” I remained on the square carpet that was my designated section and made certain to stay in my area, to keep peace with my boss. I thought for sure that my legs would kill me but, much to my surprise, I was hanging in there like the rest of the much younger group. All my complaints were in private, and only for Sonja’s ears; she kept reminding me that I could get fired (that would not be the first time). When I got home that night I ate dinner and, though I was not physically tired, I fell asleep on the couch. My body was feeling exactly as after feeding the homeless on Skid Roll; I was mentally exhausted.

Getting Fired on The First Day of Work

Me, Rocky with his nieces and nephews, and Myra

This is not my first rodeo working for my daughter. A few years back when she was in charge of opening a chain boutique with high-end jeans, she hired her cousin Rocky and me. Rocky was visiting from New Orleans, and was only in town for a few weeks, so this was the perfect gig for him. On the first day we all car-pooled to the store in Ontario. It was mid-July when the store was opening a new branch at Ontario Mills. This is the location of one of the biggest outlet malls in Southern California. Our job was to fold the jeans a certain way and display then on the shelves. How challenging could that be?

Advent wreath, Eucharist Adoration, and Advent color Purple

The complaining started early with Rocky, holding the small of  his back. “Aunt Lynda, my back is killing me!” My reply was, “I’m older than you and my back hurts more.” Every time we folded the pants, Sonja would walk by and violently undo them, making a startling snapping sound. “You are not folding them right!” When Rocky and I made eye contact, we weren’t sure whether to laugh or cry. This was a continual recital on Sonja’s part. All the hard work was certainly not paying off, and Rocky was hearing the same criticism; we just could not fold the stupid pants to Sonja’s satisfaction. Finally when the day was almost over, it all clicked and we redeemed our work with perfectly folded jeans. We were both scheduled to work the following day; we had breakfast and waited for our car pool to arrive, but it never came. I called Sonja and she said, “Don’t call me, I’ll call you!”

Advent

Advent is often referred to “Little Lent” because it is a time of penance, preparation and sacrifices. For this reason the  priests’ vestments are purple. During Advent our thoughts should be on the coming of Christ and preparing our spirits to welcome Him into our hearts. On the third week of Advent the priests’ vestments will change. They will likely wear a rose color to remind us of the penitential color purple, but this also comes with  luminance and joy. This is a reminder that Christmas is soon approaching. Just like Lent, we are to be in a prayerful state of mind, fasting, and almsgiving. This is the season of giving joyfully to others in the spirit of Christmas love. It’s wonderful to give and receive gifts, but its purpose is to understand the true meaning of this joyous season as we celebrate the greatest of all gifts: the birth of our Savior.

Catholic Traditions

St. Francis of Assisi contributed so much to Christmas. He is credited with introducing the first Nativity scene. According to St. Bonaventure’s biography, St. Francis received permission from Pope Honorius III to set up a manger with two live animals. St. Francis used this scene to preach the birth of Christ but, according to Bonaventure, St. Francis was so overcome with emotion that he could not say “Jesus.” It is also said that the hay used in the first manger had miraculous power to cure local cattle of diseases and pestilence. St. Francis was a great patron of the arts as well; he was the first to introduce Christmas Carols into the Mass.

Silent Night

In 1818 Josef Mohr, a young Austrian priest, wrote Silent Night. The church organ had broken down and could not be repaired before Christmas. He wrote the three stanzas to the song to be sung by the choir accompanied by guitar music. Silent Night was first heard at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve at St Nicolas Church in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.

My job is  a small seasonal part of my life. But the celebration of Christmas will go on forever. Our moods are filled with joy, we are more apt to share kindness with strangers, and, once again, we can say, “Merry Christmas” to the customers we encounter. The Spirit of God is alive and well in the hearts of many! Spread the Joy! Rejoice in His Birth!

Continue Reading