What can an ancient Carol teach us? ….Everything.

The verb to “consecrate” is not a commonly used word in modern English, outside of the Church. According to Webster's dictionary, the action verb, Consecrate, means “to make or declare sacred.” A person’s position, like a priest, can be consecrated, or a building, like a church, can be consecrated. In this passage, Jesus is praying directly to the Father about his disciples, both those who he knew in his earthly ministry, and those who will come after. “I pray not only for them, but also those who will believe in me through their word” (John 17:20). Jesus is praying for us to be consecrated!

People are so judgmental — both towards other people and towards themselves. It causes so much emotional damage. The way that we exclude people from our lives based on superficial judgements holds us back from growth. The way that we hold ourselves back from opportunities because we judge ourselves to be unworthy, stops our individual well-being and prosperity. But why?

Let us turn to Christ for the energy to do the works of light: choosing peace instead of conflicts; doing the work necessary to be physically healthy; and seeking creativity and optimism as a pathway to solve problems.