Introduction to Advent 2023

Invitation to Prayer: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Reflection: The first candle is about to be lit!  Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent.  Hopefully, you are participating with an Advent Wreath in your home this season.  In his excellent article, “The Weaving of Moral and Sacramental Theology in the Advent Wreath”, Anthony Crescio describes the meaning and symbolism of the Advent wreath, along with the virtues enacted by its use. “The Advent wreath calls us to cultivate the three virtues of repentance, religion, and reverence as we prepare to meet Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at His Nativity.”  Read his article for more on each of these.  Tomorrow we begin with preparation and penance.

This call to prepare is seen in the readings from this Sunday.  Isaiah beckons, “Come, climb the LORD’s mountain… that He may instruct us in His ways, and we may walk in His paths.”  With urgency, St. Paul says, “it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep”, “the day is at hand”, “throw off the works of darkness”, “make no provision for the desires of the flesh”, “put on the armor of light”.   Christ in the Gospel reading says, “you also must be prepared for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

The liturgical color of Advent and 3 of the four candles of the wreath is purple.  As in Lent it signifies penance, yet it is inseparable from hope.  The Season is one of anticipation in preparation for a hopeful celebration.  From Isaiah: , “The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory, and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor.”  “The LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection:  shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from the storm and rain.”  Then again in the Gospel, “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.”

May we approach our Savior in humility as the Centurion with the faith that we may be healed of all that paralyzes us in our faith journey and freed from all that keeps us from joyfully anticipating His coming.

Prayer: Come and save us, LORD our God; let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

Action: Enter more fully into this Advent season with penance and preparation by going to the Sacrament of Confession and marking the days with an Advent Wreath until the celebration of our LORD’s coming at Christmas.

David Ulmer joined the CNE as Associate Director for Chastity and Natural Family Planning after working as a pediatric nurse for nearly 30 years. NFP and Humanae Vitae led David & Linda and their children into the Catholic Church in 2005. His parish family is St. Columbkille in Wilmington.

This introduction was originally posted in November 2022.

Advent Reflection for December 3 – The First Sunday of Advent
Readings: IS 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7, PS 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19, 1 COR 1:3-9, MK 13:33-37

Invitation to Prayer: “Show us, Lord, your love, and grant us your salvation.” (Psalm 85:8 – Alleluia verse before the Gospel, First Sunday of Advent)

Reflection: Advent is a season of expectation during which the Church cries out with peoples of all time, “Come, Lord Jesus.” The hope of Christians who eagerly await the coming of the Lord and the fulfillment of his Kingdom is an echo of the hope of the People of Israel who anticipated the coming of the Messiah with devout longing.

The spirit of Advent expectation is very different from passive longing. We don’t simply sit and wait for the Lord to arrive. Rather, as captured in the Collect of today’s Mass, we pray that God grant us “the resolve to run forth to meet” the Lord. We are called to be actively engaged over these weeks to prepare a place for the Lord, to be ready for his return.

As we hear in the Gospel, the Lord himself, in speaking to his disciples about the coming of the Kingdom at the end of time, tells his disciples, “Be watchful! Be alert!” None of us wants to be the disciple caught sleeping at the Master’s return.

One of the ways in which we can prepare ourselves for the Lord’s coming is to be watchful and alert for his presence and action among us. The more we accustom ourselves to being aware of God’s love acting in our lives and the more we strive to be attentive to following his will for us, the more we prepare our hearts for an eternity spent near to God. Such closeness to the Lord will also be for us the experience of the fullness of joy in his presence.

As Christians our hope is in the salvation which the Lord comes to offer us, and this hope keeps us focused on eternity even as we pass through the course of this life. At the end of Mass today we pray, “For even now, as we walk amid passing things, you teach us by them to love the things of heaven and hold fast to what endures.” May our attitude be such until the coming of the Lord!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, at your first coming you assumed the lowliness of our human flesh and opened for us the way to salvation; when you come again in glory and majesty may we who watch for that day inherit the great promise in which now we dare to hope. We ask this in your holy name. Amen.

Closing: The season of Advent is the annual opportunity the Church offers us to prepare our hearts to receive the Lord at his first coming in Bethlehem and at his second coming at the end of time. Consider what you can do to take advantage of this season of reflection, purification, and promise.

Father Jason Williams serves as Chancellor of the Archdiocese as well as Master of Ceremonies to Archbishop Schnurr. He was ordained in 2016 and completed his licentiate in canon law through The Catholic University of America in 2022.

Advent Reflection for December 4– Monday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; PS 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9; Matthew 8:5-1

Invitation to Prayer: “We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus. The greatness of mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus.” – Chris Tomlin

Reflection: In today’s Gospel we hear the centurion beseech Christ with very familiar words, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” We repeat these words regularly in our Eucharistic celebration right before we receive Christ’s body and blood. With these words, we lay our sinfulness at the feet of Jesus, so that we may be fully transformed by Him through the Eucharist. Mark’s Gospel reveals the magnitude of this statement through the full context of the centurion’s plea. It is an utterance of humility and complete submission to Christ.

The Roman centurion was a man of power. He was a commander of many who had proven himself in his leadership and discipline as a soldier. He was also not a Jew. This wealthy and powerful man sought out Jesus, not for his own benefit, but for the sake of his servant who was suffering greatly. While the centurion answered to few, he came before Christ and humbled himself to the authority of God. This is demonstrated to us through his words, “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.” Through this statement, he recognizes that the power and authority of Christ exceeds any authority that belongs to him on this earth. Christ responds saying, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” He praises the heartfelt words of the centurion and the suffering servant is healed.

In our daily lives, it is easy to over-focus on power. Our standard of societal success revolves around rank, status, wealth and esteem. Having worldly power is not inherently bad, but, like the centurion, we must recognize that any authority that we possess on earth pales in comparison to the power of God. Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, and we are made worthy only through his sacrifice. Like the centurion and his servant, when we submit ourselves to the mercy of Jesus, we are healed and transformed.

Prayer: Lord of all authority, we come before you today humbled by your grace and mercy. Help us to always recognize the power of your love in our lives, and give us the strength to reject the temptations that accompany status and wealth. May we always have the willingness to submit ourselves to you, so that we can truly be your servants here on Earth. Amen.

