Thoughts on New Years Eve

 

New Year’s Eve is special for the Daughters of St. Paul. On this day in 1900, sixteen-year-old James Alberione, the future founder of the Daughters of St. Paul and the Pauline Family, knelt before Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration and prayed for the new century that was unfolding. During his prayer, he heard an invitation from Jesus: “Come to me.”

These three words opened young James to the immensity of God’s love for the world and for him. He knew God was calling him to respond to this love and to spread it with the fastest means the twentieth century would provide. As the new year began, James resolved to follow Jesus more closely, with a renewed purpose, focus, and passion.

What are your dreams for the year ahead? How is God calling you to step forward in your relationship with him and others? It is no coincidence that January 1 is a Holy Day of obligation in the dioceses of the United States and Canada. By attending Mass on the first day of the year (or on New Year’s Eve), we can place ourselves and the coming year in God’s hands. We can ask forgiveness for the sins and mistakes of 2024 and ask for the grace we need in 2025. We can listen attentively to the readings and prayers and note what catches our attention as a possible invitation from the Holy Spirit. Does a word of Scripture touch your heart? Does one of the prayers move you? Have you ever wondered why we do or say something at Mass but never took the time to find out? Now is a great time.

If you need ideas or support for making holy resolutions in the year ahead, keep scrolling—we have a few! And as always, know of our prayers for you before the Blessed Sacrament, especially as we begin our retreat tonight.

In Jesus our Way, Truth, and Life,

Daughters of St. Paul

More thoughts on the Holy Family

 

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Luke 2:41-52

Friends, today’s Gospel tells the familiar story of Mary and Joseph finding twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple. When they find him, they—with understandable exasperation—upbraid him: “Son, why have you done this to us?” But Jesus responds, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” The story conveys a truth that runs sharply counter to our sensibilities: even the most powerful familial emotions must, in the end, give way to mission. Though she felt an enormous pull in the opposite direction, Mary let her son go, allowing him to find his vocation in the temple. Legitimate sentiment devolves into sentimentality precisely when it comes to supersede the call of God.  On a biblical reading, the family is, above all, the forum in which both parents and children are able to discern their missions. It is perfectly good, of course, if deep bonds and rich emotions are cultivated within the family, but those relationships and passions must cede to something that is more fundamental, more enduring, more spiritually focused.  The paradox is this: precisely in the measure that everyone in the family focuses on God’s call for one another, the family becomes more loving and peaceful. Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on the Holy Innocents

 

As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents, we remember the tragic  massacre ordered by King Herod, who sought to destroy the Christ Child.  These innocent children, martyred for Christ, fulfill the prophecy of Jeremiah  and are honored by the Church as the first to lay down their lives for the Savior. Herod’s tyranny stands in stark contrast to the reign of the Immaculate Heart  of Mary, who suffered deeply as she witnessed the suffering of these children.  Her heart, full of grace and sorrow, is a beacon of hope and intercession for  us in times of trial! The Holy Innocents remind us of the purity and sacrifice required in the  battle between good and evil.  In turning to Mary’s Immaculate Heart, we find  guidance, strength, and peace in the face of life’s darkest moments.

In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Christopher P. Wendt International Director Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima

Thoughts on the Holy Family

 Reflection on the Feast of the Holy Family

Our celebration of the Holy Family seems to come so soon after we celebrate the birth and infancy of our Divine Savior! During those days of Advent, we kept looking forward to Emmanuel, Lord and Ruler, King of the Nations, Prince of Peace, the infant in the manger. But now, so soon, we are drawn into the reality of this human life of Jesus: the reality of being part of a human family.

Since our contemplation of the holy family is mostly left to our imagination, we might be tempted to imagine Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the ideal family, unlike us, free from any of the uncertainty and anguish that our own families so often experience. Yet, our gospels present to us a picture of a family that had to deal with their child’s birth while far away from home and family; fleeing for their lives as refugees; the anguish of being parents separated for a time for their dear child. And they knew the pain of having to say goodbye when it was time—as difficult as it may have been. But they also knew the joys and the closeness and celebration of family life as we, too, have known it.

