Advent Series - New Encounter - Eight

Two Barns - William Kurelek

Wednesday Week Three
Lectio	In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end."  But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. Lk 1:26-38
Meditatio	In our previous post we reflected on Joseph's encounter with the revelation of Jesus coming into the world and the special role he was to have in this wondrous mystery. Now we turn to Mary's experience. "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." ...  "Do not be afraid, Mary" ... " - for you have found favor with God." How might we ever imagine what the experience of a visitation from an angel would be like. For Mary, it was frightening. This is an entirely other world now connecting to this world. This is not a matter of "thinking about" this is "real".  The angel, who's identity is Gabriel, must first bring a calming peace to Mary, and then reveal to her what she could never have otherwise imagined. "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus." Gabriel goes on to explain further. What ever Mary's plans for her life may have been, now another is planning for her. Mary accepts now, this new and unimagable plan for her life, and seeks only a little clarification, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?". In this age, obsessed with the idea that this is my life, "I" decide what "I" will do with it, do you ever think that you also have a God-given vocation - indeed, that as you begin each day, God already has plans for you?  On that "to do list" posted on the fridge door, should we not, at the bottom, leave a space entitled: "But what ever you have planned for me Lord, let thy will be done."
Oratio	O Mother Mary, by your prayer of intercession, help me to have a listening heart. Help me to see that the Lord has a plan for my life also; that my personal faith is but the beginning of a wonderful vocation as a servant, a handmaid of the Lord. May my prayer each day echo your words spoken in reply to the angel; "Behold, I am the servant, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
Contemplatio	"Speak Lord, your servant is listening."

Beginning December 17th. the "O" Antiphons are featured in the liturgies of the final week of Advent. They sing with joyful anticipation the wondrous graces that await us. They are a rich resource for our prayer in these final days of Advent. In an earlier post I explored the O Antiphons in greater detail. Here is the link to that post. /// LINK \\\

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Advent Series - New Encounter - Seven

In the Mountains - William Kurelek

Sunday Week Three
Lectio	This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.  Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus. Mt 1:18-25
Meditatio	We begin this Third 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 for one year. The marriage covenant had begun, 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 would be broken and the woman publicly disgraced. Matthew does not give us many details how this unfolded with Joseph and Mary. But that provides us with a wonderful opportunity to explore this in prayer. "... she was found with child." Did Mary explain her pregnancy; how it was the work of God? Did Joseph believe her?   "... since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly." Does this tell us that Joseph did believe Mary, and did not want to interfere with God's divine plan, so he made it look like he was the one responsible for the breakup?   "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home." Indeed, Joseph, God has given you an important role 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."  Indeed, there is so much in the verses for us to ponder. And we might well ask, "Lord, have you plans for my life going forward?"
Oratio	O Lord, how slow I am to believe that my life too is in your hands. You have a plan for me too. Each day your provident hand reaches into my life, guiding me by your Holy Spirit. Help me to believe, to see and understand, so that I may cooperate more fully as this mystery that is my life unfolds.
Contemplatio	"... the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream ..."

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Beginning December 17th. the "O" Antiphons are featured in the liturgies of the final week of Advent. They sing with joyful anticipation the wondrous graces that await us. They are a rich resource for our prayer in these final days of Advent. In an earlier post I explored the O Antiphons in greater detail. Here is the link to that post. /// LINK \\\

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Advent Series - New Encounter - Six

The Boathouse Man's Excuse - William Kurleke

Thursday Week Two
Lectio	"Jesus said to the crowds: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Mt 11:28-30
Meditatio	It is not uncommon to see people burdened and stressed over Christmas. So much remaining to do, so little time. Christmas is really a time for lifting burdens, not adding to them. The wisdom of Christmas is to understand that Jesus comes to accomplish for us and in us that which we cannot do – inner peace and consultation of heart. The more that this uncreated grace fills us, the better we will be able to make for ourselves a to-do list in keeping with the true Spirit of Christmas.
Oratio	O Lord, may your Spirit be the inspiration that motivates me during these blessed days of Advent. As my understanding of your love for me grows, so will my love for others unfold in imitation.
Contemplatio	“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your vision is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your vision is poor, your whole body will be full of darkness.” Mtt. 6:21

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Advent Series - New Encounter - Five

The Presentation to the Children - William Kurelek 

Tuesday Week Two
Lectio	Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior." Lk 1:39-47
Meditatio	What do you see, what do you hear? Familiar indeed are the popular images of Christmas – most of all the Nativity Scene. Does this image merely invoke a few seasonal sentiments that linger for a couple of weeks and then are packed away with the Christmas decorations? Or does something deeper happen within you, in your spirit, in your heart? Advent is meant to be a new opportunity to encounter Jesus’ presence in our lives. It brings us a new opportunity to hear his voice, calling, instructing, directing us to an even deeper holiness. Yes, I know well these Christmas stories, but at the moment the sound of their hearing reaches my ears, does my heart within me leap for joy.
Oratio	O Lord, a year has passed since Advent last. The joy and expectation that began the year has met with more of the challenges we have been warned to expect. But I hear your call anew, and my heart is once again awakened. I sense your nearness and a new joy rises within me. Come Lord Jesus, come.
Contemplatio	And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior."

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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