As a personal reminder

A quote that struck me when I was reading this:
http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/dec22.htm

Do you seek the Lord Jesus and the power of his Holy Spirit so that you may be renewed in faith, hope, and love?


Yes, I do.
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What should I get Jesus for His birthday?


I can't believe this is the first time in my whole life that I thought about Dec 25 not as "Christmas Day" but Jesus' birthday. Like a good friend's birthday. I always think about what to get for my friend for his/her birthday, but never actually for this guy Jesus. I was constantly thinking about what to get for my ex-ex-roommate when browsing around the shops in Little Tokyo just now. I guess it led me to realize it's really sad when most of us give each other gifts on Christmas but never/rarely give a thought to the actual VIP. I actually just realized the whole awkward situation just now. Can't believe it 20 years of my life and now only I realize. If i was the birthday boy I'd be feeling really really pitiful about myself.

So now I'm thinking - what should i get for Jesus this Christmas, for his birthday?

It must be something that will make Him happy, and something that I want to give, and also within my "budget"- i.e. something that is realistically possible for me to achieve.

Still thinking....hope I won't forget that it's His birthday, Dec 25th.
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How did I start thinking about the question above?

Ironically, it stemmed from the possibility of not going to Christmas Day mass/Christmas Vigil.

Today suddenly decided that we were going to Disneyland on Dec 25th. No problem I was planning to go to the earliest mass on Christmas Day, 7am (as written in bulletin). Ended up booking a shuttle (big cab) to Disneyland departing at 7am, bcoz Disneyland opens at 8am. I wasn't expecting we would go that early, so I hadn't told anyone I wanted to go to mass. And I didn't want to create trouble to change the shuttle schedule, or to get everyone behind long lines just because of one person. Or rather I didn't have the courage to disrupt the plans. I'd usually rather adjust my plans rather than trying to change the group plans. 

How about 24th, Christmas Vigil Mass? Well my ex-ex-roommate's church has a Christmas celebration and she's performing, and I'd really like to see her + i know she'll like me there + i really like her church too. It's in the evening/night, but the church is in another town and a church member would have to fetch us there, so the timing is less flexible. Ideally I'd like to go to St. Philip's (that's the Catholic church in Pasadena, very close to the apartment) for the Mass at 5pm, and then go to my ex-ex-roommate's church? Hopefully the timing can work out!

Back to the track: Yes, the possiblity of not being able to attend Christmas Mass made me realized how my mind had been stuck on how to celebrate "Christmas Day" and not how to celebrate the VIP's birthday. Mass is the least I had been doing - I never thought of doing anything else related to Christ, nowhere near anything for Jesus. Having that option taken away from me forced me to think about what else-> what little thing -> what better thing I can do for Jesus this Christmas?

(Also probably leading up from the advice the priest gave me during my confession - Think about What can I do for God)
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Had a pretty drawn out discussion over Christianity and its weakness/debatable points and what i wasn't sure about with my ex-ex-roommate. It was a very good session. I understood more perspectives.

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"Lord Jesus, help me to earnestly seek you with humility and confidence. Increase my faith in your promises, strengthen within me the hope of heaven and eternal life, and set my heart on fire with burning love for you and for your kingdom. May I always praise and magnify your great mercy."

I took out "and glory" from the end of the prayer (it's from the same website link at top), because currently I don't understand - and hence can't say I truly believe - in the term "glory". Wonder what He means by that?