Claire Smith

Scripture:

Isaiah 40:25-31
Matthew 11:28-30

Reflection:

During Advent, the Prophet Isaiah takes center stage in the Old Testament. He is, in a real sense, the Advent Prophet. Today’s first reading is a lovely example of Advent preparation.

By way of background, the Book of Isaiah focuses on the Babylonian exile of the Jews, which began in 586 BC, when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and enslaved the Jews for more than 50 years.

Isaiah had warned the Jews of God’s judgment if the people were to continue placing their trust in secular rulers rather than God. They continued to disobey. Consequently, Babylon became God’s instrument of punishment against Judah.

Chapters 40-55, (Second Isaiah), which are most quoted passages during Advent, include today’s reading. These are words of encouragement, meant to lift up the promise of redemption for a people experiencing their harsh judgment.

God, through Isaiah, inspires the dejected Jews to take heart. The end of their exile is near. “Those who wait for God will renew their strength and will mount up with wings like eagles (27-31)

These verses call the exile to faith in the midst of defeat and servitude.

“He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound. Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”

The day is coming when they will return home, home to Jerusalem.

We, too, as with the Jewish exiles, await the coming of the Lord. In fact, we look forward to three Advents — in the historical past, in the present, and the future.

The first coming is the one that happened more than 2,024 years ago in Bethlehem. The second Advent is the one for which we prepare our hearts and souls to receive the Lord now.

The third coming will take place at the end of the age, when God will call us home, in a new heaven and new earth

We are a people in the in between time, between the past and the future. Now is when we lift our voices to sing the Advent anthem — “O Come, O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here.”

Now is the time for us to prepare for the coming through prayer, quiet reading and meditation on the Scriptures, and in silent, anticipatory contemplation.

And just as importantly, we are to prepare by caring for one another, lifting one another’s spirits and hope — as in the words of yesterday’s reading In Isaiah called us to do: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says the Lord.”

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Isaiah 40:1-11
Matthew 18:12-14

Reflection:

My recent retreat experience happened to coincide with reading a powerful book (I highly recommend Richard Gaillardetz’ While I Breathe, I Hope: A Mystagogy of Dying). Theycombined to challenge me to look at all the ways I identify myself and see how many of them will die when I die.

As scripture tells us: “All flesh is grass, and all their glory like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts.” Does that mean the grass and flowers are not magnificent and life-giving? Of course not. They are good and necessary, but they aren’t eternal. As we entered fall, I watched as the grass gave up its green color, the flowers faded away, and the magnificently colored leaves fell to the ground in brown piles.

Likewise, my earthly life will end. My body will wither and fade away. My accomplishments will slide into the past. My life and love will remain within those I love as memories (hopefully fond, helpful ones!) Yet all of my possessions, accomplishments, outer appearance, and roles will die.

When I cling too much to my self-identity, even my identification as a loving and healing person, I can get offended, hurt, and angry when someone challenges or denies that identity. When I cling too much to my accomplishments, I get discouraged when someone else accomplishes more or else I assume I’m not worthy of love unless my accomplishments top the heap. When I cling too much to my bodily appearance or believe I must meet a certain standard of beauty, I am embarrassed by my increasingly sagging skin, ever-forming wrinkles, grey hairs, and changes that age brings.

It’s human nature to want to carefully craft one’s identity in the world, insist that everyone else agree with that identity, and hang onto it tightly. But it will all die when I die. What will not die? The radiant core of my true identity – my identity with Christ in God – the Spirit living inside of me – the little slice of the Divine that incarnated itself in my fleshy body – the eternal love that sets me free. In other words, what we call the soul. That’s the only thing that ultimately lasts.

So, this Advent, my focus is the incarnation – both the wondrous incarnation of the eternal God in the person of Jesus, and also God’s in-dwelling presence within me. I’m trying to let go of my deep attachment to the externals of myself and my life. I’m trying to spend at least as much attention on my inner being, my soul, and my identity in God as I spend on the external things that will die when I die.

What about you? With what external aspects of your body and life are you too deeply attached? To what do you cling even though it will die when you die? How can you re-focus your prime attention so you can give more of yourself to the things that last, to your eternal soul and your identity with Christ in God? If we can all do that, God’s love is free to shine through us into this world. Then we, too, can lives as Jesus did and participate in bringing the Reign of God to this earth.

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she has partnered with the Passionists.  Visit Amy’s website: http://www.corgenius.com/.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Scripture:

Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Luke 1:26-38

Reflection:

Mary, Conceived Without Sin, Pray for Us Who Have Recourse to Thee

Have you ever felt your daily world was just not meshing with the world around you?

I walked through crowded downtown Manhattan this Advent day. The streets are crowded with holiday shoppers and explorers. I knew my world was different. Everyone was stopping to talk, admiring this or that, laughing. I was on a mission and being greatly delayed. No straight paths that Isaias promised to speed us along.

I am grieving with a dear friend whose baby was due three days ago, but a month before being born the baby died. He was beautiful, perfectly formed and ready to live, but no. Now all the things of Advent that she could identify with – the waiting and good anticipation, hopes and so, so much more, will not come to pass. There is the world of Advent so beautiful that promises our darkness will be overcome. For my friend who grieves there is only darkness, a world made even darker by failed promises.

We celebrate the Immaculate Conception today. This may be ‘Push Over Mary Monday’, but the beautiful readings for this second Monday of Advent remind us that Mary shares with Jesus this work of Salvation. There could be no better readings than those of this Advent day to accompany the ones for the Immaculate Conception.

Isaias says the deadest desert will provide the most beautiful bouquets. From what we dread, even our cherished neuroses that friends cannot cure, we will find comfort, joy and gladness, sorrow will flee. We will know the impossible is possible with God.

And the hope of a paralyzed friend whom we carry pushes us to new heights of creativity, or at least to the rooftop of the house where Jesus preaches. How could we have done such a thing? When it was over, we five, sat and laughed ourselves silly from the miracle we were part of. Even our promise and plans to repair a damaged roof made us laugh all the more.

Mary is our new Eve. Our first Eve and Adam were just like you and I. The apple doesn’t fall from the tree. So, then we are also just like them. All that God made was good, of course. Only Eve and Adam didn’t do what Mary did. Mary said, “I am yours, Lord. I will do anything for you. I say, ‘yes’. May I do what you desire’”. Mary is so pure. Mary is created without that inherited likeness to Eve. She is given the same opportunity as Eve – sinless and new – a daughter of Eve by God’s gift is sinless. And Mary will say, “Yes, your will be done”. How Eve must have cried for joy after sharing her tears for every other daughter who followed their first mother, placing themselves as more important when it came to saying ‘your will be done’. Some made Eve proud, given the family history, but none could do it on their own. And Mary, pure without sin, is one with her Son on Calvary, united with that openness to the Father’s will. Jesus one with Mary, the Word made flesh; Mary one with Jesus doing the Father’s will.

Your ‘yes’ is light in our world. We need a savior, and your ‘yes’ has brought Jesus into our world. Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Fr. William Murphy, CP is a member of Immaculate Conception Community in Jamaica, New York.