Valerie Hess

“…to live calmly in the middle of chaos, productively in an arena of waste, lovingly in a maelstrom of individuality, and gently in a world full of violence.”

Joan Chittister

If you want to know the history of the real Santa Claus, go to http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=23. St. Nicholas is a much loved saint of the Christian church. It is a shame that his life and faith have been corrupted in to the commercial Santa Claus we have in North America today. It would be wonderful if the Church reclaimed this day and all that St. Nicholas stood for. The web site will give you everything you need to do that in your own life and family.

We celebrated this day every year with our children. We would read to them about St. Nicholas’ life. They would put out their shoes on the night of December 5th. In the morning, they would find a small Christmas tree in their room for them to decorate and a bit of chocolate in their shoes along with a fun pair of Christmas socks or earrings.  It was a fun way for them to learn more about the life of someone who helped many people often in secret as well as adding another good family tradition.

I apologize: on page 239 of my book “Spiritual Disciplines Devotional: A Year of Readings,” the first sentence needs the words “was being offered” at the end of it.

During Advent, I’d like to start the “Judith Group.” Judith is the heroine of the Deuterocanoncial book by the same name. If you’ve never read the book of Judith, I recommend using the Renovare “Spiritual Formation Bible” to do so as the study notes, essays, and introductory articles are so helpful.

Judith was a woman who lived a godly life at a time of great national crisis. As the study note on page 1482 of the Renovare study Bible says: ” Judith’s wisdom rests in not having a backup plan where God’s glory is concerned.” In other words, Judith went out to face a far superior Babylonian army with the idea that God would not lose; she had one plan only and while it took great courage to carry out, she never doubted that God would win in the end.

I’d like to hear from you all about times when you have had to have great courage in the face of evil, about the times when the only plan was to glorify God and further God’s kingdom here on earth, about those times when there was no Plan B because you knew that God would not fail.

Send them to me through this site and feel free to pass this on to others. Maybe the story isn’t your story but one that you are aware of in the life of another “Judith.” During this time of Advent, when the Church celebrates the three comings of Christ (his coming at Bethlehem, his coming daily in our lives, and his coming at the end of the world in victory), let us encourage one another through our stories of living as Judith did, whatever name the enemy had in our particular time and place.

To my friends in Indiana: On Tuesday, October 30th, I will be talking to Lynne Ford at wbcl at 9 AM. I hope you can listen in. If not, check it out at wbcl.org.