Closing: Do you ever struggle with power and authority in your life? If so, how? What are some steps that you can take in your life to humble yourself before God like the centurion in Mark’s Gospel?

Noelle Collis-DeVito works in Campus Ministry at the University of Dayton where she is completing her Master’s Degree in Pastoral Ministry with a Certificate in Disability and Ministry. She serves on the Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability.

 

Advent Reflection for December 5 – Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; 4:2-6; PS 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Luke 10:21-24

Invitation to Prayer: Behold, the Lord will come, and all His holy ones with Him; and on that day there will be a great light.

Reflection: Joy to the world, for Jesus comes to fulfill the prophecy. The season of Advent is a time of great awaiting and resultant joy, for unto us is born our Savior Jesus Christ.

During the Advent journey, the Liturgy invites us to welcome with readiness and gratitude the great event of the Savior’s birth and the wonder of His entry into the world. That is evident in today’s readings, as Isaiah speaks of a time when peace and justice will flourish, manifested by the coming of the Lord’s chosen One.

Joyful expectation, a characteristic of the days leading up to Christmas, is the attitude of every Christian who wishes to receive the blessings of renewed encounter with the One who comes to dwell among us. The entirety of the Old Testament constitutes this great promise that was to be fulfilled with the birth of Christ.

Jesus is the joy of the world; yet in His humility, we read again in Luke’s Gospel that all the praise and glory is to be given to God the Father. It is to each one of us that God reveals Himself when we choose to accept Him with all the wonder, all the awe and all the innocence of a child. Jesus, the root of Jesse, is the sign that we have been waiting to receive, the sign from God of our salvation through the One born of the Virgin.

As we go forth today and, in the days, to come, we will do well to allow ourselves to be surprised anew by this act of God, for He makes himself a Child. Let us again allow ourselves to be overcome with wonder and to flood the world with joy. May the Child Jesus not find us unprepared. May we approach this Advent season and the days that follow with a renewed focus to purify our consciences and our lives, and so joyfully walk towards our encounter with the Lord.

Prayer: Look with favor, Lord God on our petitions. Grant us Your compassionate help and bestow on us Your graces as we await the coming of Your Son Jesus Christ.

Closing: Choose with intention today to prepare a path in our hearts for the coming of Jesus and so to let His glory radiate through us to others.

Deacon Ed Bayliss is assigned to the St. Gregory the Great family of parishes. He is the Business Manager at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains and currently serves as Pastoral Administrator for the Uptown Catholic family of parishes. He and wife Kim live in New Richmond.

Advent Reflection for December 6 – Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Is 25:6-10a, Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6, Mt 15:29-37

Invitation to Prayer: And they glorified the God of Israel.

Reflection: Several years ago, I was struggling during the Advent Season. I’ll never forget one morning, as sipped my coffee, and looked at the twinkling lights on my Christmas tree. I prayed that my pain would be relieved. I was feeling miserable for myself, and it suddenly dawned on me…If I didn’t feel this way, then I’d have no need for a Savior. If I didn’t feel this way, I’d have no need for Christmas, because I’d have no need for Jesus. In this context, I suddenly saw my hurting as a gift, and turned it over to him. Now, I’d like to tell you that I’m wise enough to come up with those thoughts completely on my own accord. But, alas, I’m truly not.

Just like those in the crowd of today’s Gospel, Jesus had compassion for me. He had pity for me and fed my inner most hunger when I desperately needed it the most. In that moment, I encountered the real and living Jesus while sitting on my couch. Little did the King of the Universe care that I was still in my flannel pajamas with a good case of bedhead even. Jesus met me where I was at that day and comforted me.

You see, Jesus is ready and willing to meet ordinary people in their ordinary circumstances. He shares Good News with them and heals them. He knows their needs and does not send them away empty. Because, let’s face it, we all experience pangs of hunger for one reason or another.

Open your Bible to any page and you can be fed with his Word of Life. Go to Mass and you can receive nourishment in the Eucharist. Walk into the confessional and your sins can be forgiven as your soul is wiped clean. Ask a priest to anoint you with oil in your time of suffering. You are healed…not necessarily for this life, but the next.

It’s not ironic that we celebrate the life of St. Nicholas today. While all I wrote above sounds idyllic, there are pieces of the life of this Saint that proves it all to be true. Nicholas gave all that he had to assist the poor and needy and sick of his day. He lived in a time of persecution and spent time in prison solely because he was Christian. He was a defender and champion of our faith, and his efforts still gleam in the words written in the Nicaean Creed. Nicholas gave all he had to the Church, and we reap the benefits.

With just seven loaves and a few fish, Jesus feeds the crowd in the Gospel today. Let us realize that even the little bits we offer is enough for Jesus to take and work a miracle. That is simply amazing!

Prayer: Lord, help us to take the struggles of each and every day and with your grace turn them into lifting others and praising your glory.

Closing: During this Advent season, reach out to your family and friends who may be struggling and witness to them the gift of perseverance.

Christine Baumgardner is the Associate Director for Adult and Family Evangelization at the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. She is a parishioner at Our Lady of Sorrows in Monroe.

 

Advent Reflection for December 7 – Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Readings: Is 26:1-6, Ps 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a, Mt 7:21, 24-27

Invitation to Prayer: The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined. (Matthew 7: 27)

Reflection: I can remember taking a family vacation along the Atlantic coast and walking on the seashore, loving the peace of small lapping waves at my feet. Farther down the beach I began experiencing a different sense as I looked inland. There were homes where corners were ripped off and missing, the rest of the building sagging into the sand below. The gentleness of the ocean on that lovely summer day gave way to a testimony of past angry storms that tore away the foundations of homes built on sand.

St. Ambrose, whose feast day we celebrate today, lived in stormy times, standing strong in the controversy of Arianism swirling around him. Arians denied the divine nature of Jesus. Our Church teaches the two natures of Jesus – divine and human.

We, too, stand in times where we make a choice, whether to build our existence on sandy ground and watch it sink, flood or be blown away or choose living on solid ground, both spiritually and physically.

For some families around the world the place where the family has put down roots is changing and not by any action they chose to take. Because of climate change with flooding and droughts, the land can no longer feed families or provide an income. The choice then becomes to leave and migrate to another community that would have to share its resources or stay and possibly face starvation. This is where Catholic Relief Services offers a third choice – to stay and adapt farming practices. This is one way Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas.