So, perhaps, as we celebrate this feast of the Holy Family, we can still treasure those pictures and scenes of His birth, the joys of sharing this time together, the compassion for those who are without the joys and securities we might now experience—the human reality we share.

 

We can pray that “over all these we will put on love, the bond of perfection, and let the peace of Christ control our hearts,” wherever we might be this day, whatever we may be experiencing as we advance, with Jesus, in wisdom and favor before God.

Len Kraus, S.J.

Thoughts on Boxing Day

 This is an edited blog post that was originally written in 2008 and highlighted each year:

Boxing Day

Today is the day after Christmas. It is a day when kids play with their Christmas presents and parents sleep in and relax, if they are lucky enough to not have to go to work. It's also a day when lots of people return Christmas presents to the stores and exchange them for something else. For still others it has become a day to shop for super discounted items as stores continue to make deals to get rid of their Christmas supplies and overstocked items. For this reason, it is now being called Black Friday #2. But on my calendar it says Boxing Day (Canada). Boxing Day? What is Boxing Day and why is it on my calendar? It also says Kwanzaa on my calendar today, but that is a topic for another day. I did a little research and found out that Boxing Day is celebrated in Great Britain (England), Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It has it's roots going back to the Middle Ages in England and spread to the previously named countries over time. The name derives from the fact that in the early days, servants were required to work on Christmas Day, but were given the next day off. Their employers would give them gift "boxes" on that day (hence, Boxing Day), to thank them for their services. As time went on, people expanded the tradition to include other service people, like doormen, porters, mail carriers, and the like. I think this is possibly where the tradition of giving someone a tip comes from. Tipping is a good idea for a future blog also. Anyway, for whatever reason Boxing Day has continued on as a holiday in these other Anglo-Saxon countries besides ours. I'm not sure why this tradition did not make it to America (although tipping sure did). So that begs the question. Why is it on my calendar? Is it because all calendars sold in America are also sold in Canada where they celebrate Boxing Day? Or is it because there are plenty of Canadians who now reside in the United States? I'm not sure. Hey wait a minute...some calendars also say St. Stephen. What's that? Now this is really getting confusing. St. Stephen's Day is also an English holiday, and a Catholic Feast Day, marking the day that Saint Stephen was martyred by being stoned to death in Jerusalem in 34 or 35 A.D. This is where we get the line "on the feast of Stephen" from the Christmas carol, Good King Wenceslas. If fact, many websites on this topic suggest that St. Stephen's Day was the name of the holiday before it became known as Boxing Day. So there you have it. A history lesson and my thoughts on Boxing Day.

Scott

Thoughts on Christmas

 

We Are Not Alone

God came to us because he wanted to join us on the road, to listen to our story, and to help us realize that we are not walking in circles but moving toward the house of peace and joy. This is the great mystery of Christmas that continues to give us comfort and consolation: we are not alone on our journey. The God of love who gave us life sent his only Son to be with us at all times and in all places, so that we never have to feel lost in our struggles but always can trust that he walks with us. The challenge is to let God be who he wants to be. A part of us clings to our aloneness and does not allow God to touch us where we are most in pain. Often we hide from him precisely those places in ourselves where we feel guilty, ashamed, confused, and lost. Thus we do not give him a chance to be with us where we feel most alone.  Christmas is the renewed invitation not to be afraid and to let him—whose love is greater than our own hearts and minds can comprehend—be our companion. Henri Nouwen

A Christmas Prayer

 

A Prayer

O Lord, How hard it is to accept your way. You come to me as a small, powerless child born away from home. You live for me as a stranger in your own land. You die for me as a criminal outside the walls of the city, rejected by your own people, misunderstood by your friends, and feeling abandoned by your God. As I prepare to celebrate your birth, I am trying to feel loved, accepted, and at home in this world, and I am trying to overcome the feelings of alienation and separation that continue to assail me. But I wonder now if my deep sense of homelessness does not bring me closer to you than my occasional feelings of belonging. Where do I truly celebrate your birth: in a cozy home or in an unfamiliar house, among welcoming friends or among unknown strangers, with feelings of well-being or with feelings of loneliness? I do not have to run away from those experiences that are closest to yours. Just as you do not belong to this world, so I do not belong to this world. Every time I feel this way I have an occasion to be grateful and to embrace you better and taste more fully your joy and peace. Come, Lord Jesus, and be with me where I feel poorest. I trust that this is the place where you will find your manger and bring your light. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen. Henri Nouwen

