Month: November 2016

Reflection: Christmas is here! Oh wait…

/ Dean / Leave a comment

 

First Sunday of Advent – 27 November 2016

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Are you ready? Or maybe you’re already done… Why not take a step back and breathe… And pray. Image Credit: Agape COC

We have officially entered the “Christmas Season”, full of gift buying, food preparation, and celebration. These next four weeks can be some of the busiest of the year, filled with family visits, last minute details, and all manner of hustle and bustle. This can be a time of great happiness, but at the same time, it can also be a time of great stress. The remedy? Remembering that we aren’t really in the “Christmas Season” at all; rather, we are in the “Advent Season”, a time of quiet prayer and reflection as we await the coming of the Lord.

Each Sunday of Advent has a specific “theme” that is reflected in that day’s readings and Mass prayers: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Reflecting on each of these themes, especially through our participation in the Sunday liturgies, we are called to “climb the Lord’s mountain…that He may instruct us in His ways, and we may walk in His paths” (Is. 2:3). The lessons of Advent teach us that even amidst our busy lives, we must keep our focus always on the Lord, so that we may “go up to the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122) with hearts open to the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Friends, this Advent let us cultivate an attitude of prayer and reflection, even amidst our hectic schedules and long to-do lists. “Let us walk in the light of the Lord” (Is. 2:5) and use this time not only for preparing for the coming holidays, but preparing our hearts and souls to be more fervent followers of the humble child who will be born in the manager in just a few weeks time, for “so too, you must also be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (Mt. 24:44).

For reflection:

  • How can I include just 15 more minutes of prayer in my life each day?
  • How can I better witness to the truth and love of the Gospel through my busy schedule of the holiday season?

Reflection: Beacons of Hope

/ Dean / Leave a comment

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Through the month of November, we remember those who have gone before us: those whom we commemorate as saints in heaven, as well as all those who have passed in our own lives, praying for them and remembering that they pray for us as well. The month of November can, at times, be a bit somber or bittersweet, but this is also a time of hope. While we remember those who have gone before us, we are reminded that this life is not the end. “With the hope that God gives”, we know that this life is meaningful and yet fleeting all at once. Moving our “hearts to the love of God” we experience “the endurance of Christ.” In the memory of those of have gone before, us we have the reminder of God’s love and presence in our lives today, yet also a reminder of the reality of the life that is to come.

As we move closer to the end of the liturgical year, approaching Advent, we see that God indeed “is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” As our Savior and King, He gives us eternal hope and peace, if we but trust in the mercy and love of Christ. Yes, November can be bittersweet, but it serves as a reminder to always keep our focus on the things that really matter, and not on the distractions and pitfalls of the world. Let us then pray for our loved ones as we embrace this hope in eternal life, and become beacons of hope for all those around us as visible signs that “the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.”

For reflection: How can I be a sign of hope to others? Do I live my faith in an intentional but humble way, such as praying grace in public, or telling people that I will pray for them and following through?