christianity
When we trust in the will of God and persevere, we will be saved.
“You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved” (Mt 10:22).
Why are we talking about being hated the day after Christmas? One reason could be that Jesus, this baby whose birth we just celebrated is “the light that shines in the darkness” (Jn 1:5). The very reality of Jesus is that he is the light that exposes darkness, he is the very embodiment of Love that exposes evil and hatred.
St. Stephen, whose feast we celebrate today, and whose death we read about in the first reading from Acts, experiences his words personally. For he is killed for the sole purpose of speaking the Gospel. While during his persecution he sees and communicates how even the heavens open for him. The reaction to those who hear his words are infuriation and they then throw him out of the city and “stone him” (cf. Acts 7:54-59).
Stephen radiated the light, love, and wisdom of Jesus and like Jesus he was put to death. His persecutors felt threatened by the light instead of welcomed to let go of the darkness that held them bound. Jesus exposes the truth of those dark places within our own hearts, minds, and the very depth of our being as well. What is our response? Will we also reject the light, not aware that it is an invitation to healing and to wholeness?
We may wince at the luminous brightness of Jesus’ light and resist the intimacy of the love he seeks to share. We may unconsciously do so, because we have so often faced so much of the opposite; hurt, pain, betrayal, and lack of understanding or acceptance, that we assume a defensive crouch is best to protect our false sense of self, when in fact that is just what we are invited to let go of. As time passes and we keep to the shadows, we risk becoming ingrained in our fear and pride and our posture of protecting our ego.
Yet, to be fully alive, we need to embrace the light, not hide from it. When we are open to the healing touch of Jesus and receive the gift of his light in our lives, we begin to die to our false self and the lies that we have believed. Allowing ourselves to breathe and rest in God’s loving presence helps us to heal, indentify, and allow Jesus to transform our vice to virtue. Once we allow ourselves to be loved by Jesus, we begin to recognize that we are turned in upon ourselves, and then we can adjust our posture and begin to open ourselves to him. We also begin to recognize that we are not the center of the universe.
As we follow the model of John the Baptist, St. Stephen, the other saints, we become less so that Jesus becomes more in our lives. We too will face the same rejection that Jesus faced. We will be labeled crazy, out of step, simple-minded, irrational, and worse. Yet we are to resist returning to a defensive posture, to refuse to react in kind, but instead, to be present, call upon and trust in the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak, and allow God to happen. We are to remain open, accepting of the person where they are and as they are, and share the same transformative mercy, love, and forgiveness of Jesus that we have received from our attacker.
Change, maturation, and growth are not easy. As disciples, we are to be disciplined and persevere, while at the same time remember that our redemption does not come from our own doing or willing it to be so on our efforts alone. Our healing, restoration, and transformation come first and foremost from a willingness to accept the invitation to experience a deepening of our relationship with Jesus. When we accept his invitation to walk with him, and trust him, we will receive the healing salve of his love, mercy, and forgiveness. We will then heal from and let go of our biases, prejudices, hatred, and selfishness.
Transformation is not a one-time event. Christmas is not just a day, it is not just a season. Christmas is a time when we can recommit to allowing Jesus to enter into and to transform our lives each and every day, each and every moment, with each and every decision. When we are tempted in any way, let us call on the name of Jesus, trust in him, take a few deep breaths, and we will better be able to resist that which seeks to divert us.
In becoming human, Jesus lived showing us that this life was not all there is. The fullness of our lives are to be lived in and for God his Father. When we, like, Jesus, Stephen, and the saints, trust and obey God’s will, no matter where that will lead, we will be transformed, whole, and more alive than we can ever imagine, in this life and the next.
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Photo: St Stephen the Protomartyr – icon by Theophili Saint Stephen, pray for us!
Link for today’s Mass readings for Thursday, December 26, 2024
“Blessed are you who believe.”
If you attend Mass daily or pray with the daily Mass readings, you may wonder, “Didn’t I just hear or read this account?” You would be correct, as this was the same Gospel reading as Saturday morning’s daily Mass. The difference comes in with the other readings.