Fourth Sunday of Advent

 

Luke 1:39-45

Friends, today’s Gospel again tells of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. I’ve always been fascinated by Mary’s “haste” in this story of the Visitation. Upon hearing the message of Gabriel concerning her own pregnancy and that of her cousin, Mary proceeded “in haste” into the hill country of Judah to see Elizabeth.  Why did she go with such speed and purpose? Because she had found her mission, her role in the theo-drama. We are dominated today by the ego-drama in all of its ramifications and implications.  The ego-drama is the play that I’m writing, I’m producing, I’m directing, and I’m starring in. We see this absolutely everywhere in our culture. Freedom of choice reigns supreme; I become the person that I choose to be.  The theo-drama is the great story being told by God, the great play being directed by God. What makes life thrilling is to discover your role in it. This is precisely what has happened to Mary. She has found her role—indeed a climactic role—in the theo-drama, and she wants to conspire with Elizabeth, who has also discovered her role in the same drama. And, like Mary, we have to find our place in God’s story. Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on the Visitation

 

Luke 1:39-45

Friends, today’s Gospel tells the marvelous story of the Visitation. At the Annunciation, the angel had told Mary that the child to be conceived in her would be the new David. With that magnificent prophecy still ringing in her ears, Mary set out to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was married to Zechariah, a temple priest. No first-century Jew would have missed the significance of their residence being in “the hill country of Judah.” That was precisely where David found the ark, the bearer of God’s presence. To that same hill country now comes Mary, the definitive and final Ark of the Covenant.  Elizabeth is the first to proclaim the fullness of the Gospel: “How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”—the Lord, which is to say, the God of Israel. Mary brings God into the world, thus making it, at least in principle, a temple. And then Elizabeth announces that at the sound of Mary’s greeting, “the infant in my womb leaped for joy.” This is the unborn John the Baptist doing his version of David’s dance before the ark of the covenant, his great act of worship of the King. Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on the Fourth Sunday in Advent

 

Reflection for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

On this final Sunday before Christmas our attention is directed to Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, and to Bethlehem, the place of Jesus’ birth. I am reminded of the beautiful creche scene at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church: the baby Jesus lies in the crib with hands outstretched in love and welcome. Those hands reach out to all, especially children who anticipate the joy and gifts of Christmas, and to all those who sing God’s praises in their hearts.

As we imagine the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, we are reminded that each knew that God was with them, “Emmanuel.”  This visitation was rich with joy, faith, and the mystery of the hand of God in their lives. The visit of Mary to Elizabeth is not just a “visit,” it is an unexpected act of love and care, a celebration of God’s promise fulfilled.

It is also a call to trust in God’s providence. They recognize and rejoice in the moving and sometimes hidden ways that God comes—with surprise and challenge. Mary and Elizabeth, at that moment, could not see how this fulfillment of God’s promise would unfold in their lives. Those open arms of the baby Jesus in the creche will again be open on the cross. And John’s leap of joy will find completion as he gives his life in witness to our Savior.

As we approach this blessed Nativity, some of the words from the hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem remind us of the loving truth of our Christmas mystery:

But in this world of sin/where meek souls will receive him still/the dear Christ enters in./ O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.

 

Len Kraus, S.J. 

