The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing... (Isaiah 9)
May the the light of Christ surround you and those you love in this Christmas season and give you reason to rejoice at the coming of our Lord!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Fourth Week in Advent
Within Our Reach: Joy
— by Fra Giovanni Giocondo
Fra Giovanni Giocondo (c.1435–1515) was a Renaissance pioneer, accomplished as an architect, engineer, antiquary, archaeologist, classical scholar, and Franciscan friar. Today we remember him most for his reassuring letter to Countess Allagia Aldobrandeschi on Christmas Eve, 1513.
I salute you. I am your friend, and my love for you goes deep. There is nothing I can give you which you have not. But there is much, very much, that, while I cannot give it, you can take. No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take heaven! No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present little instant.
Take peace! The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. There is radiance and glory in darkness, could we but see. And to see, we have only to look. I beseech you to look!
Life is so generous a giver. But we, judging its gifts by their covering, cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard. Remove the covering, and you will find beneath it a living splendor, woven of love by wisdom, with power. Welcome it, grasp it, and you touch the angel's hand that brings it to you.
Everything we call a trial, a sorrow or a duty, believe me, that angel's hand is there. The gift is there and the wonder of an overshadowing presence. Your joys, too, be not content with them as joys. They, too, conceal diviner gifts.
Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty beneath its covering, that you will find earth but cloaks your heaven. Courage then to claim it; that is all! But courage you have, and the knowledge that we are pilgrims together, wending through unknown country home.
— by Fra Giovanni Giocondo
Fra Giovanni Giocondo (c.1435–1515) was a Renaissance pioneer, accomplished as an architect, engineer, antiquary, archaeologist, classical scholar, and Franciscan friar. Today we remember him most for his reassuring letter to Countess Allagia Aldobrandeschi on Christmas Eve, 1513.
I salute you. I am your friend, and my love for you goes deep. There is nothing I can give you which you have not. But there is much, very much, that, while I cannot give it, you can take. No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take heaven! No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present little instant.
Take peace! The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. There is radiance and glory in darkness, could we but see. And to see, we have only to look. I beseech you to look!
Life is so generous a giver. But we, judging its gifts by their covering, cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard. Remove the covering, and you will find beneath it a living splendor, woven of love by wisdom, with power. Welcome it, grasp it, and you touch the angel's hand that brings it to you.
Everything we call a trial, a sorrow or a duty, believe me, that angel's hand is there. The gift is there and the wonder of an overshadowing presence. Your joys, too, be not content with them as joys. They, too, conceal diviner gifts.
Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty beneath its covering, that you will find earth but cloaks your heaven. Courage then to claim it; that is all! But courage you have, and the knowledge that we are pilgrims together, wending through unknown country home.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Third Week of Advent
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near. Have no anxiety… (Philippians 4-6). The third week of Advent calls us to be filled with joy - an exceedingly abundant joy that fills our hearts and minds with the peace and love of God. In the midst of the hustle and bustle these final few days of preparing for Christmas, allow some time to take a holy pause and reflect on the deep joy of knowing we are embraced by God’s love and how that love has made a profound difference in our lives.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Second Week of Advent and the Immaculate Conception
Luke 3:1-6 and Luke 1:26-38
The second week of Advent brings together two key figures of the season: John the Baptist and Mary, the Mother of the Savior. John is featured during the second Sunday of Advent as the one “crying out in the desert”; Mary, of course, has a special day honoring her Immaculate Conception. What do they have in common? Both said “yes” to their respective callings to serve God; in fact, they completely surrender their wills to the Father. This is why John is free to make his controversial proclamations in preparing for “the way of the Lord” and why Mary could willingly embrace the responsibilities of pregnancy before she is actually married. Contrast their “yes” with the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the first reading for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. In the end, both John and Mary were obedient to God. Can we allow our Advent journey to lead us to a renewed sense of obedience to God’s invitation? What keeps us from saying “Yes”? This Advent season, may we find our voice and the courage to say “yes” to our calling.
The second week of Advent brings together two key figures of the season: John the Baptist and Mary, the Mother of the Savior. John is featured during the second Sunday of Advent as the one “crying out in the desert”; Mary, of course, has a special day honoring her Immaculate Conception. What do they have in common? Both said “yes” to their respective callings to serve God; in fact, they completely surrender their wills to the Father. This is why John is free to make his controversial proclamations in preparing for “the way of the Lord” and why Mary could willingly embrace the responsibilities of pregnancy before she is actually married. Contrast their “yes” with the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the first reading for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. In the end, both John and Mary were obedient to God. Can we allow our Advent journey to lead us to a renewed sense of obedience to God’s invitation? What keeps us from saying “Yes”? This Advent season, may we find our voice and the courage to say “yes” to our calling.
Monday, December 7, 2009
First Week of Advent
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
The Gospel for the first Sunday of Advent is filled with fearful apocalyptic imagery which may cause one to ask, “What does this have to do with Advent?” The Gospel reminds us that the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes is also the cosmic Christ who will return in glory, bringing about a transformation of the world that is unlike anything humanity has experienced. Our response is to be ready-to “stand erect” and be a people of hope in the midst of the chaos. In a world filled with fear, financial uncertainty, terrorism, and poverty, the challenge of the Gospel is certainly relevant for us now. Advent reminds us that the disciples of the infant are called to wait and witness with vigilance and intention, looking beyond the everyday cares of life to find that glimmer of the Kingdom that Jesus promised.
The Gospel for the first Sunday of Advent is filled with fearful apocalyptic imagery which may cause one to ask, “What does this have to do with Advent?” The Gospel reminds us that the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes is also the cosmic Christ who will return in glory, bringing about a transformation of the world that is unlike anything humanity has experienced. Our response is to be ready-to “stand erect” and be a people of hope in the midst of the chaos. In a world filled with fear, financial uncertainty, terrorism, and poverty, the challenge of the Gospel is certainly relevant for us now. Advent reminds us that the disciples of the infant are called to wait and witness with vigilance and intention, looking beyond the everyday cares of life to find that glimmer of the Kingdom that Jesus promised.
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