The first reading from Micah may seem a bit obscure and we might be moved to question what does this have to do with getting ready for the coming of Jesus? Bethlehem would be our first clue. Bethlehem is the city of the birth of David. Micah shared that, “from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:1). Micah is prophesying that the messiah will be no mere shadow of David, nor a mighty judge like Samson. This one has his origins “from of old”, beyond time. This messiah will be God with us. Both Matthew and Luke pick up on this in their nativity accounts (Matthew 2:1-2 and Luke 2:4-20) that we will read on Christmas.
So what about Ephrathah? Jews from the time of Jacob until those practicing today would pick up the reference to Ephrathah right away as being the burial place of Rachel the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, and beloved wife of Jacob. Though not the birth mother of the twelve sons of Jacob, Rachel was considered the matriarch, the mother of Israel. Jacob’s name, after wrestling with the Lord all night, was changed to Israel.
Echoes of Rachel being the mother of Israel also arose from the prophet Jeremiah when he wrote of her by name as weeping over her the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. And yet, God sends comforting words through the prophet: “There is hope for your future – oracle of the LORD – your children shall return to your own territory” (Jeremiah 31:15-17).
We can see with the early Church Fathers that David was the premier king of Israel while at the same time he was foreshadowing Jesus the one “from of old” as Micah predicted. Rachel is a foreshadowing of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the mother of the Twelve Apostles, the fulfillment of the gathering in of the lost twelve tribes of Israel and the mother of the Church. She, like Rachel, would also suffer at the death of her children, but also be the intercessor for them through her suffering.
Mary is the new Rachel and also the new Eve because Mary’s obedience unties the knots of Eve’s disobedience. As we learned in the second reading to the Hebrews, God has no pleasure in sacrifice but takes pleasure in those doing his will. God delights not sacrifice but obedience. Mary, before becoming the mother of the Messiah, the mother of God, was obedient with her “yes” at the Annunciation. As Jesus said, the one who does the will of his Father was his mother (cf. Matthew 12:46-50). Who followed the will of the Father better than Mary?
Very soon after her “yes”, and the conception of Jesus in her womb, Mary went in haste to see Elizabeth. Each celebrating the gift of new life in each of their wombs. And how is Mary greeted by her elder cousin? With reverence, which was unheard of. The youth revered the elder family members during Jesus’ time. After hearing the words of Mary’s greeting, experiencing her son leaping in her womb, Elizabeth is moved by the Holy Spirit to proclaim blessing upon Mary: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42). Elizabeth does so with great joy, “crying out in a loud voice.”
May Elizabeth and Mary’s joy reach into the depths of our souls. May we be open to believe.
May we believe that Jesus is the Son of God who became man. That Jesus came into the world not just to be a great rabbi and teacher, not just to perform miracles and cast out demons, nor just to be the messiah, that Jesus came not just to live, but that he came to die, to give his life for us, and in so doing become our savior. This birth we are about to celebrate was just a foreshadowing of his impending death.
As Bishop Fulton Sheen wrote, “He was laid in a stranger’s stable at the beginning, and a stranger’s grave at the end… He was wrapped in swaddling bands in His birthplace, He was again laid in swaddling clothes in His tomb… It was not so much that His Birth cast a shadow on His life, and thus led to his death; it was rather that the Cross was there from the beginning, and cast its shadow backward to his birth…” (The Life of Christ).
Jesus, as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, is inviting us in these final days of Advent to do as he, Mary, and Elizabeth did, to follow the will of his Father. What joy we too will experience when we open ourselves up to the reality of the gift that God has given us, his Son, and so rejoice with Elizabeth and Mary that we too have a part to play in salvation history!
Photo: May these words and picture help you to experience some quiet time to pray and ponder about the connection between the birth and death of Jesus and the life he has called us to live.
Source for Bishop Sheen quote and background information from Dr. Brant Pitre, Mass Readings Explained, The Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C, Christmas and the Cross
Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, December 22, 2024
Let us rejoice, as Elizabeth and Mary did, that God is among us.
Mary “traveled to the hill country in haste” (Lk 1:39) and when she and Elizabeth got together they rejoiced in the gift of new life that God had blessed them both with. We are to rejoice too, as we remember the gift of the conception and birth of Jesus. Jesus invites us to experience a new life. What we are about to celebrate in a few days had never happened before in human history. The Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, fully divine, became a human being, fully human, just like one of us. That affirms that we are not junk, not someone’s trash to be kicked around. Our life has purpose and meaning because we are loved by God more than we can ever imagine!