Prayer: Good and gracious God, guide us in making a choice to remain steadfast in our love for you and our neighbor.

Closing: Learn how Catholic organizations help communities in the United States and around the world help families have a stable existence.

Pam Long served as Regional Director of the Catholic Social Action Office, retiring in 2017. She is a parishioner at St. Julie Billiart, Hamilton, in the St. Stephen Family of Parishes. She and her husband Bob have two children and three grandchildren.

Advent Reflection for December 8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Readings: Gn 3:9-15, 20, PS 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, Eph 1:3-6, 11-12, Lk 1:26-38

Invitation to Prayer: Come O Immaculate Conception, come Holy Spirit, reveal to us the true desires of our hearts that we may come to love you more completely.

Reflection: “I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.”

I’ve never stopped to think about the experience of the Garden of Eden before the Fall. Maybe that’s because it’s nearly impossible to imagine. To be in perfect unity with God, to walk through the garden with Him, to have a real conversation with him, to feel completely safe in the wilderness despite our obvious vulnerability, that is a world I really struggle to wrap my mind around. Is it really possible that an omnipotent creator would be pleased enough with his creation to spend day and night with it? Wouldn’t He want to spend His time with someone more like him? Perhaps these are the questions Adam and Eve had asked themselves before taking that infamous bite. Certainly, these are similar to the questions we ask ourselves every day. We can’t believe that God would want anything to do with us, let alone love us. He is SO perfectly good, and we are SO not that. We see all the ways that we have failed, and all our little flaws and so we become afraid of being in his presence and we hide. We cover ourselves up with make up, with power, with titles, with tasks, with busyness, and we hide from the Lord and from the people and things God actually wants for us. We tell ourselves we are not worthy, or worse yet, that we don’t need Him, and we hide.

Yet, how wonderful it is that our story doesn’t end there. Enter the new Eve, who has been chosen from all time to be the mother of the Savior we need, and despite her lowliness, despite her weaknesses as a human being, Mary begins her response to the Archangel Gabriel with one word, “Behold.” In other words, “Look here. Here I am. You don’t have to search for me. I am yours.” In beginning her response to the angel with this word, Mary allows us to have a new answer. Even in our worst of human moments, when we have hurt those we should love the most, we don’t need to hide. Instead, it is in those moments when we must be willing to rely on God’s grace and mercy the most.

Prayer: O Mary, the Immaculate Conception, give us a heart like yours. Pray that we, even in our many imperfections, can choose to reveal ourselves to the Lord and trust completely in his grace and mercy.

Closing: If you haven’t done so yet this advent, make a plan to get to confession and to beg humbly for forgiveness from those you have hurt.

Wayne Topp is a development officer with the Stewardship Department for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He he has been married to his wife, Marianne for 19 years and they have seven children. Together, they spend lots of time in the kitchen baking and cooking and coming up with ways to make the faith fun for their children.

Advent Reflection for December 10 – The Second Sunday of Advent
Readings: IS 40:1-5, 9-11, PS 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14, 2 PT 3:8-14, MK 1:1-8

Invitation to Prayer: Lord God, help me to prepare my heart to receive You.

Reflection: Isaiah, John the Baptist, and Paul have joyful new for us: Be ready for the Lord, our salvation is at hand!

Isaiah speaks to the Jewish people about the coming Messiah. Proclaiming: “Prepare the way of the Lord!” In every valley, on every mountain, in the wasteland, and the plain the glory of God will be revealed to us. This is great news! He is going to come to bring us all together making us His flock. Just like for the people of Judah, the coming of the Lord means new life, peace and freedom from sin. How true these words ring today, when we gather around the altar united to the Lord and each other by the Eucharist.

St. Paul picks up this theme. He is writing after the resurrection and is concerned with the next Advent: the second coming of the Lord. He tells us that like a thief in the night, we might be unprepared when Jesus comes. At the end times our lives will be laid bare, since earth and the heavens have passed away. Paul’s prompt to be ready leads us to encounter Christ the sacrament of confession, refreshing us with a new beginning that conforms us to the new heaven and new earth of righteousness heralded by Christ’s return.

Finally, John the Baptist is peaching the repentance of sin through baptism. He is calling the chosen people, like Isaiah before him, to prepare for someone greater them he. John wants Israel to be found ready for a greater baptism, not of water, but of Spirit. Jesus comes and transforms John’s baptism by His own, and now we Christians share in His life, by this sacrament. Baptism prepares our hearts by cleansing us from sin and making us members of the Body of Christ: The Church. By receiving the gift of baptism, we have the foundations to begin living a life ready for the coming of God.

Equip your hearts for the coming of God, be cleansed of sin and at peace with your fellow man. Treat this as good news and be eager, lest the Lord come to you unprepared.

Prayer: Lord, help me to prepare to encounter You. Let me see your kindness and be granted your salvation.

Closing: What in my life needs God’s cleansing touch? How can I prepare my heart to be united with the Lord?

Matt Hess is the Director of Ministry at the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics.

 

Advent Reflection for December 11 – Monday of the Second Week of Advent
Readings:  Is 35:1-10; Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14; Lk 5:17-26

Invitation to Prayer: Lord Jesus, open our minds and hearts to discern Your will so that we may always point others towards you through our word and deed.

Reflection: “Why should I go to confession to a man, if only God can forgive my sins?” This retort is a common assertion that I hear from my Protestant brothers and sisters who object to the idea of going to confession to a priest. In a similar way, in our Gospel passage today, the Pharisees ask themselves, “who but God alone can forgive sins?” Both assertions are absolutely correct: only God can forgive sins. This is true. Full stop. But our God chooses to share this power to forgive with sinful fallible men through the priesthood, to make his power to heal present, in and throughout human history. Such is the audacity of God to put his faith in men.

The crux of the Gospel passage today is the negation of Christ’s power to forgive sins as contrasted with his power to heal. The radiant figure of Jesus jumps off the page of the Gospels when we read accounts of his healing power. People would stream from far and wide to wait up to three days (Cf. Mt. 15:29-37) to be healed by Jesus. How extraordinary it must have been to witness the healing of the mute, the blind, the lame and even the dead. But the crucial detail of our Gospel today is that of the faith of friends of the paralytic and the Pharisees lack of faith.