Thoughts on John the Baptist

 

Luke 1:5-25

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Luke tells us about John the Baptist’s parents. We see with utter clarity that John is a priestly figure. Zechariah, his father, is a temple priest, and Elizabeth, his mother, is a descendant of Aaron, the very first priest. Now flash forward thirty years and see John emerging in the desert. The first question is, “Why is this son of a priest not working in the temple?” And the second is, “Why are the people going out from Jerusalem to commune with him?” The answer to the first is that he is engaging in a prophetic critique of a temple that has gone bad. And the answer to the second is that he is performing the acts of a purified temple priest out in the desert. His baptism was a ritual cleansing and a spur to repent, precisely what a pious Jew would have sought in the temple. And the picture becomes complete when Jesus arrives to be baptized, and John says, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” This is explicitly temple talk. He is saying that the one who is to be sacrificed has arrived. He is the fulfillment of priesthood, temple, and sacrifice. The priestly figure has done his work, and now he fades away. Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on the Christmas Mass

 

Why do so many people go to Mass on Christmas? LISTEN NOW Because no one wants to miss the opportunity to share in the Good News that a Savior has been born for us to save us from our sins. That’s really good news and gives everyone hope. Christmas is the only celebration of the year that has four different sets of prayers and readings for the four different Masses: Christmas Eve Vigil Mass in the early evening; Midnight Mass, or Mass of the Angels; Mass at Dawn, or Mass of the Shepherds; and Mass during the Day, or Mass of the King. One Christmas I was blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas Mass in the cave of the Shepherds in Bethlehem on Christmas Morning. We sang “Joy to the World” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”, and the Gloria from the Missa de Angelis. Unforgettable.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.

More thoughts on hope

 

The Divine Word of Hope

The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown young man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, he asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises. But the promise is hidden in the shoot that sprouts from the stump, a shoot that hardly anyone notices. I remember seeing a film on the human misery and devastation brought by the bomb on Hiroshima. Among all the scenes of terror and despair emerged one image of a man quietly writing a word in calligraphy. All his attention was directed to writing that one word. That image made this gruesome film a hopeful film. Isn’t that what God is doing? Writing the divine word of hope in the midst of our dark world? Henri Nouwen

Thoughts on Authority

 

Third Week of Advent

Matthew 21:23-27

Friends, in today’s Gospel, the chief priests and elders question Jesus: “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?”  The Greek word used for “authority” is most enlightening: exousia. It means, literally, “from the being of.” Jesus speaks with the very exousia of God, and therefore, his words effect what they say. He says, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43), and the dead man comes out of the tomb. He rebukes the wind and says to the sea, “Be still!” (Mark 4:39), and there is calm. And the night before he dies, he takes bread and says, “This is my body” (Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19). And what he says is. Friends, this is the authority of the Church. If we are simply the guardians of one interesting philosophical perspective among many, then we are powerless. If we rely on our own cleverness in argumentation, then we will fail. Our power comes—and this remains a great mystery—only when we speak with the authority of Jesus Christ. Bishop Robert Barron

Third Sunday of Advent

 

In his autobiography Someone with Me, William Kurelek recounts his life in which he suffered from mental illness and from a near-suicide, to his conversion to the Catholic Church. His inspiration to do everything for Christ was an experience (Advent) he had while traveling in the Arizona desert. He was sleeping under a road bridge and was awakened by a man in a long white robe urging him to “Get up, we must look after the sheep.” At that moment the desert seemed flooded with sheep. Kurelek took the figure as Christ.

 

Converting to the Catholic Faith and becoming a man of prayer, he created 160 paintings illustrating the Passion account of St. Matthew. He became Canada’s most popular painter with no interest in the fame his talent brought about. Throughout his life he was most generous in feeding the poor through sales of his paintings.

 

Today, we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, “Rejoice Sunday,” taken from the words of St. Paul in today’s Second Reading: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.”

 

How does the Lord make your life worth living joyfully? Is your kindness known to all?

 

St. Paul continued: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.”

 

And the fruit? “Then the peace of God that surpasses understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

For more details about William Kurelek, see Donald DeMarco’s commentary in the National Catholic Register.

