Advent Series - New Encounter - Two

A Farm Family's Adoration - William Kurelek

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

The introductory Post to this series explains the approach I am using for this series and the method of prayer Lectio Divina. > >LINK< <

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Advent Series - Sunday Week One

The Nightwatchman's Christmas - William Kurelek

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

With each post I am including a image from the collections of paintings by William Kurelek entitled 'Northern Nativity'. They lend themselves well to the Ignatian approach to contemplation - placing oneself in the scene. What William Kurelek does is place the scene in a contemporary setting.

For additional resources you could visit past Advent posts. On the side panel there is a list of past years. Open a year showing a list of months. Klick on Nov/Dec and open to the posts.

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Advent Series - 2017

A New Encounter This Advent I have put together a new series of reflections for prayer. The approach I am using is based on the prayer method 'Lectio Divina'.  Each week in the series will have three meditation based on the Word found in the Advent liturgies. The grace we are are seeking in these meditations is a "New Encounter With Christ". Whatever may be our present progress in prayer, there is is always the need to go deeper. As each stage in our progress into the mystery of Christ's presence matures, the Lord becomes hidden again, requiring us to let go of the comfort and security we now know, and embark yet again in search of Him for whom our heart desire. In addition to this approach to prayer, with each post I am including a image from the collections of painting by William Kurelek entitled 'Northern Nativity'. They lend themselves well to the Ignatian approach to contemplation - placing oneself in the scene. What William Kurelek does is place the scene in a contemporary setting. So we have these two approaches to support us as we embark on anew Advent journey in search of a new Encounter with Christ.  For more information on 'Lectio Divina'  I encourage you to refer to this earlier post.  . . . LINK . . .

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Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

No doubt, everyone has faced that dreaded “0-hour”. Usually our first experience with “0-hour” is exam time in school. And finally, the teacher says, “children, put down your pens, time is up”. Some of you may have done so with a confident smile, but the rest of us where in a panic. “Oh no! Why did I not take more time to study? I knew better, but just had to go out and party the night before”. And so it goes, many, many time through life. Even when you finally become seniors you have to pass that testing to renew your drivers licence. Well the liturgy, today is meant to be a day of examination. Not a final exam however, more like a midterm – thank God. Today the liturgical year ends with this glorious feast of Jesus Christ the King. The gospel passage for this year A presents us with an image of Judgement Day. We hear Jesus describing how the standard of our accounting is to be measured by the Works of Mercy.     “For I was hungry and you gave me food, <> I was thirsty and you gave me drink, <> a stranger and you welcomed me, <> naked and you clothed me, <> ill and you cared for me, <> in prison and you visited me”. From this the Church has derive the Corporal Works of Mercy and with these we are most familiar. But to these has been added the Spiritual Works of Mercy; also seven in number, compiled from Jesus teachings found throughout the gospels. They are no less important:      To counsel the doubtful <> instruct the ignorant <> admonish the sinner<> comfort the afflicted <> forgive offences willingly <> bear wrongs patiently <> pray for the living and the dead. In Matthew’s account of the Corporal Works, we see how people are surprised by how they are judged, asking: “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?” It is even more surprising when we are held up to the standard of the Spiritual Works. But these are no less important. Our Holy Father, in Misericordiae Vultus, the Vatican document which announced the Year of Mercy, described the Spiritual Works this way:     Our Holy Father writes, “We will be asked if we have helped others to escape the doubt that causes them to fall into despair and which is often a source of loneliness; if we have helped to overcome the ignorance in which millions of people live, especially children deprived of the necessary means to free them from the bonds of poverty; if we have been close to the lonely and afflicted; if we have forgiven those who have offended us and have rejected all forms of anger and hate that lead to violence; if we have had the kind of patience shown by God, who is so patient with us; and if we have commended our brothers and sisters to the Lord in prayer. Holy Father ends with: Let us not forget the words of St. John of the Cross: ‘As we prepare to leave this life, we will be judged on the basis of love,’ on how concretely we showed love to others — both those in need spiritually and those with physical needs”. Advent begins next Sunday – a new gift of time, a time to prepare, a time to examine our lives, a time to resolve to get down to work in all seriousness. Yes, there really is a day of accounting – and the standard of judgment is the standard of love.

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Bishop Robert Barron Feast of Christ the King 2017