Claire Smith

Scripture:

1 John 2:18-21
John 1:1-18

Reflection:

And the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. John 1:14

Do you remember Christmas?  I know… seems so very long ago.  Even more shocking, do you remember Advent?   So much has happened since we first heard the cry of the Prophet, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”

And now, here we stand on the cliff of the end of 2016.  The New Year is viewed by most as the impetus to take an eraser to their past and resolve to be better people: to repair broken relationships, to restore themselves emotionally, to refresh themselves spiritually, to rebuild themselves physically… an opportunity to just get it right.

In meditating on this thought, I was struck with the realization that we just came from such a time.  We Catholics should have been yelling “Happy New Year” on the First Sunday of Advent.  No, I’m not crazy (no comments!!!) … with Advent starting, we began a new Liturgical Year (Cycle A), with the call to “Prepare, ye, the way.”

Prepare.

If you’re at all like me, you were probably more concerned about the preparations for Christmas. Gifts, cards, decorations, food, parties, planning… Advent calls us to get ready, that’s for sure – but, not gifts or food or parties.  I’m wondering now if my spirit was ready for Christmas.  I wonder if I made the room in the inn of my heart for Jesus to be born?

Emmanuel.  God, with us. As it says in today’s Gospel, “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.”

I think I may have missed the Advent opportunity to sweep out the junk from my life so to make room for a new Bethlehem in my heart. Maybe you also feel the same sense “whoops” that I do.

But there is good news – 2017 starts tomorrow.  We have the chance to create our resolutions anew with a focus on what’s really important. And that’s not all – God gifts us with endless opportunities to come home.  To get it right.  To throw ourselves on the inexhaustible love and mercy of our creator.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation, the daily Eucharist, Lent, Advent… every single breath… all points in time to put a step in a better direction.

To “testify to the true light” by the way we live our lives.

So, friends, what’s your first step?

Dear God of New Years, thank you for the gift of fresh beginnings. Grant us the grace of a broom with which we can sweep away all that keeps us from recognizing and welcoming you into our hearts and lives. And please, help us all never break our resolution to be closer to you. Amen.

Paul Puccinelli is Director of Liturgy & Music at St. Rita Parish in Sierra Madre, California, and a member of the Retreat-Team at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center.

Scripture:

1 John 2:3–11
Luke 2:22-35

Reflection:

… for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 1 John 2:8

Today is the fifth day in the octave of Christmas. The readings remind us of the great gift that has been given to us through the birth of the Christ. In the First Letter of John gives us the message of walking in the way of Christ through the commandments. The two commandments that Christ gave to his Apostles and us; To love God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The message goes on to speak about what it means to walk in the light and what it means to walk in the darkness. Walking in the light requires us to love our “brother” which is not in reference to a sibling but to our next door neighbor, people in our neighborhood, people in our subdivision or living complex. It is in reference to those who live in our city, country and all who live on earth.

 How am I the light of Christ to others?

The Gospel of Luke is about Mary and Joseph taking Jesus up to the temple to offer a sacrifice, which was the custom of the day. They meet Simeon a “righteous and devout” man who also hoped in the promise of a messiah. What a gift he had been given to be able to see the one who would bring salvation to his people and to the world. I have always loved his words:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The one phrase from the above passage that strikes me the most is “a light to reveal you . . .”

This phrase has been a reminder for me about being a light that reveals God to others. It calls me to reflect on how I am growing in my faith. Am I taking time to pray each day or reflect on the daily readings? Do I really listen to Father’s homily on Sunday and be open to how God is calling me to grow in my spiritual life? The winter time offers us an opportunity to sit in silence and the stillness. Just as the trees and plants rest over the winter to prepare for the coming of Spring so too for us it can be a time to relax and reflect on growing in our spiritual life. We can’t be a light if we don’t have the light.

May the coming New Year bring you peace and joy!

Linda Schork is a theology teacher at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

1 John 1:5-2:2
Matthew 2:13-18

Reflection:

Beloved:  This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ and proclaim to you: God is light, and in God there is no darkness at all. 

The darkness that enveloped all of the families who lost innocent children in the massacre ordered by Herod must have been overwhelming!  This passage from the gospel of Matthew paints this sad state of affairs as we read:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
And she would not be consoled,
Since they were no more.”

