Introduction. Advent 2011 An Amazing Journey. Sr. Janet Schaeffler, OP

Transcription

1 Introduction One of the most common words we hear in, around, and about Advent is waiting. Why? What are we waiting for? Our world surrounds us with the message that there are many things to do and a great many things to buy before Christmas arrives. There s not much time left, the world tells us, so there s no time to wait. Get busy! The Church, on the other hand, gives us Advent and tells us it s about waiting. It reminds us that we are waiting and preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus. We remember how the world waited for the first coming of Jesus, the Messiah. We take this time of waiting to slow down and become more aware of how Jesus, our God, comes to us right now, each and every day. That is very true; perhaps the opposite might also be true. Because we know God is always with us for that is what Emmanuel means (God-with-us) perhaps we don t need always to focus on waiting for God. Perhaps this year we might focus on the reality that it is God who waits for us. Is God waiting for you to be the body of Christ in the world? Is God waiting for you to recognize your goodness? Is God waiting for you to pray with the heart of God? What is God waiting for you to do, to be? Amid the busyness of our world, take time with these short reflections, daily practices, and Advent prayers. Have an amazing Advent journey of waiting, especially becoming more aware of how and for what God waits lovingly for you.

2 NOVEMBER 27 First Sunday of Advent Isaiah 63:16b 17, 19b; 64:2 7; 1 Corinthians 1:3 9; Mark 13:33 37 A God is here You do not know when the lord of the house is coming. Mark 13:35 few years ago, Tyler, my six-year-old great-nephew, died suddenly. A couple days before, he said to me, You know, Janet, God is a part of every family. Tyler often expressed practical theological statements from his simple but wise view of the world and God. As his dad said at the funeral liturgy, Tyler had a comforting understanding about spirituality and many times talked about God, asking us if we knew that he came from God. Tyler s words to me were so true. Families all of us don t need to put God into our lives, because God is already there. It is not our job to pray and do good works so God will come and be with us, so God will love us. God already loves us totally, unconditionally. God is already here; we just need to take the time to become more aware. Sometimes that is hard to do because we live such busy lives. Our job is to slow down and become aware that (in Tyler s words) you know, God is a part of every family; every life. If we live with this realization, we won t need to be concerned with the admonition in today s gospel. We will be awake and ready. Daily Practice Start or deepen a specific prayer ritual, an intentional time for prayer, during your day. This designated time, and a particular type of prayer you enjoy, can set the atmosphere for your day: recognizing all the ways God is with you. Ever-present God, thank you for the wondrous ways you are a part of every corner of my life. Help me to be more and more awake to your constant overwhelming presence, a sign of such gracious love!

3 NOVEMBER 28 Monday Isaiah 2:1 5; Matthew 8:5 11 The holiness of the 97% Let us go to the house of the Lord Psalm 122:1 Think of all the roles in your life: daughter, son, friend, sister, brother, spouse, mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandparent, employer, nurse, computer programmer, technician, teacher, artist, library helper, caregiver, volunteer, committee chair, board member the list goes on. This is where we find God. This, too, is the house of the Lord. Most people spend three percent of their week in church. As important as that time is, what about the other ninety-seven percent? Have we given the erroneous impression that the only place we find God is in church? Sometimes I think God and we are like two children playing hideand-seek. God hides in all the ordinary parts of our daily lives. If we decide not to look, imagine all the times and places where we might miss God. In The Color Purple, Shug believes that she and God are a part of everything. She says, Celie, tell the truth, have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did, too. They come to church to share God, not find God. We have to find God somewhere else first: in our everyday lives. Daily Practice your everyday life. Tell someone today where you find God in Everyday God, thank you for your nearness, in each moment, in the ordinary, and in the exciting.

4 NOVEMBER 29 Tuesday Isaiah 11:1 10; Luke 10:21 24 The wonder of you Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. Luke 10:23 People today marvel at so many things. It seems as though we are continually creating new things, innovative technologies, novel inventions that attract our attention, fascination, and constant amazement. Yet what do we see and wonder at when we look at the natural world that surrounds us? And what do we see when we pause and look at ourselves, created lovingly by God? Are we in awe; are we overwhelmed with astonishment by who we are? By all that God has called us to be? Saint Augustine, a doctor of the Church, said: People travel to wonder at the mountains, the sea, and the stars, and pass by themselves without wonderment. Norman Cousins, an American political journalist, author, and world peace advocate, reminds us: Human beings have been able to comprehend everything in the world except their uniqueness. Perhaps it is just as well. If ever we begin to contemplate our own composite wonder, we will lose ourselves in celebration and have time for nothing else. Daily Practice Spend several minutes of silent time today quietly contemplating, gratefully celebrating, and perhaps reflectively writing in your journal about how God sees you when God looks at you with wonder, love, total acceptance. O gracious God of wonder and awe, I give you thanks that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, lovingly created in your image and likeness. May my eyes always see as you see with wonder, with truth, with unconditional love.

5 NOVEMBER 30 Wednesday Romans 10:9 18; Matthew 4:18 22 (St. Andrew, apostle) I Challenged to discipleship they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:20 heard someone say recently that in our world today Jesus doesn t need Jesus doesn t want any more followers. Today Jesus is looking for a body. Jesus is looking for people to be the body of Christ. Today Jesus needs disciples. Perhaps this is also similar to the reality expressed by the bishops gathered at the Second Vatican Council: in the Council documents, they seldom used the word members. Are we members of the Church, of the parish? Is this the right word? You may have cards in your wallet or purse that say you re a member of an organization or a club. Are you committed to them? Do they change who you are? Do they call you to a life of service, outreach? Baptism calls us to a relationship with a person, to a commitment to live as he did, to discipleship, to live a life for others. We begin by learning about Jesus, by following him, but it doesn t end there. We are disciples. Discipleship means that we, too, are the body of Christ, living a life nourishing others, poured out in gift and compassion. Daily Practice How are you being called to be a disciple at this point in your life? What action, small or large, shouts to your world that you are a disciple of Jesus? Today decide on one more. Jesus who calls, thank you for inviting me. I rely on your guidance as I respond to your invitation. I rely on your wisdom as I follow. I rely on your strength as I live as your disciple.