ADVENT REFLECTIONS

WHAT DO WE CELEBRATE THIS CHRISTMAS DAY

At Christmas, the God-man, Jesus, enters into human history, humbling himself taking on human nature that we might share in His divine nature now through grace, and forever in heaven face to face with God for all eternity.

We live two parallel lives whether we realize it or not, one temporary in this world and an eternal life in the next. 

Seek and you shall find!  Do I make an effort to find God in prayer, in scripture, and in my daily experiences or do I push God aside and fill my heart with other things? 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. John 1:1-3

In time the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 

And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you…  Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…  Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High  Luke 1:26-27

THE GREATEST EXCHANGE OF GIFTS

At Bethlehem, humanity sees not only God-Made flesh but also receives an invitation to become God-like.  God offers to make men and women by grace what Jesus Christ is by nature,

In exchange for the humanity Jesus takes, the Incarnate Word gives us a share in his divinity.   God is born in time so we can be reborn in eternity.  The Son of God becomes the Son of Man so men and women can become children of the one same Father in heaven.

BEHOLD A GREAT LIGHT SHATTERS THE DARKNESS!

A great light has shattered the darkness of this earth shackled to sin.  Jesus leads us in a new Exodus from sin.  Jesus is that great light! Jesus is the way, the truth, the life. “Jesus spoke to them saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

REFLECTION

 Jesus is the Word made flesh…the Light of the World. Darkness cannot keep out the Light….Are there things hidden in my own life that need the light of Christ….

 The night the Christ Child was born, there was no room in the Inn….Is there room in my heart for the Christ Child…

 Shepherds came and saw, then worshiped and spread the Good News…do I spread the Good News… or Do I hide my light under a bushel

 Mary pondered all these mysteries in her heart…do I ponder the birth of Jesus in my heart…

 What other mysteries do I ponder…

PRAYER

God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh. Make us a people of this light. Make us faithful to your Word, that we may bring your life to the waiting world. Grant this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

PEACE OF CHRIST BE WITH YOU

SILENT NIGHT , HOLY NIGHT ALL IS CALM, ALL IS BRIGHT

 

 

 

 

“the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,

on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen”

Matthew 4:16

COMMENTARY.

As We approach the fourth week of Advent, the birth of Jesus which changed the world forever is ever closer.

One of my favorite metaphors for Jesus is comparing him to LIGHT.  Jesus is the light of the world.  A world so dark with its burdens of sin and disease awaits the one who will lighten our load…

Come to me all you who labor and are burdened…and I will give you rest… Matthew 11:28.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone.  You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing” Isaiah 9:1-2

The first chapter of John’s Gospel describes the role of Jesus, “What came to be through him was life,and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:2-4

“A man named John was sent from God.  He came for testimony, to testify to the light…He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” John 1:4-9

Later in John’s Gospel, Jesus affirms He is that light. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”John 8:12

REFLECTION

Those who choose Light….become children of the Light….and testify to the Light…

 Do I hide my light under a bushel or do I let it shine everywhere, even where inconvenient, in the public square?

 Are there things hidden in my own life that need the light of Christ…

O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here Until the son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

Let us be people of the Light who walk in the Light and give witness to the Light everywhere we go!  AMEN!

 

 

 

 

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins MARK 1:2-5

INTRODUCTION

As we prepare our homes for Christmas guests, decorations, clean carpets etc, what about our Spiritual House? What do we do with the messiness that resides there…anger, resentments, grudges, and habits of sin that stain our souls, cloud our wills, and obstruct God’s intervention.

Let’s not stand in God’s way. Let’s make more room for Jesus this Advent season, brighten up His dwelling place within us, with sanctifying grace. What is the best Spiritual House cleaning tool for this? The Sacrament of Reconciliation!

The evening of His Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his Apostles, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” JOHN 20:21-23

WHOSE SINS YOU FORGIVE
ARE FORGIVEN THEM

We need to be reconciled both to God and our neighbor. It doesn’t matter to the priest how long ago your last confession was. You can’t shock the priest either. The priest has heard it all. Conversion can take place at any time until death but why wait!

Remember the priest, when hearing your confession, is in persona Christi (person of Christ). It is Christ you are confessing your sins. And we know how merciful God is from the many stories from Scripture…the Prodigal Son…The woman at the well…the woman caught in adultery…. And the Good Thief…. This day you will be with me in Paradise

CONFESSING OUR SINS TO A PRIEST

When the priest receives the penitent, he is fulfilling the ministry of the Good Shepherd who seek the lost sheep and the Good Samaritan who binds up the wounds. The priest is the sign and instrument of God’s mercy. Why confess to a priest? Because that is the way Jesus intended with his Apostles and their successors.

God’s salvific ministry carried out in His Son Jesus Christ wanted to show and perpetrate His loving mercy and reconciliation throughout time through the Apostles and their successors

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed James 5:16

One who avails themselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation are told by the Priest/Christ in the words of absolution their sins are forgiven. They receive the comfort, the assurance, and thus feel through their senses the mercy of God.

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR CONFESSION?

We should begin with prayer, placing ourselves in the presence of God, our loving Father. We should review our lives (Examination of Conscience) since our last confession, our thoughts, words and actions that have broken our relationship with God and our neighbor.

