Final Days of Advent - 2023

Christmas 2020 was a most unusual experience. Because of the Covid pandemic the doors to all churches were locked. People had no where to gather and celebrate the glorious feast of Christmas. It was as if in a strange way the faithful had been given a way to identify with Joseph and Mary who came to Bethlehem and found that they were locked out with no worm and comfortable place where Mary could give birth to Jesus. This Christmas seems to be back to normal but with a twist. The church doors are wide open and people are again invited to come and welcome the saviour into their hearts. But for an ever increasing number of people the doors of their hearts are closed. Some are full up with celebrating the holiday season and many other distractions - no time for church; for others it is because they are no longer interested in religion. Once again Jesus with Joseph and Mary find there is no room. What shall we say, in the end it is all a matter of the heart. "Where your treasure is there your heart will be." Debates over religion will go on but in the end people let the values in their heart tell them what to choose. This is well laid out for us by the Lord in Matthew's gospel. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Mtt. 6:19 Is there room in your heart this Christmas?

Third Week of Advent - 2023

The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally referred to as “Gaudete Sunday”. The name comes from the first word spoken in the liturgy for this day, in the Entrance Antiphon: (Gaudete in Latin): Rejoice in the Lord always: again, I say rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near. There is a similar theme that recurs in Lent, in the fourth Sunday of Lent, traditionally called “Laetare Sunday” again taken from the first word of the entrance antiphon: (Laetare in Latin) Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. The first words of the Third Sunday of Advent are the words of St. Paul found in the fourth chapter of the Letter to the Philippians, vs. 4-5. So why Gaudete, why Rejoice? The answer is found in the words of the prophet Isaiah. The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will REJOICE and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and REJOICE with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened:  Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Isaiah 35:  Israel has been conquered and its people have been living in exile for many years. But now the prophets are telling the people that soon their exile will come to an end, and they will be returning to their homeland. They believed that God was punishing them for their sins by letting their enemies conquer and enslave them. But now, what is this they hear? Believers of every generation, at various times, have found their hearts and hope shattered; believing they have been abandoned by God, left alone with no hope. So, the Church returns each year in Advent, to address this ancient problem, the Problem of Evil, to gather all who are wounded, to hear once again these words of truth and healing and restoration: “Rejoice, the Lord is near”!  You will notice that all the serious Christmas stories that we read all have this same theme running through them. In the darkest night, when all seems lost, hope is restored. Now the true spirit of Advent has a penitential character to it, where we examine our lives to root out our own causes for our downfalls and miseries. Then, the candle of the Advent Wreath, lighted on this day, the Third Sunday of Advent, rose colored, with the name “Joy”, raises up our spirits at the prospect of the new coming of mercy into our lives. This will be the third Christmas since the out brake of the world wide pandemic. In a real sense it has caused us to feel as though we too have been taken captive and so have been longing to be set free. Perhaps this will help us to better identify with the words of the prophets in these Advent Readings. So where does this Gaudete Sunday find you? Are you one who is carrying heavy burdens – be they burdens brought on by your own faults and failures, or has human frailty and the faults of others beset you, or Covid-19 caused you distress? If so, the grace offered on this Sunday is meant for you.  The Grace of Gaudete Sunday is the grace of a clear sense of Presence. I am not alone, the Lord is here, with me now. The Lord comes bearing gifts, the gift is the Gift of Hope. What ever the details of my deliverance are to be, will be revealed in the days to come. But first, a broken heart must be healed and given the eyes of hopefulness with which to see - to begin to see how the Lord's plan is to unfold. For me now I must listen to the great prophet John the Baptist, to turn my face eastward, to look forward in hope for His coming. Hear again these words of the prophet: "Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication;  with divine recompense he comes to save you."

