Month: December 2018

Inspiring Thoughts

“The liturgy of Advent…helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Instead, it is necessary to understand that the whole of our life must be an ‘advent,’ a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize him as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously.”

St John Paul II

Comfort Comfort O My People

 

As I read the readings for this week, I just kept hearing God speaking words of comfort.  Even the coming of Elijah / John the Baptist would have been words of great comfort to the Jewish people…this long awaited moment.  

I kept thinking of Peter’s denial.  Jesus knew of Peter’s denial, brought it to Peter’s mind, then said now go do what I told you to do…feed my sheep.  Through Peter’s declarations of love, he could reconcile his guilt. Jesus wouldn’t let Peter’s purpose be lost.  He was Rock, and the Church was to be built on rock. Jesus was not about to let evil prevail, in Peter, or through his denial.

Likewise, satan was not going to prevail in the garden.  Eve chose the tree of life, then lost life in her avarice. She would still bear life, but with the stain of her sin.  Mother Mary chose life, and gained salvation through her humility. Her fiat would erase Eve’s (original) sin, restore life, and gain life eternal, through her Son.461B6020-4D0F-48F7-8267-8529F96F161C

Our Creator always reaches out with compassion to his children….evidenced in the Old Testament.  Even though we have done nothing to merit it, He fixes our failures at being faithful.  He does not demand justice, but only contrite love.  The readings this week speak of His comfort.  They are words, as if spoken to a remorseful child, saying everything is going to be alright. I’ve paid for the window you’ve broken.  I’ve taken care of everything.

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Immaculate Conception: just thinking

When a mother and father conceive a child, they rejoice.  The news spreads like wildfire, of this joyous occasion.  The whole family is excited at the prospect of a new child, and who he/she will become.

Can you imagine for a moment how our God must have felt, at the thought of our Blessed Mother, who would say “yes” in the participation, of redeeming His beloved humanity.  What great expectation He must have had at the conception of the Ark of the Covenant, the Theotokos of the Savior of the world.  The conception of Our Lady…in the womb of St Ann, yes, …but so lovingly, ingeniously and wondrously in the mind and heart of the Father.  I just had to say, what an amazing day this is!

Advent Week One: Hope

Advent One candle.jpgThis week, I’m sharing my son’s reflection on Advent.  I came home from Mass on Sunday, and he was sitting at the kitchen table coloring with purpose.  He was excited to tell me that he was making an Advent picture for each week, to put on the refrigerator.  The first week, “Hope”, was completed.  He had colored the entire page black, except for a large (white) triangle in the middle and white bubble letters that formed the word “Hope!”.  Inside the white triangle were a couple blobs of black.  He explained that this was an “abstract” picture of hope.  The black was the darkness in the world that is all around us, and the white represented the Trinity and Hope!.  The black blobs indicated that even when we have hope and the Trinity, sometimes bad things happen and we have to keep fighting for hope.

I thought, wow, he really has thought about this.  I was inspired by his active participation for this beautiful season, and how excited he was about it.  We have a picture for each week on the refrigerator, but we can only see the backs of them.  I have to admit that I’m looking forward to what they reveal, about a little boy’s vision of the anticipation and preparation for the Christ Child.  Hmmm, what is my vision?  Have I yet taken the time to really think about Advent, and what it has to draw me closer to God.

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