We are all invited to be recreated, each and every day. Have you ever wanted a fresh start, a do-over? Well, here you go. Don’t believe any negative mind noise or other people who will actually tell you in subtle or overt ways that you are worthless or nothing. Not true! Just by our very being, the reality that we exist, says something. We have been created in the image and likeness of God and we have been created by Love to receive and to share the love we have received. We are a living craving hunger and desire to be in communion with God and one another. This is true for the atheist and the believer alike. We are called to will the good of the other as other and as they are, unconditionally. If we haven’t been all that loving lately, today is a new day to take Jesus’ hand and begin anew.
We are about to celebrate a baby’s birth. Not just any child, but the One who has always been. The Son became so vulnerable as he took on flesh as an embryo, developed as an unborn fetus, and was born as an infant, and wrapped in swaddling clothes. Mary’s Son would continue to grow, mature, and thirty-three years later, return to an even more vulnerable position on the Cross, beaten, scourged, naked, and crucified. He was born and tabernacled, made his dwelling, among us, to be one with us, so that when he mounted the cross he took our sin upon himself. Original Sin did not destroy us. We were wounded, but by his stripes, the scourging that Jesus endured for us, we have been healed. Then he conquered even death, that we could have life and have it to the full, now and into all eternity.
Jesus was born for us and he is still with us that we might not only be shown a better way but to know him, who is the Way. Jesus became vulnerable for us, being authentically who God called him to be, even when that meant rejection, time, and time again. May we too be willing to be vulnerable, to risk, to share with others who we are, free of masks and pretense. May we be present, and also walk and accompany one another.
Being there for our family and friends is important, and if we take our Christianity seriously, we must come to acknowledge, in concrete ways, person to person, that we are all brothers and sisters. Just as the sun shines on the good and the bad alike, Jesus died for us all. After his Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit, the Love shared between the Father and the Son, to empower us to live as he did, in communion with his Father, to better actualize our communion with one another.
Mary and Elizabeth celebrated the joy of new life. They rejoiced over the miracles each of them experienced in being able to conceive sons. May we not only share in their joy of the gift of life, but also realize what they realized all too soon, that life goes by too fast. Both sons died a brutal death, and yet God brought about a greater good from their willingness to sacrifice their lives. John and Jesus gave us a new beginning for humanity.
Let us not take the gift of the life that we have been given, any moment, for granted. May we be open like Elizabeth and Mary to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Let us let the people we care about know that we love them. A simple call, a card, and/or a walk can make a huge difference. Especially when in the moment of connection, we are present to each other as if no one else existed in that moment. For those for whom we may be estranged in any way, may Jesus, the Prince of Peace, help us to face those conflicts and guide us through the challenges that have kept us at a distance. May we not wait until it is too late to seek healing and reconciliation.
Making time to rest in and receive the Father’s love, we will be more open to being respectful, kind, understanding, and caring in our interactions with each person we encounter in these final days of Advent. When we catch the eye of another, offer a smile. In that simple gesture, we say to another that we care enough about them to acknowledge that they exist and that they have worth. Let the joy of Mary and Elizabeth catch like wildfire in us this Advent and let us share with haste the joy of Jesus we have experienced in our lives!
Photo: Stainglassed window of the visitation from Shutterstock.
Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, December 21, 2024
A few moments of stillness can transform our days and lives.
Today’s Gospel account is from Matthew’s record of the genealogy of Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, is fully divine, while at the same time he is also fully human. Here Matthew presents the lineage of Jesus’ human line from Abraham to his father Joseph (foster father, in that Joseph was not Jesus’ biological dad, but no one would not have made that distinction in Jesus’ time.) and his mother Mary.
Jesus was part of a people and a family, he was born at a particular time and in a particular place. If you go through this genealogy with a fine-tooth comb, there are gaps, but Matthew was more concerned with the line of faith than a strict historical account. Matthew also included women in this listing, which was not common in ancient patriarchal societies. Looking at their stories in Scripture will also show that they were not at all the most morally upright, but more importantly, each played a significant part in God’s plan of salvation.