Second Week of Advent - 2023

We are about to enter Week Two of Advent, that time when we are preparing for the Coming of Christ the Saviour of the world. We also believe that there will be a Second Coming in which Jesus will bring to an end this order of creation and establish a new heaven and a new earth following the Day of Judgment. But did you know that there is a Third Coming which takes place in time between the First and the Second? This coming is no less real and it is happening now even as we speak. In this coming Jesus' presence is not visible but it is no less real. While we do not see Jesus' present we experience his presence working in us, in the depths of our soul, in our minds and hearts. The First Coming has taken place already in history. The Second Coming is yet to happen in the future. But today we are not alone, on our own, struggling to make sense of this life all by ourselves, Jesus is here with us now leading, guiding and protecting us through each and every day of our lives. As Jesus brought his disciples to the mountain of the Ascension to conclude his First Coming he commissioned them with these words. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age." (Matt. 28:20) Now the Third Coming is about to begin with Pentecost and the anointing of the Church by the Holy Spirit. Jesus continues to be present and working in and through the many ministries of the the Church, especially through the sacraments.  In our popular culture Christmas is beginning to loose its meaning for true Christians; even the name is being replaced with the name 'The Holiday Season'. That is why Advent is such an important time. Yes we revisit the memories of the First Coming but let us not look on Christmas in a nostalgic way, but to be a time of Faith renewal. Jesus is truly here with us now. Let our voices now be heard: "Speak Lord, your servants are listening." + + + + + + + +  Office of Reading From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot "God’s Word will come to us." We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated him. In the final coming all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced. The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty. Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like a road on which we travel from the first coming to the last. In the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, he will appear as our life; in this middle coming, he is our rest and consolation. In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself says: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him. There is another passage of Scripture which reads: He who fears God will do good, but something further has been said about the one who loves, that is, that he will keep God’s word. Where is God’s word to be kept? Obviously in the heart, as the prophet says: I have hidden your words in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. Keep God’s word in this way. Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your whole way of life. Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness. Remember to eat your bread, or your heart will wither away. Fill your soul with richness and strength. If you keep the word of God in this way, it will also keep you. The Son with the Father will come to you. The great Prophet who will build the new Jerusalem will come, the one who makes all things new. This coming will fulfill what is written: As we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly man. Just as Adam’s sin spread through all mankind and took hold of all, so Christ, who created and redeemed all, will glorify all, once he takes possession of all.

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First Week of Advent - 2023

Time is something we take for granted, ours to use at our discretion. But there in lies the problem. We do not create time; we are only the managers of time. Time is a gift given by God, for a purpose. As servants of the landowner, a portion of the “garden of time” is assigned to us, wherein to plant the works of holiness and reap an abundant harvest, as best we can. The gospels are rich in this imagery, given by Jesus in his parables, to help us to learn and understand the purpose of our existence in time. So, what kind of servant am I? Misguided: – increasingly, the shroud of secularism is spreading over the mind of this generation. With man at the centre, time is exclusively ours to do with as we please. There is no other to which we must account. Negligent: – those who have been informed with a conscience that teaches us of responsibility for what happens in our time. Yet tomorrow seems to be the time of choice. Selfish: – yes, but time is limited so me first. Wise: – every day is my last day. At what works will I be found engaged when he comes to call me? The First Sunday of Advent begins a new year of grace; a new year to study the gospels and the works of holiness; a new gift of time. What lies ahead is hidden. Only one thing is certain - we will be asked for an accounting of this time spent.

The following is meditations on the gospels of Advent 

under the meditation form of Lectio Divina.

Here is a link to a video explaining Lectio Divina - >>> LINK <<<

Sunday Week One
Lectio	Gospel Mk 13:33-37 Jesus said to his disciples: "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'"
Meditatio	Two millennia have now passed, the Second Coming is taking longer than expected. But remember Peter’s warning give in 2 Pt 2:3 “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. My days are much fewer and each day brings me closer. Each new  Advent reminds us of this. But there is a real presence now – each new day brings a new opportunity to encounter Christ. To which group do you belong, those bored waiting, lost in trivial pursuits, or those who begin each day fully prepared to meet the Lord in unexpected places, in unexpected ways?
Oratio	Lord, you promised to remain with us always. Yet, I live and act as though you are distant and remote, hidden and unapproachable. You have become not a person but an idea, a theology, a subject for debate; something I bring to mind from time to time. Lord, since you are here help me find you. Show me where to look for you; in everyday places, among the people I meet, in that last place I would think to look.
Contemplatio	But Mary of Magdala stayed outside the tomb weeping …  and saw two angels in white sitting there … “Woman, why are you weeping?” … “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.”… She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, … Jesus said to … [ you, insert your name ]  Jo. 20:11

Monday Week One
Lectio	Gospel Mt 8:5-11 When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."
Meditatio	The Centurion was a member of the occupying forces controlling the land of the Jewish people. Whatever his beliefs may have been, he had come to learn of Jesus’ healing powers. He may not have had the true religion, but he had the right attitude with which to approach Jesus. Humble surrender. Even though he had authority and power, he made himself a little less than the servant for whom he was advocating. With what attitude do you approach Jesus? Is it Lord, my will be done or is it speak Lord, I have come to do your will?
Oratio	O Lord, during these holy days of Advent, help me to examine the condition of my faith. Has it grown from an expectant faith to a faith that expects - because it deserves. So me how pride my have invaded my heart, causing me to think that my faith and devotion are of my own doing and not a work of your grace in me.
Contemplatio	(the Master) … Does he thank the servant because he did what he was told? So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Luke 17:9