 

ewtn.org

Thoughts on Joy

 

Joy

Joy does not come from positive predictions about the state of the world. It does not depend on the ups and downs of the circumstances of our lives. Joy is based on the spiritual knowledge that, while the world in which we live is shrouded in darkness, God has overcome the world. Jesus says it loudly and clearly: “In the world you will have troubles, but rejoice, I have overcome the world.”  The surprise is not that, unexpectedly, things turn out better than expected. No, the real surprise is that God’s light is more real than all the darkness, that God’s truth is more powerful than all human lies, that God’s love is stronger than death. Henri Nouwen

Thoughts on the Third Sunday of Advent

 

Reflection for Third Sunday in Advent

“What should we do?” (They ask John the Baptist this question as they meet him in the desert—regarding the immanent coming of the redeemer.)

One’s answer to this question could be: to say prayers, go to church, read spiritual materials… John’s answer: whoever has two cloaks should share them with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise. John goes on to give direction to tax collectors and soldiers, telling them not to extort or defraud or take advantage of their positions of power. In other words, to accept and live within the hospitality of God who comes into our midst, to live our daily lives with honesty and generosity and faith.

This Sunday is Gaudete,” Rejoice” Sunday. Today St. Paul says to the Philippians, “Rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all, for then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

The prophet Zephaniah proclaims “The lord, your God, is in your midst. He will rejoice over you with gladness!”  What a beautiful picture of God—rejoicing over us, so happy to be with us—and we so happy to celebrate this time of preparing for a deeper entry of God into our lives. We can rejoice as if God was among us—with grace and strength…because this is the joy of Advent.

Len Kraus, S.J.

Thoughts on Our Lady of Guadalupe

 

Luke 1:26-38 (or Luke 1:39-47)

Friends, today we celebrate the great feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. What followed the apparition of Mary at Tepeyac is one of the most astounding chapters in the history of Christian evangelism. Though Franciscan missionaries had been laboring in Mexico for twenty years, they had made little progress. But within ten years of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe practically the entire Mexican people, nine million strong, had converted to Christianity. Our Lady of Guadalupe had proved a more effective evangelist than Peter, Paul, St. Patrick, and St. Francis Xavier combined! And with that great national conversion, the Aztec practice of human sacrifice came to an end. She had done battle with fallen spirits and had won a culture-changing victory for the God of love. The challenge for us who honor her today is to join the same fight. We must announce to our culture today the truth of the God of Israel, the God of Jesus Christ, the God of nonviolence and forgiving love. And we ought, like Our Lady of Guadalupe, to be bearers of Jesus to a world that needs him more than ever. Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on the Immaculate Conception

 The Immaculate Conception refers to Mary’s preservation from original sin from the very moment of her conception. The formal definition of this dogma was given to the Church by Pope St. Pius IX in 1854:

We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful (Ineffabilis Deus).

This teaching is very much rooted in Scripture, particularly in the event of the Annunciation, as contained in the Gospel of Luke:

And [the angel Gabriel] came to [Mary] and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:28-30).

According to many biblical scholars, what on the surface looks like a simple greeting is much more than that. Greeting Mary with the salutation kaire kecharitomene, the angel communicated to Mary a new name or title. Generally speaking, when one greeted another with kaire (hail), a name or title would often be found in the immediate context. The fact that the angel replaces Mary’s name in the greeting with “full of grace” is significant.

In Hebrew culture, names and name changes tell us something permanent about someone. When you add to this the fact that St. Luke uses the perfect passive participle—kekaritomene literally means “she who has been graced” in a completed sense—we have a profound indication of Mary’s uniquely holy state. This verbal adjective, “graced,” is not just describing a simple past action. Greek has the aorist tense for that. The perfect tense is used to indicate that an action has been completed in the past, resulting in a present state of being. That’s Mary’s name!

So what does it tell us about Mary? Well, the average Christian is not full of grace in a permanent sense (see Phil. 3:8–12). But according to the angel, Mary is. You and I sin, because of a lack of cooperation with grace in our lives. This greeting of the angel is one clue into the unique character and calling of the Mother of God. Although Mary continued to grow in grace and holiness throughout her life, she was at every moment full of grace, with a unique fullness troubled neither by sin nor by the inclination to sin.