The tragic end of life for so many innocent children in Bethlehem so long ago continues to happen daily, hourly and in some instances minute by minutes in our families, communities and throughout the world!  Whether these atrocities happen in our neighborhoods, cities, towns, or as far away as Aleppo and other wartorn countries, we feel Rachel’s pain and weep for the lost.  The Herod’s of our time are just as dangerous and in some way even more so than the Herod of Rachel’s time!

Our faith in a God who is light and walks with us through the darkness that can be overwhelming is the hope we carry with us during this Christmas season!  The great gift of that innocent child born in Bethlehem so long ago is the light that will guide us through dark days and nights.  May we embrace this miracle and give thanks for the gift we all have received at Christmas.

May God’s light continue to shine on you during the coming new year!  Christmas Blessings!

Theresa Secord is a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Matthew 10:17-22

Reflection:

With the earlier and earlier onset of Christmas, we easily grow weary of carols on the radio and decorations at home and work. By the time December 26 comes we might already see discarded Christmas trees on the curb or next to dumpsters. Time to move on.

With all the lead time we now take that brings us to Christmas Day, we can lose sight of the fact that the Christmas Season really only begins on Christmas Day. We don’t seem to be eager to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord through to Epiphany and the Feast of the Magi. We’re tired by Christmas Day and choose to focus on the New Year.

I was amused at one Christmas Midnight Mass a few years back when the celebrant wove together into a bizarre narrative the story of Santa Claus and his Reindeer and the Nativity stories of the Gospels. Santa being born in a manger. Angels appearing on a sleigh. He painted all sorts of silly images by melding the two holiday narratives into one.

His point was really well made. The two stories are not the same. The tradition of Santa Claus, now quite devoid of any ties to Saint Nicholas and his generous gifts to the poor and children, has seemingly overtaken the Nativity. The first is about gift giving. The latter is about The Gift. The first is about quickly unwrapping gifts on Christmas Eve or in the morning. The latter is about a Gift that can never really be unwrapped.

On this first day following upon Christmas, perhaps we can gaze upon the Gift and ponder what difference this Gift will make in our lives. Just be still, just be present as the shepherds were. Let’s open our hands and our hearts to receive God’s Gift of Love, the Christ Child. Let’s enjoy this Christmas Season that takes us into the New Year and far beyond.

Robert Hotz was a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and  was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.

Christmas Eve

Scripture:

Isaiah 62:1-5
Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
Matthew 1:1-25 or 1:18-25

Reflection:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”  Matthew 1:26

The other day I was in my room gathering my thoughts for this reflection. My room in the monastery is right next to the entrance of St Agnes Church.  As I looked out my window I saw Santa Claus going in to show his respects to Jesus!  Christmas is all about the greatest gift that God could possibly ever give us, the gift of His Son.  “they shall call His name Immanuel,”   We all have a gift beyond our wildest imagination.  “The surpassing grace of God is upon you.” 2 Cor 9:14 “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!^{” 2 Cor 9:15}   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, Eph 1:3

Job could not understand what God sees in us to be bothered with us.  “What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him,” Job 7:17    But set your heart on us You did!   When God shared with King Solomon His pleasure at the building of the first temple He promised: “My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” 1K 9:3    In other words when people came to the Temple Mont they entered into the loving gaze and very heart of God!  What a wonderful place to pray!   How much more this is true for us in Jesus.   The eyes of God human as well as divine are fixed on us in a loving gaze.    His heart full of ever present fondness is there in the face of a Babe.

Jesus talked of His Body being the new temple.  “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.” Mt 12:6   With His Incarnation a startling intimacy with God is offered to us!  No wonder Mathew’s Gospel begins and ends with the beautiful word Immanuel!   When Jesus comes to us in our humanity He comes to us in an incredible friendly and gentle way.  Now God has a human face, a Thou, someone who palpably is “God with us”.  Christ takes on a closeness and intimacy that the world of the First Testament could not imagine much less grasp!

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

1 Samuel 1:24-28
Luke 1:46-56

Reflection:

Remember back to when we were children and excitedly played “Mother May I”?  Each person was told he / she could take a number of baby or giant steps but could only move if we asked “Mother May I” and Mother replied, “yes, you may”.   Just maybe this was a child’s game which portrayed the power of mothers in our lives.  In each of our families, we all certainly came to know the power and wisdom, care and love of mothers.  They played an essential role in our becoming who we are and how we care for others in our lives.  For those of us whose mothers have been called home by God, Christmas is a particularly important time for remembering them.