As Catholics and Christians, this is our heritage as well. We are spiritual Semites. Genealogies have become more popular in recent years as can be seen by the different advertisements for DNA test kits. There is a natural instinct to reach out for these because we want to belong and to be a part of. To understand who we are, we seek to understand where we have come from. To be able to go forward, we need to reach behind. Jesus was to the people of Judah, and is a part of the succession from Abraham and his clan, to the twelve tribes of Jacob, to the unified nation of Israel under David.
Joseph is heir to the thrown in this line of succession that was thought to have been lost when Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians. When Joseph died, Jesus was next in line. Jesus will lead like no other before him or that will ever come again. Jesus brought God’s movement of grace beyond the nation of Israel to fulfill the promise that they be a light to the nations, a universal invitation for all.
Through our Baptism, we become part of that lineage of Jesus. No blood test needed. We are not alone, no longer estranged, no longer separate, or on the peripheries. We belong to the Body of Christ. Yet many, even those who profess their belief in Christ, are missing his greatest gift of faith, which is developing a relationship with him now. Let us not be complacent and settle for Christian in name only or walk away from our birthright.
In these final days of Advent, as we draw closer to the celebration of Christmas, may we also set aside a little more time to spend with Jesus. If our schedule is revving up, may we bring Jesus into our busy. The second Person of the Trinity was willing to draw close to us in the incarnation that we are about to celebrate. Even if there is not a lot of time in our days, let us periodically take a few conscious, deep and slow breaths at some key moments so that we may draw close to Jesus who is at hand. This can be as simple as taking three slow, deep breaths – one for each person of the Trinity.
Just those short moments can be a powerful reset because even in that little turning of our hearts and minds to God, we can rest in the loving gaze that Jesus wants to share with us. We can receive his love and invite him to walk with us in all that we do. We can yoke ourselves to Jesus so that we do not travel these days alone, because he is more than willing to share our burdens, and he will give us to strength to carry on.
We are never alone if we remember Jesus is present in our everyday experiences. We just need to remember to turn to him. In so doing, each breath will bring our shoulders out of our ears, we will react less, and experience greater clarity in the choices and decisions we make. Practicing in this way, we will have more joy in our being loved by God, so that we can have more joy in our doing.
Photo: Brief stop during Rosary walk outside our church here at Holy Cross. Praying we will be able to return by Easter!
Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, December 17, 2024
In conversation and dialogue, may God be our guide.
The question raised by “the chief priests and the elders of the people” regarding what authority Jesus was teaching was not an uncommon question. Rabbis and teachers often began their presentations by sharing with their listeners who was their teacher. It would be comparable today to say what university we received our degree from.
Jesus did not do so for his authority came directly from God. Those questioning Jesus knew this and wanted Jesus to say it publicly so as to charge him with blasphemy by putting himself on the same level as God. Jesus did not give them the satisfaction. Instead of answering their question, Jesus asked one of his own. “Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin” (Mt: 21:24)?
The answer given by the chief priests and elders to the question posed by Jesus showed further their unwillingness to accept who Jesus is. They were the shepherds of the people of Israel, yet they would not speak the truth. Instead, they offered an answer that was calculated and weighed out by taking a quick opinion poll among themselves. Their answer was lukewarm, “We do not know.”
In answering this way, their authority as leaders was diminished. For if they were the religious guardians and guides, why could they not answer the simple question regarding the origin of John’s baptism?
How about us? Do we weigh our answers solely on a perceived response or do we speak the truth? We want to be liked, respected, to belong and to fit in, to be affirmed and accepted, which is healthy and natural, but at what cost? Sometimes we feel uncomfortable speaking what we believe because we fear another’s reactions. This is even more challenging these days because a simple response can affect a harsh reaction.
Yet, to be people of integrity, to live out our baptismal call as prophets, there will be times that we need to resist the perceived and real pressures we feel, lean into the conflicts that arise, and speak what God would have us say in the moment.
As we do so, we need to remember to speak from a place of understanding and love. It is better to engage in a dialogue, not just mutually imposed monologues. A good reminder is to follow the lead of Jesus and ask more questions rather than offer ultimatums and pronouncements. Our goal in any encounter is not to impress or prove we are right and so the other is wrong, but to express what we believe and allow others to do the same. We can grow from one another when we are willing to listen.