How disheartening it must have been to have arrived at the place where Jesus was present and not be able to see him, not be able to receive his healing touch. How easily could the friends of the paralytic lost faith with this seemingly unsurmountable obstacle. However, these friends had an audacious faith that wouldn’t allow for a simple obstruction to be the reason for failure. These friends must have been convicted by the notion that Jesus wanted to have their paralytic friend come to him to be healed. In contrast, the Pharisees only see limitation in God’s power. Physical healings are a visible tangible manifestation of power, but the forgiveness of sins is a hidden spiritual reality.

It’s hard to believe something when you don’t see it with your eyes. It’s hard to believe that God heals me more profoundly when I go to confession than if he were to heal me of a physical infirmity. This requires real faith. I have often asked myself, “where would I be without confession? To whom could I go?” We would have no hope without Jesus’ power to forgive sins even if we could be healed of all physical maladies.

Jesus is still healing. He wants you to come to him to be healed in the confessional. It would be good for you to go to confession during the Advent season. It would be even better if you not only invited family and friends to go to confession but actually took them to confession with you. Be the friend that brings about the healing of another by bringing them to Christ.

Prayer: Lord, Jesus, give me the grace to receive your healing touch through confession so that I may prepare my heart for your birth this Christmas.

Samuel Vásquez serves as the Managing Director of Hispanic Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He attends St. Gertrude parish with his wife Adriana and his children.

Advent Reflection for December 12 – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Readings: Zechariah 2:14-17 or Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Judith 13:18BCDE, 19; Luke 1:26-38 or Luke 1:39-47

Invitation to Prayer: Lord Jesus, through the intercession of Our Lady, help us be living signs that point to the love of your son Jesus Christ for the world.

Reflection: “You are the highest honor of our race.” (Judith 15:9).

During Advent we joyfully anticipate the coming of Our Lord. The readings today, however, turn the focus to Our Lady; to her great faith and indispensable role in bringing Jesus to us in a manger in Bethlehem. Today we also celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. At first blush, this may seem an odd feast to have during Advent, but this is yet another example of Our Lady’s indispensable role in bringing Jesus to us; in this case, bringing Jesus to the people of Mexico.

On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, a 57-year-old widower was on his way to Mass. He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music that sounded like birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it stood an Indian maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico to ask him to build a chapel on Tepeyac hill. The bishop, prudent and thoughtful, told Juan to have the lady give him a sign.

About this same time, Juan’s uncle became seriously ill. Wanting to get help for his uncle, Juan tried to avoid the lady. Nevertheless, she found him and assured him that his uncle would recover, put roses in his tilma and sent him back to the bishop.

It was December 12. Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence. The roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On the tilma where the roses had been was the image of Mary as she had appeared on the hill at Tepeyac.

When the people learned that Our Lady had appeared to Juan Diego and saw the tilma, they reacted with an enthusiasm and joy never seen before. Within 10 years, nine million had become Catholics, nearly 3,000 a day! The details of the image of Mary in the tilma was what moved them so deeply. Mary was seen as greater than the Aztec sun god since she appears standing before the sun. She surpasses the moon god since the moon is under her feet. She is no longer of this world since she is surrounded by clouds and held above the world by an angel. Our Lady wore her hair loose beneath her mantle, a sign of virginity in Aztec culture. She also wore a black ribbon about her waist, the sign of a noblewoman who was pregnant – profound symbolism of the dual miracle of the Incarnation and her perpetual virginity. Her folded hands show her in prayer, which means that there is Someone greater than she. The tilma miraculously survives to this day and hangs above the altar at the Basilica in Guadalupe Basilica.

Some ancient cultures saw the sun, moon, and stars as a visible manifestation of a god who remained unseen. Most, however, did not think the sun itself was a god. You see, ancient peoples were not the simpletons we have been led to believe. Even so, they were mistaken. But their mistake was a small one compared to ours. They got the big picture. Namely, that things, events, and actions signified something beyond themselves, they transcended the present. We moderns have exchanged the transcendent and eternal for the here and now. This is very much like seeing someone pointing at a beautiful sunset and going to stare at their finger rather than the sunset. Who has made the bigger mistake? Who is to be pitied and who is to be envied?

Let us take the opportunity of this great Marian Feast to sanctify ourselves so that even a world fixated on the here and now will notice. If we authentically live out our Catholic faith in the present, we can be living signs that point to the eternal. We do this by performing corporal and spiritual works of mercy, by living out the Beatitudes. After a time, the world will stop merely looking at the signs themselves and start looking at what they are pointing to. Namely, the eternal and transcendent God in his divine Son, Jesus Christ, who is reaching out to them.

Prayer: Almighty Father, through the intercession of Our Lady, help us be living signs that point to the love of your son Jesus Christ for His children living in the world today.

Closing: Take a moment this week and consider how you can prepare for the coming of Our Lord by giving the gift of your life to God and your neighbor.

Deacon Rusty Baldwin serves as a deacon in the NE-6 family of parishes in Dayton, Ohio. He was ordained in 2007. He has been married to his wife Heather for 38 years and is the father of eight.

Advent Reflection for December 13 – Memorial of Saint Lucy
Readings: Is 40:25-31, Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10, Mt 11:28-30

Invitation: “Come to me all who are burdened and I will give you rest”.

Reflection: We are nine days into Advent. Are you feeling burdened? Have you been taking time to reflect on what Our Lord wants you to learn during this period leading up to the celebration of His coming? Like most of us, you may be finding less and less time to spend with Our Lord, less time to spend with your spouse, and/or less time to spend with your children.

Like those whom Jesus was addressing lo those many years ago, you may be distracted by everyday things that have little of no meaning in your life. The devil does a great job of placing distractions in our lives that take our focus off of our faith journey.

Take a few moments today to re-order your anticipated celebration of the season. STOP! Sit and look at the creche in your home. Look at the peace that Jesus brought to His mother and father. Look upon the creche scene like the shepherds. The least educated among the inhabitants of Bethlehem who were offered to opportunity to welcome Our Lord. Imagine how that felt.

