First Sunday of Advent
Time to wake up
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.
See! The ruler of the
earth shall come; the Lord who will take from us the heavy burden of our
exile The Lord will come soon, will not delay. The Lord will make the darkest places
bright. We must capture that urgency today in the small flame of our candle. We
light the candle because we know that the coming of Christ is tied to our
building of the kingdom. Lighting the flame, feeding the hungry, comforting the
sick, reconciling the divided, praying for the repentant, greeting the lonely
and forgotten – doing all these works hastens His coming.
Waiting
We light a candle today, a small dim
light against a world that often seems forbidding and dark. But we light it
because we are a people of hope, a people whose faith is marked by an
expectation that we should always be ready for the coming of the Master. The
joy and anticipation of this season is captured beautifully in the antiphons of
hope from the monastic liturgies:
The Lord will make the darkest places bright. We must capture that urgency today in the small flame of our candle. We light the candle because we know that the coming of Christ is tied to our building of the kingdom. Lighting the flame, feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, reconciling the divided, praying for the repentant, greeting the lonely and forgotten – doing all these works hastens His coming.
Monday Week 1 (Is 2:1-5; Mt 8:5-11)
Can you see it?
Many peoples shall
come and say: "Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the
God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his
paths." For from Zion shall go forth
instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem
Reflection
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.
Christ is the ultimate
centre of meaning in the universe. It is through Christ that all people will be
led to the Father. How can we hope to achieve a world in which all will seek
the path of God? Only when men and women are working to achieve the unity that
Christ’s redemption promises us.
Tuesday Week 1 (Is 11:1-10; Lk 10:21-24)
What we have seen
Then the wolf shall be
a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and
the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.
(Isaiah 11:6)
Reflection
The old joke about
this passage is that the leopard might lie down with the kid, but the kid won’t
get much sleep. We chuckle at this because Isaiah gives us an image that goes
against all our experience and expectations. Take note: the kingdom of God kingdom
of God
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 Week 1 (Is 25:6-10a; Mt 15:29-37)
Following in
their footsteps
Taking the five loaves
and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He said the blessing, broke the
loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied. (Matthew 14: 19-20)
Reflection
During Advent we
always consider the past, present, and future dimensions of Jesus’ coming.
Jesus came to us at Bethlehem Galilee
to distribute the food, it is our duty to act as the hands of Jesus today,
bringing His gifts and presence to others.
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 Week 1 (Is 26:1-6; Mt 7:21, 24-27)
Check those
foundations
A nation of firm
purpose You keep in peace; in peace for its trust in You. Trust in the Lord
forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock. (Isaiah 26: 3-4)
Reflection
We cannot eliminate
upsets and anxiety from our lives, but Advent is a good time to slow down and
remember where we should look for stability and peace. Throughout these weeks
of preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, the Scriptures for our
liturgies tell us again and again to turn to God, to build our house on the
rock of Jesus. Only there we will find peace.
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 Week 1 (Is 29:17-24; Mt 9:27-31)
I can't keep it
in!
And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind
men followed (Him), crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!" When
He entered the house, the blind men approached Him and Jesus said to them,
"Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said
to Him. Then He touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you
according to your faith." And their eyes were opened. (Matthew 9:27-30)
Reflection
Many people scoff at the idea of miracles.
Unwilling to believe that Jesus could restore the sight of the blind when He walked
on earth, they are unwilling to see the miracles that Jesus continues to work
today. If we are open to the guiding touch of God’s hand and willing to
discover His plan for our lives, miracles will happen. What prevents us from
seeing and being a part of God’s miracles? Would we rather be blind?
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?
Sat.day Week 1 (Is 30:19-21, 23-26; Mt. 9:35-10:1.
5a, 6-8)
Moving beyond
pity
The light of the moon will be like that of the
sun and the light of the sun will be seven times greater (like the light of
seven days). On the day the Lord binds up the wounds of His people, He will
heal the bruises left by His blows. (Isaiah 30:26)
Reflection
God, while His ways are still mysterious to
us, is not on the sidelines of our lives. Just as Isaiah predicted, He has
come, in Jesus, to bind up the hurt of His people, and through Jesus’ presence
is still active in the world.
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’ labourers is another. How will you join his labour
force?
Second Sunday of Advent
Take a deep
breath
Lord, our God,
we praise You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, for He is Emmanuel, the Hope of all
people.
He is the Wisdom that teaches and guides us.
He is the Saviour of us all.
O Lord,
let your blessing come upon us as we light the first and second (purple) candles of this wreath.
May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ’s promise of salvation.
May He come quickly and not delay.
We ask this in His holy name. Amen.