Tuesday Week One
Lectio	Gospel Lk 10:21-24 Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
Meditatio	“Seeing is believing”. As believers we are living in a conflicted time. What exactly are the facts in the beliefs we embrace? History questions whether our faith stories really happened, archeology often finds no evidence, psychology suggests myth is often preferred over substance, and some in science suggest an alternate truth. “No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." True faith is a gift, a revelation.
Oratio	Lord, what I desire is that you will give me the eyes of a child during these holy days of Advent. How often I have walked right past you, as I searched for you, not recognizing you where right here. How often I heard your voice, your calling, yet thought it was a myth-sayer’s babble. Grant to me now a guardian Spirit as go in search of you anew.
Contemplatio	Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Jo. 14:8

Fourth Sunday of Advent - 2022

We begin this Fourth and final week of Advent in Matthew's gospel as he begins to tell the story of "...how the birth of Jesus Christ came about." In those days, the period of engagement of marriage was to last up to one year. The marriage covenant was official, they are married, but before the couple lived together, this one year waiting period would prove that the betrothed was indeed a virgin and that any child conceived would be that of the husband. Should a conception occur it prove infidelity and adultery on the part of the woman. The engagement/marriage would be broken off and the woman publicly disgraced. Matthew does not give us many details as to how all this unfolded with Joseph and Mary. This provides us with a wonderful opportunity to explore these questions in meditation and prayer. Matthew tells us, "... she was found with child." Here we are led to wonder when did Mary explain her pregnancy to Joseph, that it was the work of God? Did Joseph believe her? We can only speculate. We have a clue in the text that follows. “Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly." “… since he was a righteous man” Joseph was a man of holy integrity and that he followed the Law of Moses in all its detail. Now, in the Book of Deuteronomy 22:23 we read: “If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her, you must take both of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death—the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.…” What deep conflict must have been tearing at the heart of Joseph. Mary is pregnant! What to do – the law is clear as to what must be done. What if what Mary has told him about how she became pregnant is true? But the Law is clear, Joseph knows he must divorce Mary. Surely God will permit him to spare her such humiliation and disgrace, even death. Now the hand of God is revealed through the angel Gabriel: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Joseph too must see the important role God is giving him to fulfill in this plan - "She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Dear friends, these stories are not fairy tales we bring out at Christmas to dress up in colourful scenes. They are real events that happened in the lives of real people. Recognizing this can we not identify with these humble people of God? Do we not have to face conflicts and challenges in our lives, struggling to understand, struggling to make sense of it – to find solutions just as they did? Our faith is not disconnected from our real life. On the contrary, they are both intimately connected just as it was for Mary and Joseph. And when we make this connection our faith becomes a living, life saving dynamic reality guiding and supporting us throughout our life. Once we make this connection the stories of the lives of the people in the scriptures become learning centres where we begin to learn how to recognize God’s hand in our lives. Do not let Christmas just be a fairy tale.

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"O Antiphons" This coming Saturday, one week from Christmas Eve, begins the traditional "O Antiphons" The O Antiphons refer to the seven antiphons that are recited (or chanted) preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours. They also are used as the Gospel Acclimation of the daily Masses. They cover the special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before Christmas Dec.17-24 LINK TO THE ANTIPHONS

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Third Sunday of Advent - 2022