It is important for us to recall that New Covenant fulfillments are always more glorious than—perfections of, if you will—their Old Testament types, which are “but a shadow of the good things to come” in the New Covenant (see Heb. 10:1). The fall of Adam and Eve is an excellent example of this. In Genesis 3:15 we find, immediately after the fall of our original parents, God telling Satan about the advent of “the woman” (Mary) and her “seed” (Jesus), who would reverse the curse, as it is said, that Adam and Eve had brought upon humanity through their disobedience:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve are named simply “the man” and “the woman.” When we then look at the New Covenant, Jesus is explicitly referred to as “the man” ( John 19:5) and the “New Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45). And Jesus himself indicates Mary to be the prophetic “woman,” or “New Eve,” of Genesis 3:15, when he refers to his mother as “woman” in John 2:5 and 19:26. As the first Eve brought death to all of her children by heeding the words of the ancient serpent, the “New Eve” brings life and salvation to all of her children through her obedience.

The same “serpent” who deceived the first woman is unable to overcome this New Woman, who takes refuge in God (Rev. 12:1-16). The New Eve overcomes the serpent, and as a result, “the serpent was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God, and bear testimony to Jesus” (Rev. 12:17).

Since she is revealed to be the New Eve, it would be unthinkable for Mary to be conceived with original sin. If she were, she would be inferior to Eve of old, who was created in a perfect state, free from all sin.

from Catholic Answers 

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Second Sunday of Advent

 

Advent 2: To Wait & To Celebrate Waiting is first of all a waiting together. One of the most beautiful passages of Scripture is Luke 1: 39-56, which tells us about Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. What happened when Mary received the words of promise? She went to Elizabeth. Something was happening to Elizabeth as well as to Mary. But how could they live that out? I find the meeting of these two women very moving, because Elizabeth and Mary came together and enabled each other to wait. Mary’s visit made Elizabeth aware of what she was waiting for. The child leapt for joy in her. Mary affirmed Elizabeth’s waiting. And then Elizabeth said to Mary, “Blessed is she who believed that the promise made to her by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1:45). And Mary responded, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord” (Luke 1:46). She burst into joy herself. These two women created space for each other to wait: They affirmed for each other that something was happening worth waiting for. Here we see a model for the Christian community. It is a community of support, celebration, and affirmation in which we can lift up what has already begun in us. The visit of Mary to Elizabeth is one of the Bible’s most beautiful expressions of what it means to form community, to be together, gathered around a promise, affirming what is happening among us.

A brief history of Advent

 

The Catholic History and Tradition of Advent

 

 Advent, derived from the Latin word adventus meaning "coming" or "arrival," is a period of preparation and anticipation in the Catholic Church, marking the beginning of the liturgical year. This season spans four weeks leading up to Christmas and is dedicated to preparing for the birth of Jesus Christ and His second coming.

Historical Origins: The origins of Advent date back to the early Church. Initially, it wasn't directly associated with Christmas but was a time of preparation for the feast of Epiphany, which celebrated Jesus' baptism, the visit of the Magi, and other events. By the 6th century, Advent had become more aligned with the anticipation of Christ's birth. The formalization of this season within the liturgical calendar evolved over the centuries, with Pope Gregory I (590-604 AD) playing a significant role in shaping its structure and focus.

Liturgical Significance: The liturgical color of Advent is purple, symbolizing penance, preparation, and sacrifice. On the third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday, the color rose is used, signifying joy as the faithful draw closer to Christmas. The Advent wreath, a key symbol, comprises four candles arranged on a wreath of evergreen. One candle is lit each Sunday, with three purple candles and one rose candle for Gaudete Sunday. This ritual highlights the themes of hope, love, joy, and peace.

Scriptural Themes: The readings during Advent emphasize the prophetic announcements of Christ's coming, both in the Old Testament and in the Gospels. They focus on themes of vigilance, repentance, and joyful expectation. Key figures such as Isaiah, John the Baptist, and the Virgin Mary are central to Advent reflections.

Modern Traditions: Today, Advent is celebrated with various customs that enhance spiritual readiness. Advent calendars, which count down the days to Christmas, often include scripture passages, prayers, or small gifts. The Jesse Tree tradition traces Jesus' genealogy and recounts salvation history. Many Catholics also partake in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent, seeking spiritual renewal.

