Scripture:
Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:10-18
Reflection:
For your meditation this weekend, do not miss the importance of God preparing within you the “birthing” of his Son. We are other Christs and nothing less. This time is deliberate preparation for Christ being reborn in you and through you. Reading the signs of the times, as Scripture urges us, and one of the Prefaces reminds us, directs the purpose of Christ presence within us. Take time to think about that.
That birthing is modeled by our blessed Mother in the birthing the Son of God and continuing to nurture him into adulthood. Do not miss God dwelling within you these days. Do not miss the importance of Advent. Do not miss the message that unfolds during this journey towards the birthing of Christ within each of us for the sake of people who live around us.
This weekend, we celebrate the presence of our Blessed Mother in her apparition to St. Juan Diego, amidst the massacre of a whole people. The signs of the times in the 16th Century centered around world domination by a “super-power” of the day. Namely, Spain which hungered for gold and domination. Genocide of the native peoples of Mexico, as it would come to be known, was tragically being played out in the conquering of the land. The heart of Mary for the poor, especially children, would be nurtured into the heart of her Son. “Bring the little ones to me.” The heart of Jesus would be for the poorest of His Creation.
That is the priority of the heart which is being reborn in us this Advent.
It is easy to miss it. It is so easy to get caught up in the deadlines of Christmas. We are preparing, first and foremost in this sacred season of Advent, for Christ, to enter and dwell with us, which is divinity within our humanity. Ponder that the rest of Advent. What are the implications of accepting the divinity of God within our person, body and soul? Christmas sends our all kinds of messages that we are called. Try to discover them in your prayer, contemplation and reading the signs of the times.
Speaking of reading the signs of the times. I observed through the communal celebration of the Sacrament of Penance for a Catholic grade school, that many children were confessing that they were “missing Mass on Sunday.” I pointed out to each, “so was it your fault you could not get here?” I made my point, I think. It was not their sin to own.
We are living in “mission times.” Let’s not be afraid the address the heart of the issue. It is up to all of us.
Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P., is a member of the Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.