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The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally referred to as “Gaudete Sunday”. The name comes from the first word spoken in the liturgy for this day, in the Entrance Antiphon: (Gaudete in Latin): Rejoice in the Lord always: again, I say rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near. There is a similar theme that recurs in Lent, in the fourth Sunday of Lent, traditionally called “Laetare Sunday” again taken from the first word of the entrance antiphon: (Laetare in Latin) Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. The first words of the Third Sunday of Advent are the words of St. Paul found in the fourth chapter of the Letter to the Philippians, vs. 4-5. So why Gaudete, why Rejoice? The answer begins in the First Reading, with the words of the prophet Isaiah. The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will REJOICE and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and REJOICE with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened:  Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Isaiah 35: Israel has been conquered and its people have been living in exile for many years. But now the prophets are telling the people that soon their exile will come to an end, and they will be returning to their homeland. They believed that God was punishing them for their sins by letting their enemies conquer and enslave them. But now, what is this they hear? Believers of every generation, at various times, have found their hearts and hope shattered; believing they have been abandoned by God, left alone with no hope. So, the Church returns each year in Advent, to address this ancient problem, the Problem of Evil, to gather all who are wounded, to hear once again these words of truth and healing and restoration: “Rejoice, the Lord is near”!  You will notice that all the serious Christmas stories that we read all have this same theme running through them. In the darkest night, when all seems lost, hope is restored. Now the true spirit of Advent has a penitential character to it, where we examine our lives to root out our own causes for our downfalls and miseries. Then, the candle of the Advent Wreath, lighted on this day, the Third Sunday of Advent, rose colored, with the name “Joy”, raises up our spirits at the prospect of the new coming of mercy into our lives. In many ways, our popular culture, with its commercializing of Christmas has interfered with the real spirit of Advent with its rich and beautiful spirituality. So where does this Gaudete Sunday find you? Are you one who is carrying heavy burdens – be they burdens brought on by your own faults and failures, or has human frailty and the faults of others beset you? If so, the grace offered on this Sunday is meant for you.  The Grace of Gaudete Sunday is the grace of a clear sense of Presence. I am not alone, the Lord is here, with me now. The Lord comes bearing gifts, the gift is the Gift of Hope. What ever the details of my deliverance are to be, will be revealed in the days to come. But first, a broken heart must be healed and given the eyes of hopefulness with which to see - to begin to see how the Lord's plan is to unfold. For me, now, it is to turn my face eastward, to look forward in hope for His coming. Hear again these words of the prophet: "Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication;  with divine recompense he comes to save you."

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"O Antiphons" This coming Saturday, one week from Christmas Eve, begins the traditional "O Antiphons" The O Antiphons refer to the seven antiphons that are recited (or chanted) preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours. They also are used as the Gospel Acclimation of the daily Masses. They cover the special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before Christmas Dec.17-24 LINK TO THE ANTIPHONS

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Second Week of Advent - 2022

“It comes around each year.” Those special times of the year have a cyclical character to them, they come around each year. We may think of Advent in this way. While we do celebrate Advent annually in a similar way, each new Advent has something uniquely different than the previous one. It has progressed forward, upward in both time and urgency. We are ascending the spiral staircase of salvation. All around us people are starting to get ready to celebrate the “holiday season” once again. Unfortunately, what is lost in all of this is the voice of urgency that Advent is announcing. “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Ro. 13:11 Advent begins a new liturgical cycle. Once again, we will be guided through the mysteries of our faith, hearing again the call of Christ, “come follow me.” Follow him where – up the staircase of holiness, ever higher, ever closer to sainthood. The scriptures for the first sixteen days of Advent instructs us on the necessity to embrace with new urgency the work of attaining  an ever deeper union with Christ, and how important it is NOW to get serious about the priority of our religious life. Then on the seventeenth day of Advent the scriptures open for us a new door  into the mystery of Christ with us, why this new coming is so important, not to be missed. This is the season when we find ourselves with all those to-do lists we have to deal with, gift lists, card lists, invitation lists. What about my spiritual life list, my definite plans to go deeper into my religious life?

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First Sunday of Advent - 2022

"People were eating and drinking"  <>  "Two working in a field, one taken, one left." Time is something we take for granted, ours to use at our discretion. But therein lies the problem. We do not create time; we are only the managers of time. Each day’s time is a gift given by God, for a purpose that has been determined by His divine will. (Psalm 139) As servants of the landowner, a portion of the “garden of time” is assigned to us, wherein to plant the works of holiness and reap an abundant harvest, as best we can. The gospels are rich in this imagery, given by Jesus in his parables, to help us to learn and understand the purpose of our existence in time. So, what kind of servant am I, how am I using my allotted time ? MISGUIDED: – increasingly, the shroud of secularism is spreading over the mind of this generation. With man now at the centre, time is exclusively ours to do with as we please. There is no other to whom we must account. My will, my way. NEGLIGENT: – those who have been informed with a conscience that teaches us of our responsibility for what happens in our time. Yet tomorrow seems to be the time of choice. (Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry! . . . Lk 12:19) SELFISH: – " ... my  will be done ...". WISE: – to see every day as my last day. At what good works will I be diligently engaged when He comes to call me to account? The First Sunday of Advent begins a new year of grace in the Church; a new year to study the gospels of wisdom and truth; a new year to learn how to be a true disciple/servant; a new year to  take up anew the works of holiness and charity; a new year to value as a treasure this new gift of time. What lies ahead is hidden. Only one thing is certain - we will be asked for an accounting of this time spent. This time of year all attention is focused on preparing for Christmas and the many holiday celebrations. As we sit down to make our list of all our holiday plans, let us not forget that the most important list we need to work on is how we will use this new gift of TIME in the service of God's will.

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