Sometimes, God may be inviting us to be silent. We can actually move from talking past or shouting over one another, or going to the other extreme of avoiding talking altogether, when we are willing to listen first and respect another person even when we disagree.
Jesus, please forgive us for the times when we have not spoken as you have led us or when we have refused to listen and hear the perspective of another. In each moment help us to remember to breathe, to have ears to hear your guidance, to be understanding and respectful in every exchange. Give us the courage and words to speak with charity and help us to know when to be silent and to listen. Above all, with each encounter help us to love.
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Photo: Quiet times with God help us to listen more and speak less when in conversation.
Link for the Mass readings for Monday, December 16, 2024
“The knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary.”
And coming to her, he said, “Hail full of grace! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28).
With these words from the angel Gabriel, we can begin to understand the special and unique gift of grace that God bestowed upon Mary such that we are blessed each year to celebrate this magnificent Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary was conceived without sin and she remained not only a virgin all her life, but also sinless and “full of grace” all her life.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (492), echoes our second reading from St. Paul: “The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person ‘in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places’ and chose her ‘in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love’” (cf. Ephesians 1:3-4).
This special grace was bestowed upon Mary such that she could undo the sin of another who was created sinless: Eve. As we saw in our first reading from Genesis, Adam and Eve were created good, without sin, but both fell by disobeying God and bringing sin, suffering, and death into the world. The Church fathers and doctors saw in Mary, the new Eve. As St. Irenaeus of Lyons, (130-202 A.D.) wrote in his great work, Adversus Haereses, “the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary.”
Mary’s, “yes”: “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), and her continued “yes” to God’s will for the rest of her life, kept her full of the grace that God bestowed upon her from the moment of her conception. Adam and Eve fell when their trust in God was shaken by Satan’s temptation. Mary trusted God with Gabriel’s invitation even though she did not understand what was being asked of her. Her question to Gabriel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man” (Lk 1:34) was not a demand for proof, but a sincere seeking to understand what was being asked of her.
Mary embodied faith seeking understanding, though while she pondered, as St. Bernard of Clairvaux put it: “Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you… Abraham begs it, David begs it… this is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet… Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal word.”
When Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), a weary world wounded by the sin of her first parents, exhaled with relief, for the long-awaited savior would now be conceived, born, and come to redeem what had been lost. Mary, in her obedience, loosed the knot of the Sin of Origin committed by Adam and Eve in their disobedience. Mary inmaculatus, Immaculate Mary, was blameless, conceived without sin, for this very moment in time so that of her free will she could say, “yes” and become the new Eve and her Son the new Adam.
Mary, help us to ponder your “yes”, that we may be willing to say “yes” and follow the will of God in all we think, say, and do. Help us to be obedient, to resist a knee jerk reaction to reject outright what we do not understand and choose instead to be open to the possibilities you make available to us that are beyond the realm of our senses and limitations alone. Help us to place our trust in God, Jesus, his Son, and the love of the Holy Spirit in all situations.
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Photo: Mary, side altar at the Mission Dolores Cathedral, San Francisco, October 7, 2019.
Quote of St. Bernard of Clairvaux from volume 1, Liturgy of the Hours, p. 345.
Link for the Mass readings for Monday, December 9, 2024
We can experience joy even when faced with challenges, because “we are infinitely loved.”
Photo:
Jesus sent out these twelve (Mt 10:5).
Jesus sent out his Apostles to minister in his name and share the Gospel as he did, declaring that the “Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Our faith tradition is one of evangelizing, sharing the Good News. That means that first and foremost we need to be people of joy. We may share the most wonderful words about our faith, but if they are not backed up by a life of radiating joy, then our words will have little if any impact.
This does not mean that we are happy and buoyant every second of the day, it does not mean that we will not experience hardship, sorrow, and loss. What it does mean is that we are not defined by our suffering, the trials we face, nor the wide range of our emotions. God also calls us to face tough realities when it might be easier to remain in our comfort zone. In the midst of each of these and other challenges, we can experience hope because God is with us. He seeks to comfort us in our weeping, provide for our needs, guide us in the right way we are to walk, and give us the strength to do so with each step we take.
