Advent Reflection for December 1 – The First Sunday of Advent
Readings: Jer 33:14-16, Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14,1 Thes 3:12—4:2, Lk 21:25-28, 34-36

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. They were eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of the promise God had made to the house of Israel and Judah, just as the Prophet Jeremiah proclaimed.

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, exhorts his disciples, “Be vigilant at all times!” Our anticipation of the coming of the Lord is to be active: standing with heads raised high, alert and clear, never afraid, because our redemption is at hand.

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 – especially in the charity we have for one another, as Saint Paul reminded the Thessalonians – 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 2 – Monday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Is 2:1-5; Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9; Mt 8:5-11

Invitation to Prayer: Lord, may I always walk along the path of perfection.

Reflection: In the 16^th century, St. John of the Cross, the great Spanish mystic, likened advancement in the spiritual life to an ascent up a mountain, an ascent up Mount Carmel. Throughout “The Ascent of Mount Carmel,” St. John details how one can only ascend this mountain through the road of negation by seeking the nada: nothing other than God. This is a striking contrast to modern works of spirituality or to the many self-help books that crowd the shelves of modern day bookstores. It’s easy to miss the insight of the nada if one does not read deeply into the lives of the saints and Sacred Scripture. Growth in holiness can easily be misunderstood as simply consisting of the acquisition and development of gifts and virtues.

As a young growing disciple, I used to think that every zealous Catholic should aspire to be like the great saints who accomplished great feats and excelled as human beings. Simply put, we should want to be great. While we should strive to imitate the virtues of the saints, this line of thinking is actually a bit flawed. St. Therese of Lisieux, for example, had an encounter with a young novice on one occasion. The novice said to Sister Therese, her novice mistress: “Ah! How many things have I to yet acquire,” in order to grow in holiness. Sister Therese responded, “say rather to lose. It is plain to me that you have taken the wrong road; you will never arrive at your journey’s end. It is a mountain that you wish to climb—the very mountain which God wishes you to descend; there at the foot, in the fertile valley of humility, he awaits you.”

The centurion in our Gospel reading today lived in this valley of humility. This man is one of the most remarkable figures in the New Testament. A centurion was a man chosen by his own men.  Because of this, he had to be a hard man, a man able to command the respect of salty veterans, but with enough wisdom and prudence to lead irascible men in peacetime and in battle. Yet, underneath that tough exterior he was also a man of tenderness. He was greatly concerned, uncharacteristically,  for his servant, his slave. A slave (pais – lit. boy) was simply a piece property but it’s obvious that he bears a certain affection and even fatherly concern for his pais.

This centurion is a man who combines exquisite qualities that seem to be almost antagonistic: toughness and tenderness, confidence and humility. It is for these last two qualities that he is praised by Jesus. It is for his humility that he has the glory of hearing his words repeated every time that someone goes to Holy Communion. He trusts in Christ’s power to save and knows that he is not worthy to have Jesus do this for him, but yet he trusts in his word. Confidence and humility are the two virtues that will open up the heart of baby Jesus to shower us with gifts during this time of Advent.

Prayer:  O Jesus, give me a heart that is meek and humble so that I may trust and never lose hope in you.

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 3, The First Tuesday of Advent
Readings: Is 11:1-10, Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17, Lk 10:21-24

Invitation to Prayer: The Alleluia antiphon: “Behold, our Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.”

Reflection:  As I sit here observing from my office window, how the sun illuminates the white passing clouds, enflames the remaining crimson and brown December leaves, glitters on the surface on Winton Woods Lake, I begin to reflect on today’s alleluia antiphon; “Behold, our Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.”  I’m drawn into the majestic beauty of God’s creation.  With His power he enlightens our eyes to the beauty around us, not only in nature but in the people he has placed in our lives that bring us closer to Him.

This Advent season Jesus invites us to the open the eyes of our heart and soul.  That we may see the birth of a star, the birth of Jesus, the birth of grace, the birth of a new friendship, the birth of eternal life, the birth of His blessings pouring into all mankind.  His grace abides in our inheritance in Him, the grace to love, the grace to offer mercy and forgiveness, the grace to pray, the grace to share our lives with others, the grace to see Him in others, and the grace to accept and serve Him.

Advent is a time of abundant grace, beautiful grace that illuminates His coming.  Jesus invites us into His grace, into his heart and soul to something radiant, majestic, remarkably understandable and yet, profound in its simplicity and complexity.  To accept His grace in all its forms this Advent season requires us to be open, to be awake; to be constant in our gratitude for the many gifts and talents He has placed in our lives.

Prayer:  Father God, good and gracious Lord, thank you for enlightening the eyes of our heart and soul to your graces poured out upon us to observe your beauty all around us in nature and in those you have placed in our lives to bring us closer to You.