He is the Wisdom that teaches and guides us.
He is the Saviour of us all.
O Lord,
let your blessing come upon us as we light the first and second (purple) candles of this wreath.
May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ’s promise of salvation.
May He come quickly and not delay.
We ask this in His holy name. Amen.
Waiting
We light a candle today, a small dim
light against a world that often seems forbidding and dark. But we light it
because we are a people of hope, a people whose faith is marked by an
expectation that we should always be ready for the coming of the Master. The
joy and anticipation of this season is captured beautifully in the antiphons of
hope from the monastic liturgies:
See! The ruler
of the earth shall come, the Lord who will take from us the heavy burden
of our exile
The Lord will come soon, will not delay.
The Lord will make the darkest places bright.
We must capture that urgency today in the small flame of our candle. We light the candle because we know that the coming of Christ is tied to our building of the kingdom. Lighting the flame, feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, reconciling the divided, praying for the repentant, greeting the lonely and forgotten – doing all these works hastens His coming.
The Lord will come soon, will not delay.
The Lord will make the darkest places bright.
We must capture that urgency today in the small flame of our candle. We light the candle because we know that the coming of Christ is tied to our building of the kingdom. Lighting the flame, feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, reconciling the divided, praying for the repentant, greeting the lonely and forgotten – doing all these works hastens His coming.
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 Week II (Is 35: 1-10; Lk 5:17-26)
‘Rise and walk’
Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be
strong, fear not! Here is your God, He comes with vindication; With divine
recompense He comes to save you. (Isaiah 35: 4)
Reflection
In a world where political instability
threatens long established order, where crime in our country seems out of
control and unstoppable, there seems to be plenty to be afraid of. Isaiah
reminds us that God’s power is beyond anything on this earth that could
frighten us. "Be strong" and "fear not" this Advent. Is
having a frightened heart different that just being afraid? The kind of fear we
have in our hearts is usually fear for people we love. God’s care encompasses
them as well. Trust God’s power.
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 Week II (Is 40:1-11; Mt 18:12-14)
Recovering from
loss
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the
ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the
tongue of the dumb will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and
rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty
ground, springs of water; the abode where the jackals lurk will be a marsh for
the reed and papyrus. (Isaiah 35: 5-7)
Reflection
In Advent we celebrate the miraculous
transformations Isaiah talks about: the lame leaping and streams of water
bursting forth in the desert. We also celebrate seemingly ordinary events, the
birth of two babies, John the Baptist and Jesus, that are part of the unfolding
of God’s salvation plan. In every event of our lives, God is there, with His
mercy and love and purpose. God desires that all should feel His mercy and love
just as the desert sands would experience the overflowing spring.
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 Week II (Is 40:25-31; Mt 11:28-30)
My yoke is easy
Come to Me, all you
who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and
learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for
yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Reflection
Are there burdens I
can let go of? Sometimes we make other people’s problems our own. What burdens
that are not my own can I give to God? Remember the old phrase, "Let go
and let God." But, at the same time Jesus offers comfort, He asks us to
take on His yoke. To be "yoked" to Jesus means that we must walk in
step with Him. If we are in step with Jesus, then we can hear any burden that
comes our way. Jesus, and the graces we receive through His Church, share the
load every step of the way.
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 Week II (Is 41:13-20; Mt 11:11-15):
Immaculate Conception
You name it
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it be force.
(Matthew 11:12)
Reflection
Our world will never be bliss. We can say with
Matthew, that from the days of John the Baptist until now, that God’s kingdom
suffers violence. That is why we celebrate Advent over and over. We reassert
that the violence we suffer in this world is not the norm, but only a temporary
condition. That mystery of our faith is proclaimed each time we celebrate the
Eucharist: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. We are
grounded in this present world, but look to the world to come.
“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 Week II (Is 48:17-19; Mt 11:16-19)
What’s our
excuse?
Thus says the Lord, you redeemer, the Holy One
of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you
on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your
prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the
sea; your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like
its grains, their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence. (Isaiah
48:17-19)
Reflection
The use of water as a metaphor of God, or for
any good thing, is common in Hebrew Scriptures. Who should know more about the
preciousness of water than a desert people like the Israelites?
Isaiah says our prosperity will be like a river. Have we let God’s love flow over us like a river, or are we stingy when we imagine it? Do we imagine God’s love as a trickle or a torrent?
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 Week II (Sir 48:1-4, 9-11; Mt 17:9a,
10-13)
Missing the point
Then the disciples
asked Him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" He
said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell
you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him
whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands."
Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
(Matthew 17: 10-13)
Reflection
Some among those who
followed Jesus would not believe that He was the Messiah. They were waiting for
the reappearance of Elijah, who Scripture said must return before the coming of
the Messiah. In the same way, many of us have set up obstacles that prevent us
from living as if the Messiah has already come.
What are we waiting for? What obstacles have we set up to prevent us from living as if our Savior has already come?
What are we waiting for? What obstacles have we set up to prevent us from living as if our Savior has already come?
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
Lord, our God, we praise You for Your Son,
Jesus Christ, for He is Emmanuel, the Hope of all people. He is the Wisdom that
teaches and guides us. He is the Savior of us all. O Lord,
let your blessing come upon us as we light two (purple) candles and the third (pink) of this wreath. May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ’s promise of salvation. May He come quickly and not delay. We ask this in His holy name. Amen.
let your blessing come upon us as we light two (purple) candles and the third (pink) of this wreath. May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ’s promise of salvation. May He come quickly and not delay. We ask this in His holy name. Amen.
Rejoicing
"(The desert) will bloom with abundant
flowers and rejoice with joyful song." "Rejoice in the Lord
always!" "Shout for joy, O daughter Zion
The Scriptures for the Third Sunday of Advent
proclaim their message in no uncertain terms: Rejoice! Joy is all around us and
our celebration of Advent calls us to discover it. The joy that the Scripture
passages speak about is not a joy that equates with hilarious laughter. It is a
joy that comes from a security with our God, those around us, and our place in
the world. It is the joy Isaiah describes when he writes, "I rejoice heartily
in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul." It is a joy that cannot be
bought or obtained from artificial highs. It is a joy that comes from our
living faith in a living God.
It is the joy we feel as we approach the birth
of our Savior and remember the awesome beauty of what happened on that cold Bethlehem
Rejoice!
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 Week III (Is 24:2-7, 15-17a; Mt
21:23-27)
Playing games
When He had come into the temple area, the
chief priests and the elders of the people approached Him as He was teaching
and said, "By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you
this authority?" (Matthew 21:23)
Reflection
The question of authority always followed
Jesus. Different groups and individuals would try to ask Him difficult
questions to trick Him and make Him look stupid in front of the crowds who
listened to His teaching. It is clear that Jesus derived His authority from an
unshakable inner knowledge of His relationship to the Father. Do we have
confidence in our relationship with God so that we can speak the truth as we
see it? Or do we expect the Church or some other authority to speak for us?
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 Week III (Zep 3:1-2, 9-13; Mt
21:28-32)
Mixed messages
For then I will change
and purify the lips of the people, that they all may call upon the name of the
Lord, to serve Him with one accord. (Zephaniah 3:9)
Reflection
Zephaniah’s prophetic
dream of unity seems no closer to reality today than when it was 2500 years
ago. Even though our world enjoys many modern technological advantages over the
world of Zephaniah, it seems that there is not technological "fix"
for the human heart.
"Change" and
"pure lips" require personal conversion. What have I done to promote
"one accord" in the world? No matter how we might view ourselves, all
people are equal in the sight of God. We are all His servants.
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 Week III (Is 45:6c-8, 18, 21c-25; Lk
7:18b-23)
Signs of the
Messiah
Turn to Me and be safe, all you ends of the
earth, for I am God; there is no other! (Isaiah 45:22)
Reflection
We need to be reminded, just like the
Israelite people in the desert who built a golden calf, that it is God who is
God, not the idols we create. It seems that times are more subtle now. People
melting down their jewelry to fashion an idol in a public place is not a common
sight in our day. But we do, as a people, flock to certain places and events as
if they were important: television sets, soap operas, celebrities. Do I live my
day-to-day life as if a supernatural being is my God? Or do I live as if some
earthly pleasure or diversion is? Where is my energy expended? Where is my time
spent? Where do I turn?
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 Week III (Is 54:1-10; Lk 7:24-30)
Can we get real?
Though the mountains leave their place and the
hills be shaken My love shall never leave you nor My covenant of peace be
shaken, says the Lord, who has mercy on you. (Isaiah 54:10)
Reflection
Sometimes we take God’s promises for granted.
We have listened to them so many times that their meaning makes no impact on
us. But consider: "Though the mountains leave their place…" God’s love
is so steadfast; there is no event that could diminish it. There is no action
on our part by which He would consider us unworthy. Have we shared this good
news with anyone lately?
Jesus warns 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 Week III (Is 56:1-3, 6-8; Jn 5:33-36)
Sent by God
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord
has said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with the child
and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel" which means, "God
is with us," When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded
him and took his wife into his home. (Matthew 1:22-24)
Reflection
Joseph’s commitment to Mary and to the child
in her womb caused confusion and pain. He was a devout and honorable man,
determined to do what was right. He trusted what he heard God say in his dream
and obeyed the command of the angel.
