Yes, Yes, and YES!

Mary’s YES changed everything! Can we, like Mary, say “May it be done to me according to your word”? If we really listen to God’s voice, if we are quiet and still enough to be receptive of that word, that voice, what might God be asking of each of us? We have been “living in watchfulness and waiting in wonder.” We have been faithful to those promises. What wonder awaits us this Christmas season?

Yes, we listen! Yes, we tell about what we are hearing! And yes, we like Mary can hardly wait to go visit our cousin, or our BFF or another family member to share the good news, even if we don’t fully understand the implications. We discern together, we explore together! And we say YES to all the wonders of new possibilities in our very real, very human lives! May our YES be strong!

Living in Joy

What does it mean for us to always live in joy? How is that possible when so much of life today is troubling? When so many are suffering? It seems that St. Paul gives us several ways to work at finding and maintaining hope. It is almost like a recipe in four parts. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all things. Do not quench the Spirit. Discern what is good and what is evil and refrain from the evil. WOW!

Our other readings for the day give us other hints. Isaiah presents us with a very urgent mission, a very concise job description for being followers of Jesus. We too are to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners.

Our psalm reminds us of Mary’s Magnificat. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Our joy is real when we can proclaim the greatness of the Lord in our own lives. How will we do that this week? Who will hear our proclamations? To whom will they be directed?

We continue our Living in Watchfulness—as a community and as individuals—searching for Jesus in our midst. He is already born and borne in us! And he is also yet to be found in unlikely places. We are Waiting in Wonder! May our wonder never cease! God fills us with awe!

Using Our Voice to Prepare the Way

Voices, I hear voices! To whom do they belong? Where are they coming from? What are they saying? To whom are they speaking?

Our Scriptures for this weekend are all about speaking, about being a voice. They are called exhortatory texts. In other words, they make an urgent appeal to listeners. They encourage, warn, or challenge and often include a call to action.

When a voice cries out, what does it sound like? When we cry out at the top of our voice, what does that sound like? And what do we use our voices to cry out about?

I can think of many things. When I think of what our voices can do, I know that they can hurt and I know that they can heal. I know the words of comfort that I witness at funerals. I also know the urgent voices of people marching in solidarity with those who are suffering discrimination or injustice. I witness the pleading voices of those suffering from raging fires in California, of those wanting to protect our earth, of the “Me too” victims of sexual harassment and assault, of those trying to escape domestic violence, of the Rohingya people experiencing persecution in Myanmar.

How do I use my voice and become one who, like the prophets, cries out in what seems to be a wilderness? I can challenge those in power, I can stop keeping secrets, and I can speak out for someone. I can listen to the voices, and I can act on what I know.

Ours is the task of being messengers of peace. We are also advocates, like the prophets Isaiah and John the Baptist. We too participate in “preparing the way of the Lord and making straight his paths.”

Our Advent journey of Living in Watchfulness and Waiting in Wonder continues. Jesus is coming.  Freedom is coming. The desire to experience Advent hope and Advent peace challenge us to use our voices.

Living in Watchfulness!

Our parish’s theme for Advent is Living in Watchfulness; Waiting in Wonder. Watching is different than waiting. Waiting is rather passive; watching implies activity and engagement. When we watch we pay keen and sharp attention. We are alert with all of our senses and ready for Jesus to come into our lives and into our world. We don’t just wait for life to happen, we are helping with the building of the Reign of God on earth.

Watching and being ready for Jesus to come into our lives means that we are spending some extra time in silence and in prayer. We pray that we become more and more aware of what is being born in our personal lives, in our family lives, in our community, and in our parish. How is Jesus coming to life in me? How am I awakening a knowledge of Jesus in my children and in my marriage or my vocation? What light is the coming of Jesus shedding on the events in our world today? Are we passively waiting for it all to get better or are we working to be beacons of compassion and voices of justice?