What defines us is God’s love for us and the joy of knowing that we are not alone in our trials. Jesus experienced the fullness of our human condition, from his conception, birth in a cave, having lived a life of hardship and poverty which led all the way into the depths of betrayal, injustice, and God forsakenness on the cross. He did not just suffer on the cross but also experienced death. Yet, through the binding force of the Holy Spirit, the love shared between Jesus and his Father, he was drawn back to life and conquered death not only for himself but for us all.
This is good news to share. How we live our lives each day and interact with others may be the only Bible that someone else will ever read. May we share the joy of our relationship with Jesus for: “Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved.” – Pope Francis from his apostolic exhortation, Joy of the Gospel, line 6.
Photo: When we experience the love of God we will feel joy to overflowing!
Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, December 7, 2024
When we receive and put into practice Jesus’ teachings we reflect his light and love to others.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21).
I have written quite often, quoting and paraphrasing one of my favorite quotes from St. Irenaeus, that Jesus came to be one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity. In his becoming one with us in our humanity he invites everyone, no one is excluded, to participate in his divinity. Yet if everyone is invited, how can Jesus say that not everyone will enter the Kingdom of heaven?
The answer to that question is in the line that follows. The one who will enter heaven is, “the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” If this verse does not help, then it might be helpful to understand a little about heaven, as best as we can, as the mere mortal, finite beings that we are.
Heaven is not so much a place but a state of being in relation to God, in which we are privileged to share communion and a deeper intimacy with God for all eternity. We will still not know everything about God because God is infinite and we will still be finite even in heaven. God is without limit, we are limited. We will never exhaust our relationship, never get bored with God.
Maybe a more three dimensional, an earthly example may be of help. If we were invited to play a sport, an instrument, or to act in a play, with the end goal being that we would play in the upcoming game, concert, or performance, we might feel pretty excited about the offer. We tell the coach, conductor, or director “That’s great news!” Yet, in the days that follow, we do not attend any of the practices, we do not practice the skills required to play the position, instrument, or role and we don’t return any of the follow-up invitations by phone, email, or text. The day of the big game, concert, or performance comes, we gather our self together and head on over to the arena or hall. We arrive to see the coach, conductor, or director but are denied entrance. We might say, “I don’t understand, you invited us to play!” The reply is, “Not everyone who says to me coach, coach (conductor, conductor, or director, director) is ready and prepared.”
Jesus invites us to play a part in God’s theodrama, everyone. Some say yes and some say no. Some say yes, and then don’t do anything, some say yes and do some things, some say yes and dive in. Most of us take a few steps forward and a step or two back. Just like preparing to play in a big game or perform in a big concert, or play, we need to be committed, disciplined, and persistent. Unlike a missed opportunity to participate in a game or performance, that we can correct and make another attempt down the road, we don’t want to miss the opportunity to spend eternity with Jesus in heaven.
The above analogy does not imply in any way that we earn our way into heaven, or we can do so on our own effort and will power. The bottom line is that Jesus gave his life for all of us and through his grace, we have been saved. Our salvation is a gift freely given. Yet, we have to be willing to receive and open the gift. Our time here on earth is the time we are given to: open the gift we have received, work out our salvation, not just hear but to also put into practice Jesus’ teachings, and be about building our relationship with him. As we do so, we will be transformed by and conformed to Jesus, so that we can come to know his Father as he does, and then we can reflect the light and love we have received to others.
If we want to know God’s will, we need to come to know God. Advent is a time of preparation, a time of getting to know God who is already with us and inviting us to let him into our lives. Jesus helps us to recognize and see what our lives are with and without God. He helps us to see and recognize when we are off track. Then we can better decide who we choose to follow.
When we are aware and humble enough to acknowledge that we are walking away instead of toward God, we just need to reorient ourselves, and turn back to him. God never tires of forgiving us. Let us not ever tire of asking for forgiveness. Each time we seek and receive forgiveness, our minds and hearts are expanded and we will experience more of his love. The forgiveness and love that we receive, we are then to also share.
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Photo: We each reflect the light of Jesus in our own unique way.
Link for the Mass reading for Thursday, December 5, 2024
Spiritual Stepping Stones 