A BRIEF EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

Do I attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation?
Do I take God’s name lightly or in anger or in blasphemy?
Do I use profanity especially around my children?
Do I honor and respect my parents?
Have I injured anyone physically or materially?
Have I ever had an abortion or encouraged one
Am I envious, hot-tempered, or prejudiced?
Do I entertain thoughts of revenge, hold grudges?
Lack of patience road rage?
In my marital relationships do I respect my spouse by faithfulness in words and actions?
Do I provide good example to my children in regards virtue of chastity?
Do I watch pornography?
Do I gossip about the faults of others?
Do I forgive others?
Do I judge others?
Am I honest and fair with everyone?
Do I tell lies? Steal property or reputations?
Do I care for and give to the poor and needy?

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CONFESSIONAL
The Priest receives the penitent with a greeting, a sign of the cross and invitation to trust in God’s mercy.

Confession of sins Through the admission of our sins, we look squarely at our relationship with God and our neighbor and open ourselves to be reconciled with God and full communion with His Mystical Body, The Church.

Our act of contrition expresses our sorrow for offending God and our detestation of sin. Our words of contrition express an inward condition to love God and avoid sin in the future.

SAMPLE ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven, and the pains of Hell; but most of all because I love Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen

Prayer of absolution The words of absolution by the priest, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit” and the reply by the penitent, “Amen” The priest may conclude with this prayer, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good” The penitent’s response is, “For His mercy endures forever.

JESUS SEEKS US OUT;

WON’T YOU LET HIM IN!

…When you give Me your sins, you give Me the joy of being your Savior. There is nothing I cannot forgive and heal…Come to Me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and with all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock… I am seeking you every moment of the day…. I THIRST FOR YOU…”
MOTHER TERESE OF CALCUTTA
REFLECTION ON JESUS’ DESIRE TO FORGIVE US

 

ADVENT 2023 BEGINS SUNDAY DECEMBER 3^rd

We begin the first week of Advent, a season of preparation and waiting.  What are we preparing for and what are we waiting for?

Is it a holiday? Is it gifts?  Is it family gatherings? Is it snow?

According to Merriam Webster dictionary the word Advent means “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.”  There isn’t a more “notable” person than Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

WE AWAIT THE ARRIVAL OF JESUS CHRIST!

 Sometimes the secular world has co-opted our feast days like Easter, with Easter Eggs or Christmas with trees, decorations, and black Friday where retailers hope to get out of the red. ….

Other distractions like Shopping Malls, carpet cleaning, parties, decorating…leave many of us exhausted, frustrated, and stressed….

Fortunately, we Christians, have a counter–cultural answer, the Church liturgical Season of Advent. ADVENT IS A TIME OF PRAYER, FASTING, AND ALMSGIVING to become closer to God and ready to receive His Son. In Advent, we ponder the great mystery of the Incarnation.                                         

PRAYER sustains and nurtures our relationship with our triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Prayer is us talking to God and God talking back.  God calls us to prayer. God always initiates and we are brought into God’s presence’

 FASTING assists us in getting our house in order. All of us deal with some areas of servitude and addiction to false gods. By living lives of moderation and temperance, we have more energy to devote to God’s will and purposes in our lives.

ALMSGIVING Jesus was always concerned about the least of our brethren, those who were poor and in need. To be a disciple of Christ, we must pick up our cross and follow Him. Matthew 16:24

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” Romans 5:8 Jesus shares in our humanity that we may share in His Divinity.

Our ancestors waited centuries for the birth of the promised Messiah. Fifteen hundred years before the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, Isaiah prophesied, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, and Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, Isaiah 9:6

The Advent season in its liturgical observance is not only a remembrance of the Incarnation, God becoming flesh, but also anticipatory of God coming at the end of history in the Person of Christ the King who has dominion over everything even the curse of death.

The season of Advent reminds us that history is not complete until the Second Coming of Jesus.  How we deal with time was addressed by Jesus telling us to remain awake and always be prepared.

Are we awake? Are we prepared?  Or Are we like the people of Noah’s time who ignored any calls to repentance even to the time Noah entered the Ark?  Matt. 24:7

 Some of us may shed our earthly bounds before the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of time.  Are we prepared to come to Jesus sooner rather than later?  Or are we like the rich fool storing material goods?

^“This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.  And I’ll say to myself…, Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. ”’

 But God said to him,

 ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? ’This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” Luke 16:18-21

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Matthew 25.1-13

 Be prepared to meet our maker whenever He comes. Advent challenges us to attend to relationships, reach out to the needy, and cherish the gift of human life.

Is our “Spiritual” house cleaned?  Are we ready to greet Jesus right now?  If not, why not? Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation; bring our sins before Christ and seek his forgiveness. Give thanks to the Lord, His mercy endures forever.

Are we ready to journey with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem?  Ready to adore our new born king!

MARANATHA COME LORD JESUS

ADVENT HYMN

Come Lord Jesus,
Come Lord Jesus, do not delay.

Come Lord Jesus, Lighten our darkness
Come Lord Jesus, do not delay.
Come Lord Jesus, Hear our longing
Come Lord Jesus, Source of Justice
Come Lord Jesus, Word of Compassion
Come Lord Jesus, King of Glory
Come Lord Jesus, Morning Star Shining
Come Lord Jesus, Joy of all ages
Come Lord Jesus, Come and save us