There is a phrase I have been sitting with in my quiet moments this Christmas:

You are enough. 

The words are from writer Tosha Silver who recently shared on her Facebook page:
“The innermost heart says, ‘You are enough. Nowhere to go, nothing to get, nothing to change. No need to grow more deserving. You, yes You, are Love.’”

You are love and you are enough. (Notice that the word is “love,” not “loved.”)

Imagine for a moment that right here, right now, exactly as you are, you are love and light in our tumultuous world. In your brokenness, in your tiredness, in your mourning, in your joy, in your delight, and in the messiness of presents and wrapping paper and leftover Christmas dinner strewn around your house, you are love and you are enough.

This Christmas season and in these concluding days of the year, I invite you to rest with me in the light of the Word made flesh (John 1:14) and to feel love, to be love, and to know that you are enough.

By Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director

As I write this reflection, contractors are at work in our kitchen, hammering and sawing and grinding their way through a remodel. To drown out the noise, I have headphones on and am listening to instrumental Christmas music. Next to my keyboard, my phone emits intermittent sounds alerting me to messages and emails and phone calls. Soon my husband will be finished with his workday and will be walking through the house with questions for me, then the TV will be on. Noises from the furnace drone in the background. A school bus rattles by on the street. And that doesn’t even begin to describe all the thoughts running through my head – the to-do lists, the plans, the worries!

My life is very noisy. Quiet time with God is almost non-existent for me right now. And I am craving silence.

I am reminded of the Yiddish folk tale “It Could Always Be Worse.” In the story, a poor man complains to the Rabbi about how crowded and loud his small house is. The Rabbi’s advice is for the man to bring his chickens into the house. As the story builds, the Rabbi continues to advise the man to bring in more animals: goose, rooster, dog, cat, goat, cow (the animals vary depending on the version of the tale you read).

At the end of the tale, the Rabbi tells the man, who is now at his breaking point, to remove all the animals from his home.

The story ends with the man exclaiming, “Holy Rabbi, you have made life sweet for me. With just my family in the hut, it’s so quiet, so roomy, so peaceful… What a pleasure!”

I believe God gives us chaos and noise as a way to teach us to appreciate the gift of silence.

In this week’s Advent video from the Ascension Press video series Rejoice: An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture, Fr. Mark Toups from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, reminds us that silence is difficult, especially with all the distractions in our world. But silence is so important in our relationship with God. Fr. Mark says, “Silence is to prayer like a canvas is to the artist.” He goes on to say, “Silence sensitizes us to hear God.”

If your life is as noisy as mine is right now, join me this Advent in accepting God’s invitation for silence, even if it is only for a couple of minutes. For inspiration, please watch Fr. Mark’s 9:39 minute video below.​

By Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director

​My husband and I recently treated ourselves to reservations at a new restaurant. We thought it would be nice to enjoy some conversation over a plate of tacos after a long week. Maybe a bowl of guacamole if we were feeling extravagant.

The reality proved to be a bit different.

When we arrived, we discovered the restaurant was loud, crowded, and dark -- that level of darkness that makes it hard to read a menu. Most diners seemed half our age. A live DJ blasted music in one corner. Performers in Day of the Dead costumes strolled among the tables while servers brought out flaming plates of food and drinks.
 
Quiet, intimate, simple, it was not.

This misguided date night comes to mind as Advent approaches (Sunday, December 3). While I like to think of Advent as a month-long date with God where we make plans to hang out and talk, maybe over a plate of tacos and guacamole, the reality is rarely the quiet intimacy I had planned.

Too often I allow my life to become too loud and too crowded with holiday preparations that I leave little space for quiet time with God.

It is this noisy distraction that is addressed in the Ascension Press video series Rejoice: An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture. The series features Fr. Mark Toups from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana; Fr. Josh Johnson from the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Sr. Josephine Garrett, a Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth. (Sr. Josephine offered a presentation on community and commitment to Theresians on June 24, 2023. You can watch a recording of her presentation here.)

In the first Rejoice video offered below, Fr. Mark, Fr. Josh, and Sr. Josephine talk about the importance of silence, perceptions of silence, and obstacles to silence. If you are unable to watch the entire 28-minute video, please consider watching Sr. Josephine’s three-minute message that can be found at the 11:50 minute mark in the video.

Each week through Advent, we will be sharing these Rejoice videos with you. A journal is mentioned in the video and is available for purchase through various online booksellers (options are available here). The journal is NOT needed to enjoy the program.

Please join with me this Advent in finding time for silence and simplicity. Maybe we can even find some time for tacos with God this holiday season!