Daily Advent Reflections
Longing for Peace
Advent is when peace becomes something visible. All year, of
course, we long for peace, but Christians spend these four weeks preparing for
the coming of the Messiah, the Prince of Peace. We long not solely for peace on
earth, the absence of conflict, but also, more deeply, for the peace of Christ,
“peace that surpasses all understanding” (see Phil 4:7). When we celebrate Mass
each Sunday, we pray for this peace and even exchange a sign of it before we
approach the table of the Eucharist.
As deep and personal as our desire is, faith tells us that peace
is essentially social. As we move toward the feast of the Nativity, the feast of
Christ among us, we are challenged to broaden our understanding of peace and to
open our hearts all the wider.
Our world is longing for peace in so many places! We long for
peace in Iraq and pray that our own who have been sent there will be safe from
harm and returned soon to their families and lives full of promise. We long for
peace in Israel, where the needs of both Palestinians and Israelis must be met.
We long for peace in Africa, which has seen so much struggle, as the poor
struggle to develop against so many odds, now added to by the epidemic of AIDS.
We long for peace in the states of the former Soviet Union, in China, India and
all parts of Asia. We long for peace in Ireland.
But we long not only for peace among those who fight. We also long
for peace in the hearts of those struggling with poverty of all sorts—those in
the developing world and those who struggle in the shadows of the developed
world. And of course, we long for peace for the victims of natural
disaster—especially the countless families still putting lives together in the
tsunami region of Asia, and the countless families dealing with the disastrous
effects of the recent hurricane seasons in the southern United States. We pray
for displaced people everywhere.
This Advent, let us open our hearts for peace. Let our prayer for
Christ’s coming be a longing for wars to end; for troops to return to their
families. But let it also be a longing for justice, a longing that things set
awry will be made right.
First Sunday of Advent
Time to wake up
Thanksgiving holiday is behind us, signaling the beginning of the
holiday season in the world around us. Yet today’s Gospel calls us to enter into
a time of watchful waiting, of preparation or keen awareness. Let us resolve to
hold off the holidays for a bit, to tune in to the gospel, to prepare our hearts
for the mystery of the Incarnation, the coming of the Prince of Peace.
Monday (Is 2:1-5; Mt 8:5-11)
Can you see it?
What a vision today’s readings offer us—a world in which people
yearn to walk in the ways of the Lord, in which “one nation shall not raise the
sword against another.” Will we ever live to see it? Only if each of us works
towards it. Be a harbinger of the Kingdom today by being a peaceful presence
wherever you go.
Tuesday (Is 11:1-10; Lk 10:21-24)
What we have seen
Jesus tells us today to count our blessings: We have seen and
heard what kings longed for. The peace of God has come to live among us! We have
only to open our hearts to the work of grace in our lives. We have only to turn
to our Lord for help.
Wednesday (Is 25:6-10a; Mt 15:29-37)
Following in their footsteps
Jesus’ invitation to Peter and Andrew, to James and John, is one
he continually issues to all: Will you follow me? Will you join me in my
mission? If we say yes we can count on having our lives turned upside down—and
enriched beyond measure. Don’t hoard your unique wealth. Share it with others,
in Jesus’ name, through daily acts of kindness.
Thursday (Is 26:1-6; Mt 7:21, 24-27)
Check those foundations
Of course we all want to be like the wise man who builds his house
on rock: solid goals, clear sense of direction, eyes on the prize. But how easy
it is to get lost along the way, to become drenched in the consumerism that can
so easily seize us at this time of year! Search your soul today for signs of
crumbling foundations, and begin any repair work that is needed.
Friday (Is 29:17-24; Mt 9:27-31)
I can't keep it in!
The story of the two blind men cured is the story of all of us. We
blindly go through life, missing the real story of love as we struggle to be
Number One. But the One who saves can give each of us sight, if we are only
willing to have faith. And when we see, how can we help but tell the world?
Saturday (Is 30:19-21, 23-26; Mt. 9:35—10:1. 5a, 6-8)
Moving beyond pity
Jesus was moved with pity at the sight of the “troubled and
abandoned” he saw. How can we not also be moved as the haunting eyes and faces
cross our TV screens—the dazed victims of tsunamis and earthquakes, the helpless
innocents caught in war zones, the lost in our cities? To take in their images
is one thing; to be moved to action by becoming one of Jesus’ laborers is
another. How will you join his labor force?