Decide today to share the meaning of the season with your spouse, children, family or friends. Each of those you celebrate with, Our Lord has placed in your life to allow you to reflect on the gift each of them is today and into the future. Doing so may help you feel you have less burdens. Then enjoy the ‘rest’ that comes with the lifting of those burdens.

Closing: Try to share the meaning of the season  daily until Jesus comes in all His glory and you will be able celebrate His birth with joy.

Deacon Joe Grote Author of: “Where Have All the Fathers Gone?”

Advent Reflection for December 14 -Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Readings: Is 41:13-20, Ps 145:1 and 9, 10-11, 12-13ab, Mt 11:11-15

Invitation to Prayer: “O Blessed Jesus, give me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of Gentleness, King of Peace.”

Reflection: Today is the Memorial of Saint John of the Cross. St. John was a Carmelite priest, ordained in 1567. There is much that can be said about the austere life which St. John lived. But the reality is that he embraced a life of voluntary penance, fasting, and prayer which is hard to imagine in today’s comfort-at-all-costs world. How interesting, then, that the Church has placed his memorial day in the season of Advent. Advent is a one of the penitential seasons along with Lent. Perhaps not with the same intensity as Lent, but penitential nonetheless. So it is good for our soul to practice some penance during Advent in order to prepare for the joyful incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas.

The beauty of the Catholic tradition of honoring the saints is that it gives us an opportunity to examine our lives in relation to theirs. What aspects of the holy lives of the saints can we incorporate into our life so as to increase our own holiness? In the life of St. John of the Cross, we see someone who expresses his intense and unwavering love for God by offering to Him acts of penance and sacrifice. Might we – on some scale – be able to do the same as we journey through Advent? Celebrate the sacrament of penance. Sacrifice a favorite food or show. Intensify our prayer life. As expressions of our own love for God, these acts of sacrifice are sure to spiritually prepare us for the coming of our Lord.

As we prepare our hearts during Advent, may we abandon ourselves to God’s love and mercy, so that we may rejoice with the angels on Christmas morning: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Prayer: O God, by whose grace your servant St. John of the Cross, kindled with the flame of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church. Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light. Help us to bear the crosses in our lives with courage and grace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: May we all endeavor to offer some penance or sacrifice to God during Advent, as an expression of our love for Him and our thanks for the abundant blessings in our lives.

Deacon Mark Machuga is the Director of the Office of the Diaconate for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He serves as a deacon at Mary, Queen of All Saints Family of Parishes. He was ordained in April, 2016. He has been married to his wife Julie for 44 years, and is the father of two and grandfather of six.

 

Advent Reflection for December 14 – Friday of the Second Week of Advent
Readings: Is 48:17-19, Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6, Mt 11:16-19

Invitation to Prayer: Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life. (John 8:12)

Reflection: In the Psalm today (which happens to be the first Psalm), it says that one is blessed who “delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on (God’s) law day and night.” I don’t know about you, but I’m afraid my boss, my wife, my kids, and all those around me would be upset if all I did was sit around all day reflecting on God’s law. I’d end up unemployed, divorced, hungry, and alone.

However, I must admit that I could certainly do a bit more contemplation that I do now. I have alarms set at four different times during the day to remind myself to pray; I’m lucky if I actually take advantage of those reminders more than twice a day. I’ve tried to work my way through the Psalms, but my progress has been halting at best. I have an app on my phone where I can access the daily readings anytime I want, but I probably only use it 2-3 times each week.

This all makes me a little frustrated with myself, but when I hear today’s readings it renews my commitment to do better. Knowing that faithfulness to God’s commands results in prosperity, fruitfulness, and thriving future generations (not to mention coming closer to God, being more like Jesus, and being better able to love people more completely) really does inspire me to up my delight and meditate game.

Hopefully you’ve been able to do a bit more meditating and coming close to God’s word during the first two weeks of Advent, but if you haven’t, give it a try. As the Chinese proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

Prayer: My Lord and God, open my mind, soul, and heart to your word; teach me what is good; and lead me on the way I should go. (Is 48:17)

Closing: Consider a time where you can each day make a little more time for Jesus. Even five minutes will be a blessing.

Andrew Musgrave serves as the Director of the Catholic Social Action office. He is a member of the Church of the Resurrection, has been married to Ana  and has two amazing daughters, Layla and Juliet.

Advent Reflection for December 16 – Saturday of the Second Week of Advent
Readings: Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11; Psalm 80: 2ac and 3b, 15-16, 18-19; Matthew 17: 9a, 10-13

Invitation to Prayer: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: All flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Alleluia verse)

Reflection: In today’s Gospel reading, the disciples are coming down the mountain having just experienced the Transfiguration. The conversation that they have is quite cryptic if you do not have the background from the verses preceding this passage. The disciples, specifically Peter, James, and John, the core three of the Twelve Apostles, had just witnessed their teacher and friend be transfigured in front of their very eyes, His glory shown in a way that most of us can only imagine. Not only that, but they also saw Moses and Elijah appear and speak with Jesus. Not knowing exactly how to react, Peter at least knows that he doesn’t want this moment to end. They also heard the voice of the Father. Many things are happening and I for one cannot imagine how they processed it all, especially as they make their way down the mountain, returning to the rest of the Apostles to continue working alongside Jesus during his public ministry.

I wonder what other questions these three privileged disciples had for our Lord during their descent. We may never know on this side of eternity, but the evangelist Matthew only records for us that they start asking Jesus about Elijah. Through the indirect way that Jesus speaks, the disciples begin to understand that Jesus is drawing a connection between Elijah and John the Baptist.

Both Elijah and John the Baptist are forerunners of Jesus. Both men are prophets to a people who desperately need a Savior. Both prophets are preparing their respective people for Christ’s coming. During the Advent season how well are we preparing ourselves and others for the Lord’s arrival? Are we devoting appropriate time to prayer? Are we sharing the joy of the gospel?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, your Incarnation shouldn’t have been a surprise to us. You gave us prophets and signs and wonders. You have given us your Church to always point us back to You, to your friendship. Yet we often miss it. We are sorry for the ways that we have failed, not only in seeing you and opening ourselves to your presence in prayer, but also helping others to know you and to love you. Grant us the grace to spread authentic joy during the Advent and Christmas season.

