Morning Briefings

While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

– Luke 2: 6-7

The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid.’

– Matthew 1:20

Advent has two feasts of Our Lady: 8 December — The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; 12 December — Our Lady of Guadalupe.

– Margaret R. Miles
Maiden and Mother

Chanukah–the eight day festival of light that begins on the eve of Kislev 25–celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality.

– Chanukah in a Nutshell
Chabad.org

God let me know He wasn’t looking for me to recycle old history, but to be part of the new history. He would unfold here. I don’t know what God has planned for us, but I can tell you I had my first sermon prepared a week ago, and late last night God changed it. He led me to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where we’re told to walk worthy of our calling, with humility, gentleness, patience and love, ‘being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’

– Kim Cash Tate
Hope Springs

Why do the righteous suffer? Virtually every meaningful conversation I have ever had with people on the subject of God and religion has either started with this question, or gotten around to it before long.

– Harold S. Kushner
When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Then the rainstorm came over me; and I felt my spirit break. I had lost all of my belief, you see, and realized my mistake.

– Seal
Love’s Divine, Seal IV

As St. Ignatius of Loyola would say, ‘The longest journey you’ll ever take is from your head to your heart.’

– Subscriber and Mentor to the Morning Briefing editor,
Myrna Larson

Christ learned about his mission while he was cutting wood and making chairs, beds and cabinets. He came as a carpenter to show us that–no matter what we do–everything can lead us to the experience of God’s love.

– Paulo Coelho
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

‘I Would Die 4 U’ was the fourth single in the U.S. from Prince and the Revolution’s 1984 album, Purple Rain. The up-tempo dance song is thought by some to be sung from the point of view of Jesus. In concerts, Prince changes the lyrics from ‘I’m your messiah’ to ‘He’s your messiah,’ pointing to the sky as he sings the line.

–
Wikipedia