Emmaus Companions Newsletter - December 22, 2023
Hello Everyone,
As 2023 draws to a close, Melissa and I would like to extend our warmest wishes and prayers to everyone who has been a part of this Emmaus Support family over the last five years. Living with mental health challenges in the home is never an easy road to walk. Having companions on that road who have walked similar paths, listened with compassion, and supported us through their presence has been invaluable, not just for our family but for all of those with whom we have walked.
As we head into days that are both filled with joy and excitement, as well as stress and chaos, we pray that you are able to find moments of peace and grace amidst it all. Remember when overwhelm begins to rise, that through the incarnation we celebrate, God has promised to be with us in it all. Look with intention for those moments when God is at your side. When it seems unclear, boldly ask God, as Job before the whirlwind, to make himself known.
And may the nativity of the Christ child be a reminder of his constant care and concern for you and those you love and continuing assurance that God is indeed with us, right where we are.
From Melissa and myself, Merry Christmas!
Peace and God Bless,
Deacon Eric
"While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him...they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them." - Luke 24:15-16;28-29
Emmaus Support Group:
If you care for a loved one with mental health challenges and feel you could benefit from the support and prayers of peers with a similar lived experience, use the link below to find out how to register for our next meeting.
From The Emmaus Family Support Blog:
A Reason for Hope
Christmas, with its myriad of pressures and complexities, encourages us to seek after hope, including and especially within those times and places where hope seems most distant. The Incarnation presents a promise of hope, born in turmoil, that serves as a concrete and practical anchor tethered to the divine promise fulfilled in Christ. It isn’t the eradication of strife but the experience of resilience that arises from knowing that Christ’s victory transcends the shadows of the world.
Pope Francis The Nativity And The Incarnation With Archbishop Don Bolen
Archbishop Don Bolen joins the Thinking Faith Catholic Podcast for a special pre-Christmas episode. We'll discuss Pope Francis' new book on the Nativity, Bishop Don's nativity collection, and the impact of the Incarnation on our broken world.
Show Snippet: "The incarnation is ultimately not a book and it's not a word spoken in writing, it's spoken in flesh. And so, incarnational faithfulness, in the first instance, is not a verbal witness, but a presence, a walking with, and that's probably what people will value and appreciate because I think people in grief, people in time of loss and time of deep suffering, often find words that used to be meaningful crashing against the hard waves or wall of suffering and of brokenness and the words lie flat on the ground whereas your presence, you're showing up, matters."
Can’t Force the Feeling: How Letting Go of Expectations Helped Me Enjoy Christmas
by Sarah Carone
I’ve given up trying to force any prescribed feelings at Christmas. I’ve even tried to let go of requiring certain traditions to happen. Instead, I commit to looking for whatever is good in the season, acknowledging it, and giving thanks for it.
Emmaus Family Support Holy Hour of Payer and Adoration for Mental Health
Join us at Holy Trinity Parish 5020 Sherwood Drive in Regina, on Thursday, December 28, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm for a Holy Hour of Adoration and Prayer focused on mental health needs during this Christmas season.
Join us at Holy Trinity Parish 5020 Sherwood Drive in Regina, on Thursday, December 28, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm for a Holy Hour of Adoration and Prayer focused on mental health needs during this Christmas season.
The Christmas season can be a particularly challenging time for anyone living with mental health challenges. While the public focus of the season is on joy, peace, and hope; depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges can be exacerbated by the additional stress and even loneliness that some experience.
All are welcome to join us for this hour of quiet reflection and communal prayer with the Blessed Sacrament as we unite in faith and seek consolation, peace, and support.
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