Jesus tells his disciples and us to not be found sleeping! Living in watchfulness means being a light in the darkness, creating paths to peace, promoting reconciliation and generating new hope for all. One way to do that is to participate in our Taizé prayer experience this evening, Dec. 1 at 7 pm in the church. It’s an excellent opportunity to practice living in watchfulness.

To See as Jesus Sees

Who are “the least”? And who is “called to serve”? These are the questions to be answered as we reflect on the Scriptures for this Sunday. Jesus is King of the Universe, but Jesus’ royalty turns everything upside down. We are invited TO SEE royalty in the least and the lowly. And we are invited to pay honor by giving aid to them.

Jesus is very clear in his directive—“Whatever you did for one of the least…of mine, you did for me.” Jesus defines the least as those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, imprisoned, and strangers in need of welcome. Many of us recognize our response to these needs as doing the corporal works of mercy. Jesus says that if we don’t care for these who are least, we do not care for him! That’s the criteria for judgment at the end of our earthly lives—actions of mercy on behalf of “the least.”

The call to be shepherd and to care for the flock is both personal and communal. As we observe our Thanksgiving weekend and prepare for the beginning of Advent, we will doubtless see with our own eyes and hear with our own ears the many opportunities to see the face of Jesus in our brothers and sisters in need.

Jesus, help us to see as you see. Help us to act personally and communally in response to the needs of all—friends and strangers alike.

Giving and Receiving

Our generous God blesses us in so many ways in our St. Francis of Assisi community. Among the blessings are the gifts and talents that each of us has been given. This week we reflect on how we can multiply those gifts in service as a sign of gratitude. We also have the opportunity to reflect on what holds us back or makes us afraid to use those talents, to offer them in service to the larger community.

We have all received mercy, kindness, and unconditional love from God. Do we give that same gift to others? We have many physical, emotional, mental and spiritual abilities that can be used to better the lives of others. We have opportunities for spiritual renewal, growth, and maturity in our relationship with God, and continual access to continuing education in our faith. Are we generous in inviting others to experience the fruits of our giftedness, of our talents?

And so we pray: Gracious God, you lavish our lives with goodness and love. Create in our hearts great gratitude for the gifts and talents given to us. May we share freely and may our sharing become our pattern of existence as we continue to learn to be disciples of Jesus and to build the kingdom of God here on our precious Earth. May the gifts we have received become the gifts that we give!

Be Prepared!

How often do we hear those words? If you were a Boy Scout, you learned their meaning early in your life. For my family, be prepared usually meant, “Go to the bathroom now. We are going to church and there is no bathroom there.” Way back then, that was the truth!

Our readings for this weekend speak of a different time, the end time! It is otherwise known as the fullness of the Kingdom arriving, or the Second Coming. Jesus tells us that we never know when that will be. In the same way, we don’t know when we will die. Being prepared for death and conserving hope is part of our long-held Christian tradition. Most of us learned early that God made us to know, love, and serve God on earth and to be happy with God in heaven.

How does one prepare for death, especially in the midst of random acts of violence and terror, natural disasters of huge proportion, or the deaths of refugees seeking a better life? How do we make ourselves ready to meet the Lord each and every day? How do we stay vigilant with hope? How do we become like the “wise virgins” who keep their lamps lit with abundant oil?

First, hope in everlasting life with God asks us to not be afraid. Our much needed “oil” comes from a variety of sources. We consistently and intentionally reflect on God’s Word in Scripture, we look to the witness of Jesus, we celebrate the liturgy whole-heartedly, we live according to commandments to love unconditionally, and we seek spiritual guides or mentors. There we will find Wisdom. Paying attention to God’s presence in our lives will be our guiding light. Our lamps will burn brightly and illuminate our path. And we won’t run out of oil!

So we pray: Fill our lamps with hope so that we might be a light in the darkness. Help us to stay awake and open our hearts to act in ways that express love. And may we do all this with our eyes constantly fixed on you, God! We live in hope that you will come again to establish justice forever. This is your promise and our heart’s yearning.