Closing: Spend five minutes each day this upcoming week in silent prayer. The following week, try to increase it to ten minutes. Start small, but start. If it feels too easy, that is okay. Preparing the way of the Lord begins in our own hearts. Open them to Him this Advent.

Kevin Stetter is the Lay Campus Minister at the Newman Center at Miami University. Kevin has served the Church in campus and young adult ministries for almost 15 years. He graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a Masters Degree in Theology and Christian Ministry.

 

Advent Reflection for December 17 – Sunday of the Third Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11; PS (Luke 1), Is 61:10b; Thess 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

Invitation to Prayer: Lord Jesus, the world’s happiness is poor and transitory. As St Augustine wrote in his confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless util they rest in You.”

Reflection: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” (John 1:23).
This third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday” because of the first word of the introit at Mass, “Gaudete” (Gaudete in Domino Sempre, i.e. Rejoice in the Lord always). We also rejoice, because we are now more than half way through Advent and Christmas draws near. The liturgy of today’s Mass repeats the words of St Paul in which he urges the first Christians of Philippi: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.” (Phil 4:4).

In the Gospel we see the figure of John the Baptist, the one called to prepare the way for the Lord. John came to know Jesus in a tangible way through direct encounters with Him at the Visitation (Luke 1:39-41), pointing Him out as the Lamb of God to Andrew and another disciple (John 1:29-34), and the Baptism in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17). To encounter Jesus and to remain in his company is to possess a deep happiness which is new every day. In “The Joy of the Gospel” Pope Francis states, “Jesus is the source of true joy; not the fleeting happiness that the world offers, but the deep and lasting joy that comes from knowing and following Him.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as I draw close to your coming, give me the grace and strength to build my life more firmly on you as my rock and foundation. You are the only true source of light, life, and happiness. Help me to surrender my desires, plans, and will more fully to you.

Closing: Take a moment this week to reflect on the two or three things Jesus is asking you to let go of in your life in order to make your true source of joy.

Fr Jacob DuMont serves as the Faith Development Director for the archdiocese of Cincinnati and as the community superior for the Legionaries of Christ in West Chester, OH.

Advent Reflection for December 18 – Monday of the Third Week of Advent
Readings: Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Mt 1:18-25

Introduction: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,

Reflection: A silent figure in the Bible, St. Joseph, the faithful spouse of Mary, does not speak a single word. He is present in Jesus’s early days but fades to the background without a word of what becomes of him. There are very few things revealed about Joseph, but what is revealed is telling of the kind of person he is. This story of Joseph is a story of trust in the Word of God and the entrustment of Mary into his care.

Joseph was likely around 18 years when he and Mary were betrothed, a normal age at that time, but still young especially compared to present-day. It is hard to imagine the thoughts that must have run through his mind when Mary revealed that she was pregnant. How did he feel? Was he confused, wondering what could have happened? Was he angry and upset? Afraid? Although we can’t know what Joseph felt at the time, he planned to quietly step away and not make a fuss.

Before he could follow through, the Lord’s angel appeared to Joseph in a dream asking him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home and name the child, conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus. After a revelation like that, one would think Joseph would be even more afraid, for the angel tasked Joseph to care for the Lord’s bride. Instead, he did as he was asked, trusting in the Lord and that the child would truly be the Son of God.

This Advent, how have we shown our trust in the Lord? God sometimes asks us to take leaps of faith. In those moments when our logic and fear take hold, it can be difficult to immediately say “Yes Lord”. Joseph was visited in his dreams and told what to do but we don’t always have such a clear sign. Perhaps today we can ask St. Joseph for his intercession to make clear God’s desires to us and extend a little bit of courage to say yes and take Jesus into our homes.

Prayer: Lord, help me in all things to listen to you and have the courage as St. Joseph did to shine your love on others around me.

Closing: Take 5 minutes of silence each day leading up to Christmas Day and listen to God’s plan for you.

Jillian Foster is the Regional Director (Dayton/Northern Region) of the Catholic Social Action office in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

 

Advent Reflection for December 19 – Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent
Readings: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a; Luke 1:5-25

Invitation to Prayer: Emanuel, as we await your coming, send forth your Holy Spirit to consume our hearts and minds to make straight the way! May the Spirit open our eyes to see you in a new way, our ears to hear you in a new way, our hearts to receive your love in a new way, our minds that we may understand you with a new understanding, and our mouths that we may always proclaim Your glory.

Reflection: But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.”
The first words of the angel Gabriel to Zechariah should fill us with great joy! The Lord hears our prayers! Not only that, but he answers them! What a great gift our Father gives us, the reassurance that He is listening to our prayers and answering them.

Yet, how often are we like Zechariah, who is blessed with a message from God by way of an angel, and yet he still disbelieves that his prayer is being answered? “Then Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this?’”

This bears the question, how many times have we encountered an angle or a situation in which our prayers are being answered, and yet we think it’s too good to be true, and/or we brush it off as coincidence? For myself, I have constantly had to remind myself to look for the little ways the Lord reveals His heart to me. In the conversation of family and friends, in the small gestures of my co-workers, in the kindness of strangers waiting in line at the grocery store check out.

The Lord is constantly speaking to our hearts revealing the ultimate desire of our hearts, to be seen and loved.

When we fail to recognize God’s movements in our lives, we become like Zechariah, mute to the goodness of God. For if we cannot see His movements, how can we share them? We cannot!! So as we continue in the Advent journey, preparing our hearts for the arrival of Christ Jesus, let us ask that the Holy Spirit will come and open our senses to become more aware of God’s movements in our daily lives.

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, move in our hearts to reveal the great love of God our Father. May we always be made aware of His presence in our lives and never be afraid to share it with all!

Closing: Remember, once Zachariah’s muteness ends, the first words out of his mouth are praise for all that God has done. Let us become more aware of all the things God has done for us so we may be quick to praise the Lord in all things!

Alex Bodenschatz served as a NET Missionary from 2018-2020 and now works with NET as the Eastern Regional Recruiter.

Advent Reflection for December 20 – Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent
Readings: Is 7:10-14, Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6, Lk 1:26-38

Invitation to Prayer: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to thy word.”

