The Theology of Kevin McCallister

by | Dec 17, 2024 | The SundayMonday Tuesday Archives

Last night, while I was curled up on my couch, the Lord spoke to me through Home Alone 2.

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. Don’t worry – what I’m about to share is not a spoiler.

Kevin McCallister is an eight-year-old boy who ends up in NYC all alone and spends a few days running around the city at Christmas time. On Christmas Eve, he gets lost in Central Park and meets a “pigeon lady” who, as you can imagine, feeds the birds and scares the children.

The Pigeon Lady shows Kevin her little apartment above Carnegie Hall, where she shares that she doesn’t trust people anymore because she has been hurt. Their conversation goes as follows:

Pigeon Lady: I’m just afraid if I do trust someone, I’ll get my heart broken again.
Kevin McCallister: I understand that. l used to have this really nice pair of rollerblades. l was afraid if l wore them, l’d wreck them. So l kept them in a box. Do you know what happened?
Pigeon Lady: No.
Kevin McCallister: I outgrew them. I never wore them once outside. l just wore them in my room a couple times.
Pigeon Lady: A person’s heart and a person’s feelings are very different than skates.
Kevin McCallister: Well, they’re kind of the same thing. lf you aren’t going to use your heart, then what’s the difference if it gets broken? If you just keep it to yourself, maybe it’ll be like my rollerblades. When you do decide to try it, it won’t be any good. You should take a chance. Got nothing to lose.

I was multitasking as this exchange happened (my bad movie habit), but when I heard these words I rewound and re-listened because it echoed an experience I had this morning at the breakfast where I serve on Monday mornings.

There’s a wonderful woman I’ll call Gloria whom I haven’t seen in months. This morning, I walked into the basement and heard a very loud, “Jane! You’re here!” Gloria leaped up from her seat, walked all the way around the table, and gave me the biggest, warmest hug I’ve received in recent memory. She was so excited to tell me that she had been upstairs in the church that morning for “the first time ever,” and felt such joy, peace, and warmth. “That’s God,” she told me, “I know He was there with me.”

Gloria has had a tough life, but as we spoke about God’s providence over coffee, I was captivated by her joy and confidence. This woman, who has experienced deep grief, does not have a stable place to live, and has been hurt deeply by people she loved, was beaming when I told her I was going home to see my family for Christmas. “Good, that’s exactly what you need to do!” As I got up to head to work, I told her how grateful I was for her joy. She told me, “Now go pass it on to someone else!”

The holiday season can be tough. It can be a reminder of people lost, relationships changed, and longings unmet. But, just as Kevin and Gloria reminded me today, the generous and celebratory spirit of the season is here. It’s up to us to decide, every day, what we’re going to do with it. Are we going to choose joy, reckless love, and generosity – or will we allow fears and aches and comparison to steal our peace?

As I mentioned last week, this has been my best Advent in recent memory. I think a big reason (beyond the grace that is straight from God) is that I feel a deep confidence that God is here, with me, and that this is exactly where He wants me to be. Because I believe that, I’m free to rest and laugh and love and celebrate.

We have just about one week until Christmas. How is your Advent going so far? Are you experiencing joy and peace, or is there a restless longing or ache that’s distracting you from His gifts in the present? If it’s the latter, I encourage you to take that to the Lord and ask Him to give you His peace, which surpasses understanding.

And then go out and do something good for someone else. I’ve had so much fun picking out Christmas presents this year, and I think it’s because it’s a reminder of how much I love the people in my life and how important it is to me to give them good gifts – and that’s how God feels about you and me, except a hundred-thousand fold!

He is good, and He is near. Please know of my prayers!

In trust and joy, Jane


What I’m Loving Lately

How to make a mini-self-guided-retreat

Every few months, I take myself on a little half-day retreat. I love doing this because a) it’s incredible to turn your phone off and b) I’m able to experience the grace of time away with the Lord which is hard to come by, but in a few hours instead of a weekend away (you know I love a weekend away, as well).

On Saturday morning, I took the train up to the Basilica (I recommend going to a church or Shrine that is not your normal church, one that’s quiet, and where ideally you can receive confession and attend mass during your “retreat”). I stopped in at Starbucks for a little treat, and read my current spiritual book (Screwtape Letters, high rec).

Then, I made my way to the chapel and spent some time with the Lord. I went to confession, attended mass, and spent some time in quiet prayer, reading, and journaling. It was phenomenal. If you can’t attend a scheduled retreat (this Advent has been crazy), I do highly recommend making a personal retreat – and this one you can do in just a couple of hours!

We love Mary Bailey

I love It’s a Wonderful Life, and I love this article exploring Mary’s role in George’s life even more. I shared this last year, but share it again becuase WOW I love Mary Bailey. Enjoy!

Kevin McCallister 🤝🏼 C.S. Lewis

Kevin’s words above reminded me of one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes:

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Advent Wreath

I cannot express how much I love having an Advent wreath in my home. Every morning, I light my candles before prayer and sing “Oh Come O Come Emmanuel” (don’t worry, my neighbors already think I’m crazy, and they probably prefer this to my Defying Gravity battle cry). It’s been the best addition to this season, hands down. (I also love my Christmas Crib, pictured here, a gift from my friend Katie!! It offers a daily activity to prepare for baby Jesus, and it’s great).

Lots of fire in the home these days… don’t worry I have *three* fire extinguishers!

A wonderful Christmas gift! (and shameless promotion)

If you’re looking for a gift to get a young adult in your life, may I recommend my book “Now What: a Young Catholic Adult’s Guide to Being Bold in Faith, Work, and Life in the ‘Real World.'” I’m quite proud of it and think it could make a great gift for any young adult who is moving and grooving and trying to live their faith boldly in the world!


Prayer requests

      • For a special intention
      • For everyone traveling this week

If you or a loved one need prayers, just reply to this email or reach out and I’ll include them in next week’s newsletter!

Join us on social @thesundaymonday_ and www.facebook.com/thesundaymonday

Was this email forwarded to you? You can subscribe for free here!

 

More Like This

Inspiration over obligation

Inspiration over obligation

Popping in for a quick newsletter this morning—my parents were in town this weekend, which was such a delight (despite the freezing temperatures!). I spent the weekend away from screens, so this is coming to you live on Tuesday morning. ​ What’s on my mind this week...

Welcome to Cozy January

Welcome to Cozy January

It's a new year, folks, and like usual, it feels like I'm surrounded by messaging to do more, set wild goals, and get after it. ​ But can I tell you something? I'm a little tired. ​ And cold. And recovering from my annual January sickness. And as much as I love a...

2024 Seeds and Word of the Year 2025!

2024 Seeds and Word of the Year 2025!

As the year came to a close, I asked myself “What are the good seeds that were planted in 2024, that I want to watch bloom in 2025?” ​ Here are a few of my seeds from last year, in no particular order: ​ 1. Monday Mornings​Volunteering at the soup kitchen on Monday...

Jane Kennedy

Jane was born in Australia, raised in California, and is overjoyed to now call NYC home. She graduated from UCSB with degrees in Political Science and Communication and spent the past two years working in criminal justice reform. She is currently an MBA student at NYU Stern, focusing on entrepreneurship and strategy.

Pin It on Pinterest