In every age people find themselves looking for hope as they face the challenges and battles of life. Jesus Christ is the foundation of our hope, inspiring us to seek out the Lord in our lives and discerning how we can share our hope with one another.
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Advent
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Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel reveals her role in God’s plan for our salvation. Chosen by the Lord, she offers us an example of faithfulness that inspires us every day to say yes to God’s call for our lives.
Mass Readings – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM
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How strong is our faith in the Lord? Do we see Jesus at work in our lives? Two blind men in the Gospel of Matthew teach us today how to call upon the Lord in our blindness as we trust in Christ’s guidance every day.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 1st Week of Advent
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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.
The exchange between Jesus and Zaccheus fills us with hope as the Lord initiates an encounter that leads to conversion and change of heart.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 33rd Week of the Year
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