Our scriptures for today invite us to be respectful spectators as we witness three mothers responding to God in their lives.  Hannah found herself to be barren but believed with all of her heart that God could accomplish whatever God wished.  She prayed for a child and was blessed with Samuel in her elder years.  She sought God out in her time of anxiety.  She openly and with faith expressed her need for God in her life.  She listened attentively to God speaking to her in the circumstances of her life.  She responded with loving affirmation to God’s action on her behalf.  In gratitude, she dedicated her only son to God and God’s work in this world.  In observing Hannah, we witness a mother of abiding faith who lived in the hope that God’s providence for her life would bear the fruit God intended.  Her son would become a pivotal person in the history of Israel, leading them through a groundbreaking transition from a tribal society to a nation with a monarchy.  In a very real way, this mother’s prayer, her faith and her strength would bring about a watershed moment in human and faith history.

In Luke’s gospel, we are privy to an intimate moment when two mothers express their overwhelming awareness of God’s goodness and love for them.  We reverently stand beside Mary and Elizabeth, listening to Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s greeting.  Elizabeth had all but given up hope of becoming a mother when God intervened and made possible what everyone else considered impossible.   She would bear a son, naming him John.  Like Hannah, Elizabeth would know in the depths of her heart that there was something special about her son.  In faith and with great strength of character, she would dedicate him to the Lord and the Lord’s design for him.  Her son would be a decisive force in human and faith history as well.  He would be “Elijah”, returning to announce the advent of the Messianic Age.  Prepare the way of the Lord.  The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world is here.  God has fulfilled the divine pledge to save us.  This mother’s son would spell the end of one era and the beginning of the final era.

The final mother in our watching and listening is Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus.  We remember with some awe her deep faith, her living in hope even in the midst of unanswered questions, her attentive listening to God’s voice in her life, her profound humility before the glory of the Lord, and her overwhelming gratitude for God’s presence in her life, for God’s activity on her behalf, and for God’s ongoing Providence for her and her Son.  She is so thoroughly open to the Word of God in her life that the Word literally becomes flesh in her womb.  We are privy to this intimate moment as Mary stands before Elizabeth to offer the most profound prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God.  When her Son became flesh, human and faith history took a decisive, once and for all time turn.  The transition from darkness to light, from chains of sin to the freedom of God’s children, from brokenness to wholeness, from death to life is accomplished for all time.  God has fulfilled the divine promise to come and save us.

Our Advent scriptures today invite us to pay close attention to the power of mothers in our lives.  Certainly, our own mothers have a special place in our memories and hearts.  Today we are reminded of three scriptural mothers whose faith, hope, trust, strength and perseverance helped form who their sons would become.  In so doing, they continue to inspire us in our faith journeys on the way to our celebration of the Lord’s birth.

Fr. Richard Burke, CP, is a member of St. Paul of the Cross Province.  He lives at St. Ann’s Monastery in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Scripture:

Isaiah 7: 10-14
Luke 1: 26-38

Reflection:

Would you be willing to tempt the Lord?  In our reading from Isaiah today it is clear that Ahaz, the king of Israel, is not willing to do so.  After Isaiah tells him, “Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!”  Ahaz responds, “I will not ask!  I will not tempt the Lord!”  Perhaps Ahaz responded this way because he felt unworthy to test God’s love for Israel.  But, it seems that Isaiah interpreted his unwillingness to ask for a sign of his lack of faith in God’s faithfulness to Israel.  So, Isaiah tells Ahaz that the Lord himself will give a sign, “A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel.”

In the Gospel from Luke today, we hear of the fulfillment of that promise.  The angel comes to Mary and asks her to be the Mother of the Messiah.  Clearly, Mary is puzzled by this request and asks the angel, “How can this be?”  But, unlike Ahaz, Mary doesn’t let her lack of total understanding of what this might mean, keep her from responding to the request with her, “Let it be done to me according to your word.”  In other words, “Yes, I will do as you ask!”  It seems that Mary is able to say “yes” to the angel, precisely because she trusted in God’s faithfulness to her.

So, in today’s reading we are presented with this wonderful contrast between Ahaz, not trusting and so not able to respond positively, and Mary, trusting in God and so able to give her whole hearted “yes” to God’s plan for our salvation.  Where are we in this spectrum?  Are we able to trust in the Lord’s faithfulness to us, or do we find ourselves reluctant to risk trusting in God?  Wherever we are, the good news is that God remains faithful to us always, even when we are not so sure!

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P., is the director of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.