Tag Archives: advent

Living the Dream Like Joseph Reply

by • Advent, Liturgical Logic • Tags: , , ,

A reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Cycle A

Joseph of Nazareth

Joseph, an ordinary man, can’t be all that different from you and me, even if God made him the Dad of Jesus.

If you’re like me, or most people for that matter, you’ve got a lot to do three days before Christmas.

You want to enjoy Christmas – the way it’s meant to be enjoyed – with deep and abiding peace, love, and joy. So it makes good sense that you’d be down on yourself if some little thing caused you to FREAK OUT NOW and lose your last days of Advent cool.

That’s why we can’t but admire character of Joseph. More…

Unlikely Icons of Advent Reply

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Today’s first reading presents a story from the Book of Judges that parallels St. Luke’s  narrative of the Annunciation and Incarnation of Jesus Christ — the story of Samuel.

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Israel’s Judges were “warrior-prophets” who rose up and delivered their people from their enemies, kind of like Braveheart.

The implication of pairing this passage from Judges with the Announcement of John the Baptist’s birth in today’s Gospel reading is that both of these figures point forward to the Coming of Christ. The fact that both stories bear strong similarities with the Archangel’s Annunciation to the Virgin Mary also suggest that, in some way, Samuel is what we call a type of Christ, which is problematic, given Samuel’s checkered past.

 What are we to make of this? More…

Advent Vitamins Reply

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O Advent, thou season of preparation!

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Advent began this year on December 1.

Maybe you’re feeling a bit down, because you missed it.

Or maybe you’re too bogged down in worldly affairs this “Holiday Season,” and you just aren’t feeling it yet.

Maybe You even forgot to be joyful on Gaudete Sunday. Not what you hoped it would be?

Buck up! Even Scrooge caught the spirit in the eleventh hour, and so can you. Need a boost? More…

Silent Themes of Advent 1

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For Gaudete Sunday and Third Week of Advent

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“Rorate caeli de super et nubes pluant iustum” The Sacred Hymn “Rorate Caeli” translates, “Let dew come down from heaven above, and the clouds rain down justice.” (Isaiah 45:8)

What comes to your mind when you think of Advent?

Hope, patience, waiting, expectation, preparation, peace and love, and of course, Christmas are the most common Advent memes. The idea is to reflect, pray, and live these virtues to prepare for our Lord’s coming, at Christmas.

Now, what about vindication? More…

Advent Tip: Reach Out 1

by • Advent, Spiritual Lights (Fr Jason Smith) • Tags: , ,

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The world is smaller. We travel great distances easily; social media connects us; we know immediately everything that is going on. Yet, paradoxically, many people feel more lonely than ever.

Mary, after the Annunciation, teaches us a valuable lesson. She traveled through the hill county to bring the good news to Elizabeth, not an easy journey for anyone, especially a young pregnant girl. The joy and light of Christ needs to be shared.

It might be a good idea to stop and ask ourselves, More…

Advent Tip: Finding God’s Will 3

by • Advent, Spiritual Lights (Fr Jason Smith) • Tags: ,

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Perhaps it’s the winter storm of ice and snow that’s turned my thoughts to the insightful and inspiring story of Fr Walter Ciszek, SJ. He wrote, “With God in Russia” and “He Leadeth Me”, documenting his spiritual journey during his 23 years in solitary confinement and in the labor camps of communist Russia after World War II. It was his utter reliance on God’s will that enabled him to endure.

His insight is brief and profoundly life changing: Don’t look for God’s will as something “out there” for you to obtain; rather, see the circumstances, people, everyday events, as it is presented today, as God’s will.

He writes, More…

Advent Tip: Your Soul is the Manger 8

by • Advent, Spiritual Lights (Fr Jason Smith) • Tags: , , ,

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There are many profound reasons why the newborn Jesus was laid in a manger, or better said, a feeding trough. It shows that right from the first moment of his life he is the bread of life, giving himself to us as food. Even the name Bethlehem means, “house of bread”. It also shows that Jesus has embraced poverty and so he identifies with all the poor of the world. It also shows that he is not afraid of humbling himself in order to dwell in an imperfect place. More…

Advent Tip: Life Itself is an Advent 2

by • Advent, Spiritual Lights (Fr Jason Smith) • Tags: , , ,

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We all have an inner discontent that we feel, an inner thirst, an expectation of fullness that we haven’t yet achieved, a yearning and a longing for something. Remarkably, no matter how much we have or experience, no matter how good, never fully satisfies our thirst. We shouldn’t be afraid of this inner angst; rather, it’s good to recognize and embrace it, and recall that life itself has an advent dimension to it. Part of life is a longing for God to act. We are made for God and so we yearn for him. But we need to More…

Advent Tip: Who Is My John the Baptist? 4

by • Advent, Spiritual Lights (Fr Jason Smith) • Tags: ,

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John the Baptist is a prominent figure during the Advent season. We see him announcing the coming of the Messiah along the banks of the Jordan, washing people in baptism, and not holding back any words in calling people to conversion.

I believe God sends John the Baptists into our lives. People, places, circumstances, events, moments that remind us: Jesus is here, Jesus is coming, Jesus lives. More…

Advent Tip: We’re Expecting More Than Christmas 1

by • Advent, Spiritual Lights (Fr Jason Smith) • Tags: , , ,

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If we’ve been living Advent with interest, we’ve probably prepared the nativity scene (minus the Christ child), prepared Advent candles, listened attentively to the readings and beautiful liturgical prayers at Mass, and perhaps taken a little extra time for spiritual reading and retreat, in order to prepare ourselves to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas.

Today’s second Advent tip is simply to More…