Present with Me in 2023

By Stacy LaMorte

The Lord is always calling on us to be present with him, asking us to recognize his dwelling in each one of us and in others.

When we make time to be fully present with our spouses, children, family members and friends, we are actually making time to be present with him. The key is being fully present.

What does that look like to you? Is it being able to remember a conversation you had because you were paying such close attention? Does it mean you got in touch with your five senses during an event or encounter, truly appreciating a meal you share with someone, the ambiance surrounding you?

We can encounter the Lord thoroughly through our senses – a warm room when it is cold outside; the smell of your favorite soup bubbling on the stove; the feeling of a soft, fuzzy blanket as you snuggle with your kids on the couch; the taste of warm, freshly baked cookies; the sounds of your child’s breathing as he or she sleeps.

All of these senses are chances to feel viscerally close to our Savior whose coming we are still celebrating in this continued Christmas season. Even though people’s trees may be coming down, visitors have returned home and the world wants to move on to Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras, be present with our Lord this Christmastime and in this shiny bright new year of 2023.

Happy New Year from all of us at NOLA Catholic Parenting! May the Lord bless you in unimaginable ways and may you be present to recognize it.