In our own lives our commitment to Jesus can cause discomfort, confusion, even pain. We must depend on God as did Mary and Joseph.
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.
December 17 (Gn 49:2, 8-10; Mt 1:17)
The Jesus of
history
But the angel said to him, "Do not be
afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will
bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of (the)
Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the
Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children
of Israel
Reflection
Luke tells the beautiful story of John the
Baptist who came to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. Have I
"prepared the way" in the heart of a loved one or acquaintance for
Jesus’ coming? Have I been a "John?"
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.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
What message do
we hear?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this
sign: the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and shall name him
Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the
way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you
seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, He is coming,
says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)
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 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
There is a wall of flesh before the eyes of
John, who yet perceives and hails his King. It is Our Lady's painful bliss to
bring before mankind the Glory of the skies. Her cousin feels her womb's sweet
burden rise and leap with joy, and she comes forth to sing, with trembling
mouth, her words of welcoming. She knows her hidden God, and prophesies.
Reflection
What did St. Zechariah, father of John the
Baptist, learn during his nine months of silence?
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
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent
from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth
Reflection
What should Christians look like to the world
in which we live? How could other people know by our words and actions that we
are followers of Christ? What should make us distinctive and stand out from
non-Christians? How can we be the light of the world and the salt of the earth
as our Lord says we should be?
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
The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty
Savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in His love, He
will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. (Zephaniah 3:17)
Reflection
The reading from Zephaniah expresses in poetic
language the boundless love God has for each of us. In some translations the
words say "God will exult over you!" It is surely God’s desire that
someday we will all be with Him in heaven. No matter what happened before, God
is ready each moment to show us this love. The words of Zephaniah and our
celebration of Christmas should bring us to a deeper awareness of how profound
is God’s love for us.
Our thoughts turn to
Mary today. How could they not as she prepares for the birth of Our Saviour?
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
And Mary said, "My soul proclaims the
greatness of the Lord: my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has looked
upon His handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me
blessed." (Luke 1:46)
Reflection
Mary says that she is lowly, and also that all
will call her blessed. How can both of these things be true? Mary’s lowliness
was transformed by her faith in God’s promise as given to her by the angel.
Through this faith she became the most exalted of God’s servants. Do we let God
work with and transform our lives? Or, do we use our own "lowliness"
as an excuse for inaction? Christmas is a beautiful time for re-inviting God
into our lives and letting His power transform the ordinary into the
extraordinary.
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
Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the
way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you
seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, He is coming,
says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)
Reflection
For children, these last days of waiting are
probably the hardest. The goal is in sight now, but it is still far enough away
to make the wait seem endless.
When we are grown, waiting for Christmas is
not a major problem. Nevertheless, as the day approaches even grownups feel the
urgency in the air. As we anticipate the celebration of Christmas, let us look
around us. Are those around us anticipating joy and happiness or loneliness and
depression?
For Elizabeth
Christmas Eve
Waiting is over
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He
has visited and brought redemption to His people. (Luke 1:68)
Reflection
As soon as Jesus was born, visitors began to
come. First it was the shepherds. Then the wise men. Then Simeon and Anna. Then
even the soldiers of Herod were sent to find Him. Together these visitors
represent the people of every nation, coming by every possible path and
conveyance to see Christ. These words of Zechariah’s Canticle, cited
above, remind us that it was impossible to contain God in heaven. Through Jesus,
He "visited" and "brought redemption" to us. He continues
through Jesus and through us to dwell in our world today. When people look at
us, do they think of Jesus?
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
"The Word became Flesh and made His
dwelling among us, and we have seen His glory: The glory of an only Son coming
from the Father, filled with enduring love." (John 1:14)
The actual date of Christ’s birth is unknown.
The Gospels do not record it and there is not any early tradition to identify
it. Scholars identify the approximate year as sometime between 8 - 5 BC and the
season as probably early spring. The feast day was placed where it was, in all
likelihood, to supplant the practice of the winter solstice festival among
pagan converts by pointing to Christ as the true light who comes into the
world. The Western
Church
The word Christmas was derived from the Old
English Cristes Maesse or "Mass of Christmas." Over the
centuries it has become a comprehensive word including both the religious
traditions and the secular traditions.
In North America ,
the early immigrants brought their different Christmas traditions. The Germans
brought the Christmas tree, the Irish contributed the lights in windows of
homes, Catholic immigrants brought Midnight Mass and everyone had their own
Christmas carols.