Reflection: There is a stark difference between Ahaz, a King of Judah, and Mary, a virgin of Nazareth. Just from what we can surmise about kings and maidens, Ahaz has wealth, power, and an entire kingdom at his disposal; Mary has. . . none of that (chores, probably?). The comparison is even more comical than if you were to put up an armor-clad, sword-wielding giant against some random young shepherd boy with a sling and some pebbles. But despite their differences, both have something to teach us in our readings today.

Ahaz is not a good king. He has desecrated the altar of the Lord, set up idols to Baal, and even sacrificed his own children to false gods (2 Chron 28). And yet, God sends Isaiah to this man to give him a message of hope. Immediately preceding the episode described in our today’s first reading, Ahaz and his people have just learned that their enemies have joined forces in a conspiracy to conquer Jerusalem – the city of King David and his line – and are greatly fearful. Through Isaiah, God tells Ahaz that it shall not come to be, and to ask for a sign to allow the Lord to reaffirm his commitment to the promise he made to David. Ahaz rejects this invitation to trust in the Lord, and instead turns to the Assyrians for military protection, who indeed protect him, but at the cost of his sovereignty and the safety of the rest of Israel.

Mary, in contrast, responds with great humility. There is no preening at the greeting of the angel. There is no rejection of his message. She asks a clarifying question, and upon receiving an answer, responds with the words that we still pray in the Angelus today: “May it be done to me according to thy word (Luke 1:38),” humbly surrendering to the will of God.

God didn’t come to those two solely for their own sake. If Ahaz had turned to the Lord, all of Israel would have benefited. Because Mary was faithful, she bore the savior of the entire human race. Our cooperation with grace never blesses us alone – if we allow the Lord to work through us, he blesses us and everyone with whom we come into contact.

Who is impoverished when we reject the Lord? Ourselves, certainly, but also, tragically, our family and friends. There is no greater gift we could give this Christmas than Christ himself – if we truly love them, why would we prevent our most loved ones from experiencing and encountering Christ’s love through us? He wishes to give each of us a great sign, “as deep as Sheol, or as high as the sky (Is 7:11),” for, “stern as death is love, relentless as Sheol is devotion (Song 8:6),” and this is the love with which he loves each one of us. As he came to Ahaz and Mary, God comes to us with an invitation. He desires to do some great work for us – with us. Whose response shall we imitate?

Prayer: Loving Father, as your Son approaches, help me to see your face and to respond to your call. You desire to pour out your love and your grace upon me; help me to receive you in truth, so that the peace and joy of your presence will overflow into each person to whom you send me.

Closing: What great work does God desire to do in your life? How is he inviting you to cooperate with him in blessing others?

Paco Patag is a homeschool graduate and an alumnus of Cincinnati State Community College, the University of Cincinnati, and the Saint John Leadership Institute. He serves as the Associate Director of Young Adult Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and currently resides at the Stella Maris men’s household at Our Lady of the Valley in Reading. Paco always welcomes conversations about life, books, and music, especially around a fire or on a good hike.

Advent Reflection for December 21 – Thursday of the Third Week of Advent
Readings: Sg 2:8-14, Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21, Lk 1:39-45

Invitation to Prayer: Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

The words uttered in today’s Gospel by the Blessed Mother are a response to the action of the Holy Spirit working in her life. This prose is not a mere knee jerk reaction. When Mary made this statement, she had pondered and accepted the Angel Gabriel’s request to be the Mother of God, had travelled far to see her cousin, and had been greeted by Elizabeth as John the Baptist leapt in her womb. This text was carefully chosen by Mary, and recorded in the Bible to last with us. It’s not a coincidence that these words echo those of Hannah in the first reading. As St. Augustine tells us, “In the Old Testament the New is concealed, in the New the Old is revealed.”

Little details are known about this event. This leaves lots of room for our imaginations to ponder, similar to the Virgin Mary. Should I ever write a musical about said event, I might portray Mary in a “Julie-Andrews-fashion” …high up in the hill country, Mary tossing her head back and belting out the Magnificat as if the “Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music”, completed with a panoramic camera scan even.

What we do know, though, is that Mary rejoices…not with God, or through God, but *in* God. In this moment, Mary expresses how God’s joy becomes her joy too and this is something in which we can all relate. We have all loved another person so deeply…a spouse, a child, a dear friend…that we feel their joy as our own. Some might say that this is the source of our greatest joy, even. And, naturally, we want to share this with others, just as Mary and Elizabeth did. This joy is increased when we can find God right in the midst of it.

There’s only a couple days left of Advent. No matter what this Season has brought for you, take time to look for joy today, no matter how small or big. And, when you find your cause, thank God for it. For Mary says it best, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Amen!

Prayer: Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Closing: In today’s maps, Ein Kerim where it is said Elizabeth and Zechariah lived is about 90 miles from Nazareth which then would have been a arduous journey. Today reach out to maybe you haven’t seen someone in a while, meet up, and shine Christ’s love on them and let their love of Christ shine on you.

Christine Baumgardner is the Associate Director for Adult and Family Evangelization at the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. She is a parishioner at Our Lady of Sorrows in Monroe.

Advent Reflection for December 22 – Friday of the Third Week of Advent
Readings: 1 Samuel 1:24-28; 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd; Luke 1:46-56

Invitation to Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, and teach us to bear Christ to our world as Mary does.

Reflection: I wish I could remember who was giving the talk and in what context I heard for the first time that a great time to pray the Magnificat (today’s Gospel) is right after receiving the Eucharist. The speaker shared something along the lines of…”Like Mary, you are filled with the physical presence of the Lord at this time”.

I wish I could remember who said it because I would thank them for completely changing how I pray during the most important worship I get to do. But I do know who to thank for my new understanding of the context in which Mary shares this beautiful prayer – Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, and everyone who helped on Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast (this is not a paid advertisement). After FINALLY reading/listening to the Old Testament, I know what Mary means when she says

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.

For generations upon generations, Mary’s ancestors held onto the hope that God had not forgotten them during their plights, flights, exiles, oppression, etc. And she is the one picked to be Theotokos – meaning “God-bearer”. Her cousin Elizabeth has recognized this upon a simple greeting! So yes, her spirit rejoices. The Almighty has indeed done great things for her and holy is his name.

When we receive the Eucharist, may our spirit rejoice. May we remember the great thing God has done for us in the sacrifice and resurrection of His only begotten Son, then coming to us in the Eucharist at every Mass.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for showing us mercy, the strength of your arm, and how you lift up the lowly.

