This week begins the great rush toward Christmas. I look at the calendar and cringe a little when I see how much there is to do in the next few weeks -- choir practices, catering jobs, and parties along with all the regular events. This week alone there is sorority on Monday, wrestling on Tuesday, Basket Bingo on Wednesday, Penance Service on Thursday and Clay's work party on Friday. Saturday, we hope to get a tree and get some Christmas decorations up. It is all great fun (well, maybe not the penance service) but I have a bad habit of doing things and not remembering why I am doing them: the Big Four of Advent (not K-Mart, Target, Wal-Mart and Toys-r-Us): hope, peace, joy and love. 
So here are my resolutions, borrowed from the US Bishops' teaching on "Everyday Christianity":
Pray regularly for peace and justice.
Learn more about human life violations, stand with the poor and care for creation.
Reach across boundaries of religion, race, ethnicity, gender and disabling conditions.
Live justly in family life, school, work, the marketplace and the political arena.
Serve those who are poor and vulnerable, sharing more time and talent.
Give more generously to those in need at home and abroad.
Advocate for public policies that protect human life, promote human dignity, preserve God's creation and build peace.
Encourage others to work for greater charity, justice and peace.
To these lofty goals, I would add my simpler ones:
Be loving.
Be healthy.
Be thankful.
Be happy.
(And, I hope I don't have to go to Wal-Mart too often this holiday season. Although I love to buy gifts for others, most shoppers at WM don't seem filled with joy. Preparing for Christmas shouldn't make you want to smack your kids, snark at your husband or even furrow your brow, which must have replaced the smiley face as the official WM facial expression.)
Peace.
So here are my resolutions, borrowed from the US Bishops' teaching on "Everyday Christianity":
Pray regularly for peace and justice.
Learn more about human life violations, stand with the poor and care for creation.
Reach across boundaries of religion, race, ethnicity, gender and disabling conditions.
Live justly in family life, school, work, the marketplace and the political arena.
Serve those who are poor and vulnerable, sharing more time and talent.
Give more generously to those in need at home and abroad.
Advocate for public policies that protect human life, promote human dignity, preserve God's creation and build peace.
Encourage others to work for greater charity, justice and peace.
To these lofty goals, I would add my simpler ones:
Be loving.
Be healthy.
Be thankful.
Be happy.
(And, I hope I don't have to go to Wal-Mart too often this holiday season. Although I love to buy gifts for others, most shoppers at WM don't seem filled with joy. Preparing for Christmas shouldn't make you want to smack your kids, snark at your husband or even furrow your brow, which must have replaced the smiley face as the official WM facial expression.)
Peace.
Prayer for 12/3: for the 6,000 children who will lose a parent to AIDS today.
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