Does the Birth of Christ change our lives?

I thought for Christmas I would write something more personal. Today (December 24th) was the deadline for grade submission for my university classes. As I looked at my students’ results, I thought overall the students did quite well. But my concern was for the “C” students. “C” is a passing grade but if you want to apply for a scholarship or a graduate programme “C” is not only useless, but the grade also becomes an obstacle. Moreover, “C” lowers the GPA (Grade Point Average). Do I want to be the professor who is the cause of a lowered GPA? I do struggle with this thought. It could ruin a student’s future. A grade, a course, a transcript can affect a student for life; makes me reflect on what I have done to help the student over the course of the semester.

As part of my Advent discipline, I decided to be up by 3:45am and be at the gym by 4:15am. Discipline is always good for the mind and body. I listened to spiritual podcasts (Bishop Fulton Sheen) during the workout, so the gym turned into a retreat. In our Dominican House we have a chapel where I celebrate daily Mass and I can have daily Adoration. Between reading, marking, and praying, the day goes by rather fast. Our Dominican community has prayers and meals together 2 to 3 time/day.

During my 1-hour Adoration I was reading a prayer of reparation for all those who committed offenses against the Blessed Sacrament, against God, against His Saints. Then, I looked at myself and I began to wonder if I sinned against God by the sin of omission: What have I failed to teach? Where could have I helped someone (a student or others) and I failed to? In this state of recognising I did not do as much as I could have to keep --or lead -- my students on the path of truth, I decided it would be best to go to Confession, especially as a preparation for Christmas. I normally go to Confession once ever two weeks so in prayer I realised I should return to Confession for these sins of omission.

​I realised that God gives us many opportunities to live in grace and holiness. Our inclination is thinking we need to be “doing something” or “be somewhere else” to grow in sanctity. In fact, our sanctity, our growth is being exactly where we are; being who we are. But being who we are as God sees us and knows us. As we existed in His mind before our birth. Growing in sanctity does not mean “escape” to somewhere else but living our vocation exactly where we are and who we are. This is what the Saints had done in monasteries, convents, as spouses, as lay individuals. God gives us daily opportunities to grow in holiness; the question is, what do we do with these opportunities. It does not mean to become someone else, but to be God’s image of “me.”

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