Second Sunday of Advent
Take a deep breath
As we long for Jesus and the peace he promises, the words of
consolation Isaiah offers today are timely. They are soothing words: comfort,
tenderness, glad tidings. The Lord we await, the Lord we are promised, is one
who, like a shepherd, feeds his flock and gathers the lambs in his arms. How can
we model this same good news to a society that so often reveres power and
strength? Consider this your job description during this Second Week of
Advent—at home, at the office, at your parish. Get ready for some real work!
Monday (Is 35: 1-10; Lk 5:17-26)
‘Rise and walk’
We’ve heard the call to prepare the way of the Lord. Now it gets
more personal. As we hear the story of the paralyzed one, surely we see
ourselves on the stretcher. We have a thousand paralyzing reasons not to embrace
the message of peace. Jesus cuts through all of them and commands us to
walk.
Tuesday (Is 40:1-11; Mt 18:12-14)
Recovering from loss
Who of us hasn’t been—or felt—lost? Whether we have a childhood
memory of momentary separation from a parent, a teenage recollection of not
fitting in or an adult sense of being adrift, feelings of pain and sadness can
surface. We are all the lost sheep of whom Jesus speaks today. But he welcomes
and seeks our return home. What “lost sheep” can you take into the fold of your
family today?
Wednesday (Is 40:25-31; Mt 11:28-30)
My yoke is easy
Here is a message for all of those burdened by the guilt of
inaction in the face of destruction around the world: people in poverty, people
at war, people in need. Jesus tells us to step ahead and act. He promises us to
be with us, for the yoke, with him beside us, is easy.
Thursday (Is 41:13-20; Mt 11:11-15)
You name it
“Be it done to me according to your word.” We can all too easily
recite the words Mary proclaimed to the angel Gabriel. God doesn’t ask of us the
great things asked of Mary. But he does yearn for our “Yes! Yes, you name it!”
What are we doing for God and our neighbors that helps bring about a Kingdom
that will have no end?
Friday (Is 48:17-19; Mt 11:16-19)
What’s our excuse?
Advent calls us to prepare the way of the Lord, to open our hearts
to the work of God among us. Yet there are so many things competing! And as
Christmas approaches, things won’t get any lighter. Stop and consider: How can I
be sure that I am preparing the way of the Lord today?
Saturday (Sir 48:1-4, 9-11; Mt 17:9a, 10-13)
Missing the point
It takes the disciples a while to understand what Jesus is saying
in today’s Gospel. Where do we fail to hear not just the words of Jesus but also
the heart of his message? Listen closely to Jesus today—not just to his words
but to the challenging message behind them.
Third Sunday of Advent
The path is clear
Being without light is one of the most unsettling of experiences
for those of us who have become accustomed to living with the gift of
electricity. To be in the dark is to be disoriented, without a sense of
direction. Today’s readings offer us a clear path—just the path we need as we
edge toward Christmas. It is one of prayer, gratitude, hope and goodness. Could
we ask for clearer directions in the midst of these frenetic days when we can so
easily lose our moorings?
Monday (Is 24:2-7, 15-17a; Mt 21:23-27)
Playing games
Today Jesus catches the Pharisees in their own game. As they get
caught not saying anything for fear of saying the wrong thing, Jesus says he’ll
have none of it. We are challenged today to sharpen our focus on what is
important: the coming of Jesus and our challenge to conform our lives to his
call.
Tuesday (Zep 3:1-2, 9-13; Mt 21:28-32)
Mixed messages
Ouch. How many times must we be reminded of our potential—our
gift?— for hypocrisy! We hear it yet again from Zephaniah, who warns against
“insolent” prophets and “braggarts.” Few of us find such people appealing, but
the alternative—humility, pure truth—is so difficult. Consider: Why do we so
often try to get by with the easy stuff, as if Jesus doesn’t know us at our
deepest level? Lord, transform our hearts!
Wednesday (Is 45:6c-8, 18, 21c-25; Lk 7:18b-23)
Signs of the Messiah
Could this be the one? People of good will are searching, and we
hear from the Gospel that this indeed is the one we’ve been awaiting. How do we
know? The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead
are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. What are we waiting
for?
