For the past several months I have been creating children's material for two Catholic publishers. Believe me, writing for children at a level they will not only understand but appreciate is a lot harder than you might think! I find I have to do almost as much research and reading to create material for a second grader as I do for an adult. But in the reading, I often come across things that I've missed somehow along the way of my faith journey. Often, what catches my attention most often are the words from parts of the Mass; words that have skimmed past me when I was distracted by the moment-to-moment stuff of getting through life.
Today as I was skimming through the Roman Missal to gather some thoughts on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, I came across these words from the opening prayer of the Second Sunday after Christmas (it will be here soon enough!). I don't recall ever hearing these words, though they speak powerfully to my spirit as something I have always been called to do. Once you've read them, there's not much more to do than just pray with them.
“May the simple beauty of Jesus’ birth
Summon us always to love what is most deeply human,
And to see your Word made flesh
Reflected in those whose lives we touch.”
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