The Greatest Surprise

For my Dear Readers who have been following along for a while, y’all know that I love surprises.  

“God speaks in surprises,” 

~Fr. John Jenkins CSC, Gaudete Sunday 2016

I love surprises because there is so much more to a surprise than the event itself. First, there needs to be a means of communication. Second, there needs to be a set up. Third, there needs to be a reason. Fourth, there needs to be a person to be surprised. Again, these all seem simple, but there is something to each of them.

To explain, here’s the happiest surprise I received in 2018.

It was the Feast of the Holy Family, and Team Newton was all dolled up for Sunday Mass. As we walked out the door, my mom started to make plans for our special dinner that night in honor of the Feast Day.

“That’s a pretty dress,” she smiled, “You should wear that tonight!”

I didn’t bother to ask her why I needed to upgrade from a blouse and jeans for dinner to a nice dress. It was a special day, and I loved the dress.

We officially set the time for 5pm.

But when the clock hit 5:15pm, which is far later than the typical “large family late,” I started to get anxious. I was supposed to call my boyfriend while he was on the road, and I didn’t want to ditch him because my family couldn’t make it on time.

“Oh yeah, Felicity we’re just moving it back a little for Joseph’s girlfriend,” my mom said in a matter-of-fact sort of way.

An hour later.

My stomach growled as I joined my parents and grandmother in the living room. They kept asking me random questions like, “where is your favorite restaurant in Nashville?” and “do you have a purse with gum and TUMS in it?” and “why don’t you take out your ponytail?” for the entirety of that hour.

It was really strange, but I figured everyone was acting weird because they were as hungry as I was.

Then the doorbell rang.

“Felicity you should get that,” my mom said in what I can now say was the most relaxed tone I could ever imagine for what was to happen next.

I got about halfway to the door when I saw roses in the window.

A few paces later…I saw my boyfriend, whom I hadn’t met in person yet, holding the roses.

After years of chasing men with empty promises, I was stunned to see that a young man would go through the effort to contact my family, find housing, and make a long trip just to see me. Not only that, but he had never seen me before, let alone knew how I would feel once we were finally together. It was risky, but he did it for me anyways.

In hindsight, I should have noticed just how obvious Team Newton was what with all of their questions and suggestions.

It’s hard to stop and listen when you are stuck in your routine and expectations.

The next day, we joined Team Newton for the Vigil of the Mary, Mother of God. My heart was filled with joy and love from all of the time I got with my family and the surprise I received the night before. But then the Eucharistic Prayer began, and my heart completely overflowed.

My boyfriend who cares for me very much traveled a long way…

But there was another man who traveled even further.

“And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” ~ John 1:14

A surprise requires communication, a set up, a reason, and a person. The Incarnation fits all of this. 

Nearly as soon as God created the plan to save His Creation, He started to communicate with His people. Prophets came in to the world, sharing the Good News. And much like how I was taken aback and was confused with my family’s questions on the Feast of the Holy Family, Israel did not fully understand what the prophets were saying.

But then, in the fullness of time, God set up the great surprise.

He contacted the Blessed Virgin, an unlikely choice, and He asked Mary if she would be willing to bring the Word to the world. Even though she did not know exactly what would happen next, she said, “yes.”

Then, in a manger, Our Savior was born.

But why? What was the reason?

Jesus came to save us, yes, but He did not come just to die. He came to be with us, to walk among us, to establish a Church where we would find Him each and every day. 

He traveled all the way from Heaven so that He could sit in a Tabernacle.

My boyfriend came to see me face to face, but Jesus came to this world to gaze upon us forever, even if that meant He had to take the form of a little piece of bread…a piece of bread that is often criticized and ignored.

Jesus loves you my Dear Reader.

He loves you so much that He took a great risk by coming to this world. The possibility of rejection did not stop Jesus from loving you, and it never will. 

He loves you so much that He sits in the Tabernacle, waiting for you to come see Him, even if only for a moment, even if you haven’t been there in a long time, even if you rejected Him.

All I had to do to receive the greatest surprise of 2018 and all of the joy and happiness of the following days was open the door.

All you have to do, Dear Reader, is open your heart to Christ. 

He’s come a long way to see you.