The Gospel of Matthew reveals the heart of Jesus – filled with pity for the crowds – and helps us understand how the Lord looks at us, especially when we are weak, wounded, lost and struggling. May this scripture passage give us hope to return to the Lord once again in our need, and trust in his boundless love.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of 1st Advent
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The prophet Isaiah offers a vision of hope that will happen when all people are drawn to the Lord’s mountain. Jesus echoes this sentiment when he tells the disciples that they are blessed by what they see and hear…reminding us to keep our eyes fixed on Heaven as we journey here on earth.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 1st Week of Advent
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Study: Recall a time when someone was a source of hope in your life. How were they present to you?
Pray: Are there situations or circumstances that are difficult right now? Ask the Lord for the gift of hope to see how to proceed.
Serve: How can you be a source of hope to another? Who do you know right now that can be strengthened by your presence?
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Advent
A Christmas Carol
Part II: People of Hope
There are a wide variety of people in the story who live with a sense of the Christmas spirit. They come from many walks of life, with different abilities and skills, yet their genuine understanding of the greater meaning of Christmas makes them excellent examples for us all.
Perhaps it’s Scrooge’s nephew, Fred. Wishing “Merry Christmas, Uncle Ebenezer!” even when he knows it will result in “Bah, Humbug!” – Fred reminds us that hope continues even when life suggests that all is lost.
We see in the Cratchit family an honest desire to make do with what life has to offer. Their affection for one another is not dependent on money or gifts, but stems from the life they have built together. The relish each others joys and feel each others sorrows – living for each other.
Maybe it’s old Fezziwig, the joyous master under whom Scrooge apprenticed. With his love for food, dance and song, Fezziwig gathered his employees and neighbors in a festive celebration of life.
Scrooge’s sister, Fan, turns out to be a gentle soul who shows great affection and concern for her older brother. Her life, though short, was marked by the sincere love that leaves a lasting and powerful impression.
Let’s not forget Tiny Tim, the little boy who looked at life as a rich blessing even though his crippled frame prevented him from living like other children. His spirit, it seems, was far larger than the limits which his body would offer; and his crutch becomes a sign of the weaknesses we all must endure at different times in life.
All of these people stand in contrast to Scrooge. They find in life reasons to hope – not because everything is always fine or comfortable. They proclaim, through their words and actions, a message that brings strength and joy. For in the midst of their struggles they recognize that there is something greater, something which is coming into the world.
Like John the Baptist, we are able to proclaim the presence of the Lord in our lives. We announce that God is near. As we discover the Lord among us, may we proclaim a message of hope to all we meet.
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Note: This post was first published on December 1, 2014.
Throughout our lives we have numerous experiences of vigilance: watching over a loved one, remaining attentive to someone’s needs or waiting in expectation for an arrival. The same is true everyday in the spiritual life as we are vigilant in living our faith for Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 34th Week of the Year
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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Andrew, and we hear how he and his brother responded to the Lord’s call. Indeed, the Lord continues to call all of us…will we follow?
Mass Readings – Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle
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Our faith clearly acknowledges that there will be a final judgment, and while this reality can bring a grim awareness of our sins, it can also serve as an inspiration to take hold of the gift of today and live our faith with conviction.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 34th Week of the Year
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Fr. Andrew speaks to the kids at Cathedral School about how the seed of God’s love can grow in our hearts.
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The Lord urges the people to not be led by deception and fear. Instead, we face these obstacles with the grace that comes God.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 34th Week of the Year
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Study: When have I been swift to respond to the needs of others? When have I been slow?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the clarity of sight to perceive the real needs within my reach.
Serve: Don’t wait…do!
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Advent
A Christmas Carol
Part I: Marley’s Warning
Every year I enjoy rereading the holiday story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I watch as many different movie and drama adaptations as I can, and I find in this simple tale much wisdom and insight.
The story recounts the life of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserable old man who is visited on Christmas Eve by the ghost of his business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley informs Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts who will show him the error of his ways. During the visits we discover the story of Scrooge’s life, feeling both pity and anger at the circumstances and choices that have shaped him. As Scrooge slowly changes, he finally discovers the joy and spirit of Christmas – just in time for Christmas Day.
The ghost of Marley begins this amazing process. Marley is a wretched creature, wrapped in bandages and shackled by chains and heavy money boxes. His words to Scrooge are direct and without comfort: he must change his ways or suffer a fate worse than Marley’s.
Marley reminds Scrooge that the business of life is far greater than the work in their money counting house:
“Mankind was my business.
The common welfare was my business;
charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence
were all my business.
The dealings of my trade
were but a drop of water
in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”
This warning speaks to us as well. Every day we pass through life amid opportunities to serve and love others. Yet preoccupation can take us away from the deeper issues of life, separating us from the very people and events that can lead us into blessed happiness.
As we prepare our hearts during this Advent season, may we take Marley’s warning to heart. We, too, must journey through this life, reaching out to those placed on our path. May we be vigilant, waiting for the day when Jesus will return. May we share the gift of our lives, anticipating the Christmas joy that awaits us.
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Note: This post was first published on November 25, 2014.
We are servants and stewards of Christ, our King. This means that our faith is not some hazy, vague experience; rather, it is dynamic and life-giving as we conform our lives to the commands of the one who claims our obedience.
Mass Readings – Christ the King of the Universe
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