Thursday (Is 54:1-10; Lk 7:24-30)
Can we get real?
Long before “reality TV,” Jesus warned us to get real about his
Kingdom and to listen to John the Baptist, who announced its arrival. How are we
using our time to prepare for the one that John has promised? Are we rooted in
reality, or in the make-believe promises offered us of what Christmas is all
about?
Friday (Is 56:1-3, 6-8; Jn 5:33-36)
Sent by God
When we stand up for peace, we must do so with the confidence that
peace is the will of God. People in the Gospels are always seeking Jesus’
credentials, and he assures them he is the real ticket. When he calls us to be
God’s peacemakers, against war, against poverty and injustice, we are given an
authentic mission.
Saturday is always December 17 or later, “late Advent.” Please
see below.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
What message do we hear?
Today is a day of messages, a day when God’s incarnation is
announced to the world. Like the drama in today’s Gospel, the Lord’s saving
action is announced to each of us. As evangelists, messengers of the Good News,
we each are challenged, in turn, to announce God’s presence to our hurting
world. The presence of God among us is the gift that allows each of us to be
heralds of peace.
December 17 (Gn 49:2, 8-10; Mt 1:17)
The Jesus of history
In just over a week we celebrate the birth of Jesus—yes, the
sweet-faced infant but also the Messiah who had a family that went back 14
generations. The older we get, the more we appreciate learning about our family
tree, about the history of those who went before us. But we can lose track of
some of those branches. Resolve to contact a lost or forgotten family
member.
December 18 (Jer 23:5-8; Mt 1:18-25)
Sharpen up!
These final days before Christmas, “late Advent,” call us to focus
all the more. Now is the season when our attention is the most distracted by
last-minute gift-buying and Christmas parties. Yet our faith tells us to slow
down and prepare our spirits for the Lord’s coming. Let us be mindful of
that.
December 19 (Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Lk 1:5-25)
The forest and the trees
As Christmas draws ever nearer, our thoughts can easily turn to
the demands that just won’t go away: last-minute shopping, mailing a few more
cards, planning menus for meals with family and special guests. In today’s
Gospel Luke tells the story of the birth of John the Baptist. We know full well
what comes after that, but we can so easily get overwhelmed. Make time today for
an act of kindness—one you don’t really have time for.
December 20 (Is 7:10-14; Lk 1:26-38)
The Lord is with you
This is the week of annunciation, when the Lord’s coming presence
among us is announced to the People of God. Our longing for peace will be
fulfilled. But the world did not understand the peace of Jesus when it came. We
pray to understand Jesus’ peace and to bring it to the world.
December 21 (Sg 2:8-14; Lk 1:39-45)
A journey of faith
Our thoughts turn to Mary today. How could they not as she
prepares for the birth of Our Savior? How many more days, how many more hours
she must be thinking as she sets out, in haste, to visit her cousin Elizabeth?
Put aside your own cares. Who can you visit today who needs your presence and
your utter trust?
December 22 (1 Sm 1:24-28; Lk 1:46-56)
The world upside-down
Today we pray along with Mary, the Mother of God, her magnificat.
It is a prayer of praise, of awe at the power of God to steer history in God’s
direction. The lowly are important in God’s eyes. The rich go away empty-handed.
What is God telling us today?
December 23 (Mal 3:1-4, 23-24; Lk 1:57-66)
The time is near
For Elizabeth, the time has arrived. She gives birth to a son, who
is named John. Can the birth of Jesus be far behind? These are days filled with
blessings and promise. Find the time to slow down and spend peaceful time with
your family. Don’t count the hours that remain. Savor them.
Christmas Eve
Waiting is over
Now our four weeks of preparation come to an end. Our practice of
waiting, watching, listening, has all been for one purpose: to make room in our
hearts for the “here-yet-still-coming” Prince of Peace. As much as we let the
Peaceful Lord fill our lives, we take his mission of peace to our families, to
our communities, to our world.
Christmas Day
The dawn of peace
Thank God for the gift of Jesus! Today we celebrate the birth of
the Messiah, the proof that, in God, all things—including our hopes for
peace—are possible. Let us dwell on the coming peace, the peace Jesus brings
into the world and leaves with us, and celebrate what a gift it is.