Advent's rich history and traditions invite believers to prepare their hearts and minds for the celebration of Christ's birth and to reflect on the ultimate hope of His return. This season encourages a deeper connection with the faith and a renewed commitment to living out the message of the Gospel.

How do you celebrate Advent with your family?

Thoughts for the second Sunday of Advent

Reflection for Second Sunday of Advent



In August 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in which he echoed the dreams and hopes of God, proclaimed by the prophets of our Advent season: all of God’s children gathered and led in glory and joy, accompanied by mercy and justice—all the obstacles to peace removed, and the divisions among us healed and overcome.

 Like both the prophets in our Sunday readings (Baruch and John the Baptist) he realized that he might never live to see all the hopes of God realized. What he foretold in hope was that this Dream that God has revealed to us could be fulfilled through our love and actions—at least in whatever ways our hearts are opened, and our faith is strengthened in our own time of turmoil and confusion.

Our Sunday readings are filled with references to joy and hope. And the secret to this joy and hope lies in our hearts being open to the possibilities in our midst today. If our hearts are turned towards the hopes and dreams of our Savior, then Advent can be celebrated as a time of joy. We pray that through the grace of God we will deepen our awareness of this love and keep the dream alive within us.

The God of history still finds us and comes to meet us—calling us to abound in love for one another and in hope for the fulfillment of the Dream.

Len Kraus, S.J.

Thoughts on hope

 

Hope

When we live with hope we do not get tangled up with concerns for how our wishes will be fulfilled. So, too, our prayers are not directed toward the gift but toward the One who gives it. Ultimately, it is not a question of having a wish come true but of expressing an unlimited faith in the giver of all good things. . . . Hope is based on the premise that the other gives only what is good. Hope includes an openness by which you wait for the promise to come through, even though you never know when, where, or how this might happen. Henri Nouwen

Advent Prayer

 

A prayer for the first week of Advent

Lord of all,
you are a God of plenty, a Lord who provides
for us in our need.
As I begin these early days of Advent
help me to believe that you know what I need.
Give me the courage to listen to your voice
and the freedom
to open my heart to the graces you are
offering me to place my trust in you.

Amen

—via Creighton University

Thoughts on Waiting

Active Waiting Most of us consider waiting as something very passive, a hopeless state determined by events totally out of our hands. The bus is late? We cannot do anything about it, so we have to sit there and just wait. It is not difficult to understand the irritation people feel when somebody says, “Just wait.” Words like that push us into passivity. But there is none of this passivity in Scripture. Those who are waiting are waiting very actively. They know that what they are waiting for is growing from the ground on which they are standing. Right here is a secret for us about waiting. If we wait in the conviction that a seed has been planted and that something has already begun, it changes the way we wait. Active waiting implies being fully present to the moment with the conviction that something is happening where we are and that we want to be present to it. A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, believing that this moment is the moment. 

 Henri Nouwen

The First Sunday of Advent

 

The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year in the Christian calendar and the start of the Advent season, a period of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ at Christmas. Traditionally, this Sunday is associated with themes of hope and expectation.

Hope is the central theme. Christians are called to reflect on the hope that Christ brings into the world, both in His first coming at Bethlehem and in His promised second coming at the end of time. The readings and prayers during this period often focus on the prophecies of the Old Testament, which foretold the coming of the Messiah, and the Gospel messages that urge believers to stay vigilant and prepared for Christ's return.

During the first Sunday of Advent, the lighting of the first candle on the Advent wreath, typically called the "Prophet's Candle" or "Hope Candle," symbolizes this hope. It reminds the faithful of the light of Christ that is coming into a world often darkened by sin and despair.

Advent is also a time for personal reflection and preparation. It's a period for Christians to contemplate their own spiritual readiness and to engage in practices such as prayer, penance, and acts of charity. This season encourages a deepening of faith and a renewed commitment to live according to the teachings of Christ.

The first Sunday of Advent sets the tone for this reflective and hopeful journey towards Christmas, inviting believers to open their hearts to the transformative power of Christ's coming.