Closing: Write or print the Magnificat and pray it after receiving communion at your next Mass.

Molly Gallagher is a Scheduling Administrator for NET Ministries’ Eastern Regional Office and volunteer for Faith Formation and Youth Ministry at the St. Gregory the Great Family of Parishes.

Advent Reflection for December 23– Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
Readings: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24, Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14. Lk 1:57-66

Invitation to Prayer: He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (Psalm 25: 9)

Reflection: I was invited into a family’s home in Mali in western Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. The home had been rebuilt after floods had destroyed the previous structure. The one-room home had a few pieces of furniture and in one corner were all the family’s possessions – a pile no bigger than my last trip to the grocery store. In that moment I recognized with humility that we in the Catholic Relief Services’ delegation were honored guests to a family that had survived the loss of their home and their belongings.

I had entered seeing what they did not have and left humbly knowing that it would take more than one person to fund their needs, those of their neighbors or people in other communities around the world whose lives are threatened by hunger, violence or climate change. This is where the wisdom of standing in solidarity with people experiencing poverty could change the direction of their lives.

God in his great goodness and Jesus in his gentle guidance leads us away from our preconceived notions about what the poor should do. Jesus calls us to set aside our “valid” excuses and look out for the other’s dignity and join in solidarity to care for our brothers and sisters wherever they live. We also can join our voices in advocacy for families who are struggling to survive. We can urge our elected officials to change policies so that we assure the common good of all.

To do any of that we begin humbly by allowing our hearts to be open to God’s call to love and then we raise our eyes to find the path God is showing us, so that we can love God and love our neighbor.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, give us hearts of compassion and humility. Lift from us our false belief that our perception is the only one that is right and true. Help us to see with your eyes.

Closing: Have a conversation with someone to whom you would not generally speak. Talk until you understand their humanity. Or volunteer with organizations who are guided by Catholic Social Teaching principles. Follow their direction to advocate for families who are poor and vulnerable.

Pam Long is a parishioner at St. Julie Billiart, Hamilton, in the St. Stephen Family of Parishes. She volunteers with Catholic Relief Services, speaking on behalf of families around the world striving to survive. She and her husband Bob gave birth to three children and also are grateful for their three grandchildren.

Advent Reflection for December 24– Fourth Sunday of Advent
Readings: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16, Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29, Rom 16:25-27, Lk 1:26-38

Invitation to Prayer: As we begin and end this last week of Advent today, lets us pause to consider how G

Reflection: “Do not be afraid, Mary… You have found favor with God.”

Standing in the side wings of the stage, butterflies built up in my stomach, and doubts begin to creep in about how well I really knew my lines, and how strong my voice was that day. I knew I had rehearsed plenty, and that my cast mates were there to support me, yet the anticipation of being in front of the crowd was still taking its toll on me. There behind me stood my friend reassuring me of just how good this experience would be, and then the curtain rose and I stepped out to perform. I think many of us have had experiences like this when we doubted or when we didn’t know what was coming next, yet we were in this situation that required us to step out into the spotlight and we are terrified.

Isn’t it wonderful that in one of the greatest moments in salvation history, our blessed mother experiences those same emotions. Yet, the Angel says “Do not be afraid.” For so many of us those words, while giving some reassurance, don’t often take away the fear. Oftentimes it’s taken as just another nice thing someone is saying, but it doesn’t change how we are feeling. I wonder if the same was true for Mary. And yet, isn’t this often the way that God works. Throughout the story of salvation, kings, and prophets, and even servants are called at a time when the greatest fear is upon them, and God reveals a plan greater than they can imagine. It’s a plan, most often that is all even more than they can handle. But God still calls, and God provides the grace.

Today, I believe that God continues to work in this way. While we may still be afraid, and feeling ill equipped, he asks for us to trust him and to say yes to plans that are bigger and better than we could ever imagine. Do we trust him enough? Are we willing to see ourselves as worthy of that great call?

Prayer: Oh glorious mother Mary, even in your fear you were willing to accept that God truly loved you enough to be filled with his grace and to accept a call far greater than you could imagine on your own. Pray for us now that we too can receive grace sufficient to accept the great mission that God has for each of us. May the coming of Jesus Christ your son remind us that he will redeem us and will bring about great things in our lives if only we say yes. Amen.

Wayne Topp is a development officer with the Stewardship Department for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He he has been married to his wife, Marianne for 19 years and they have seven children. Together, they spend lots of time in the kitchen baking and cooking and coming up with ways to make the faith fun for their children.

December 25, 2023 – Christmas Day
Readings: Is 52:7-10, Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6., Heb 1:1-6, Jn 1:1-18

Invitation to Prayer: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Reflection: The wait is over. The time is here. The Advent season, even in its abbreviated form this year, has drawn to a close. The joyful anticipation we’ve been focusing on has now reached its fulfillment. For today, along with the shepherds in the field, we hear the angel proclaiming to us, “{T}oday in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.”

We all know of course how our celebration of Christmas often includes gift-giving, as a way of showing our love to one another. The gift of Jesus, among other things, reveals God’s love for us. And it’s not just some general gift we might receive in a White Elephant gift exchange. It is the most personalized gift because Jesus, our Savior, has been born for us, for you and for me. A gift wrapped, not in beautiful wrapping paper with fancy ribbons and bows, but in swaddling clothes. A gift not lying under our brightly-decorated trees, but rather, in a manger.

So, let us receive this gift with great joy and gratitude. Let us receive our Lord Jesus with an open heart and a tongue full of praise. Let us welcome the new-born babe into our lives anew, always seeking to remember that Jesus is born specifically for you. May you always allow Him to be your Lord, your Savior, and your Prince of Peace.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to be like the shepherds who heard the message of the angel, and who encountered you lying in the manger. Just as they went forth glorifying and praising God, enable us, through Your grace, to spend our lives seeking to give you glory and praise in all that we do.

Closing: Take time today to intentionally express your praise and your gratitude to God, Who is the giver of all good gifts.

Reverend Tim Ralston is the pastor or the Stella Maris Family of families which includes, St. Bernadette Amelia, St. Mary Bethel, St Peter New Richmond, and St. Thomas More Cincinnati