Resolution:  I will take the time to pray, reflect, and give thanks daily for the graces of all the gifts and talents the Lord as blessed me with and to share those gifts and talents with others in building up the Kingdom of God.

Deacon Henry Jacquez serves in the Queen of Apostles Family of Parishes.  He was ordained April 2013. He has been married to his wife, Betsy for 45 years, is father of Christina, Mark, and Eric and has seven grandsons. He enjoys fishing, kayaking, and sharing his faith with others.

Advent Reflection for December 4 – Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10a; Psalms 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Matthew 15:29-37

Invitation to Prayer: Our God who art in heaven, you have blessed us in so many ways, across ages and lands, and we ask you to open our hearts to your guidance and lead us to use your blessings to serve.

Reflection: I have to admit – there are often days when I read the daily scriptures and am challenged to find the overarching theme or call. I might see a connection between two of the readings or might catch a glimmer of a unifying message, but I still struggle to pull it all together. Not today! From the first line of the first reading from Isaiah, it’s clear on what we’re focusing – GOD. IS. GOOD. God loves us, provides for us, protects us, comforts us, heals us, will do anything for us. From the beautiful picture painted by the prophet Isaiah, to the sublime vision of the 23^rd Psalm, to the familiar and heartwarming story of Jesus healing and feeding everyone, it is love on top of love on top of love. (I encourage you to bookmark this page so you can come back to these readings whenever you’re having a bad day. These readings are so nurturing and encouraging!)

But of course, I can’t leave well enough alone. What is the challenge here? How do these readings lead us to be more faithful, more Christ-like, closer to God? There are surely several possibilities, but I settled on this: in the midst of a world that is so torn apart by war, violence, natural disasters, and political division, we must not lose hope. Why? Because we know what is yet to come. We know what God has in store for us. We have a picture, a vision, a promise of what God’s love means for us (and by ‘us’ I mean ALL of God’s children and creation). And so the challenge is this: if we have the great blessing to know that God loves us and will always seek to love us in new and beautiful ways (we just have to let God in), we can move through the world with hope, standing in solidarity with those who are struggling, sharing love with others, and sharing the good news of God’s grace.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as I open my eyes and heart to the love you continuously pour out on us, guide me to find those who are not feeling the fullness of your love and allow it flow through me, bringing you and your love to every corner of the world.

Closing: Look at those who are in your closest circle and who you love the most. Could you open your circle a little more and show love, especially to people who might not be in anyone’s closest circle?

Andrew Musgrave has served as the Director of the Catholic Social Action office since 2019. He is a member of the Crescent Family of Parishes (Church of the Resurrection) and is married to Ana with whom he has two amazing daughters, Layla and Juliet.

Advent Reflection for December 5 – Thursday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 26:1-6; PS 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a; Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Invitation to Prayer: Dear Lord, you said the kingdom of God is not for those who merely say words but for those who actually act according to the will of our Father in heaven. Grant me the strength and wisdom to live by your teachings and embody your love in all that I do.

Reflection: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”  Matthew 7:21

At its core, this gospel underscores the importance of genuine faith. It is not sufficient for anyone to merely declare their belief in Christ or to call upon Him as “Lord.” Instead, the passage suggests that true recognition of Jesus as Lord must be accompanied by a commitment to living according to God’s will. Words alone are meaningless. We must put our words into action, but even then, our actions must be in line with the will of God and not our own.

I imagine standing before Jesus at my judgement and being told that I cannot enter because I only pretended to be a Christian, selfishly did what I felt was right and failed to actually do the will of the Father. It causes me to become quite introspective and think about what motivates my behaviors and the decisions I make each day.

There are times when I can become very judgmental and question the motives of others while convincing myself that what motivates my decisions and behaviors are almost always altruistic.  Are others being nice to me because they want something? Did they give me this gift so I might reciprocate? Isn’t it okay to be selfish one in awhile? Doesn’t God want me to be happy?

Saint Ignatius of Loyola recommended over and over the practice of considering all our current decisions and actions from the point of view of the day of judgment. What would I wish I had done in that moment? How one answers that question is of essential importance to the way one lives their life today.

Matthew 7:21 serves as a powerful reminder that faith in Christ is not solely about verbal affirmation but is inherently tied to one’s actions. It challenges us to evaluate their spiritual lives, urging us to move beyond superficial declarations of faith to a lived experience that embodies the teachings of Jesus. By doing so, we not only affirm our relationship with God but also contribute to the realization of His Kingdom on earth.

Prayer:  Saving God, help me to see my life and all of my actions in the light of Your will and Your Truth. I desire to live in accord with Your perfect will. Give me the grace I need to amend my life so that the day of judgment is a day of the greatest glory.

Closing: Take some time to reflect today and ask yourself if your actions of late have been discerned based on the will of the Father or your own desires.

Al Kovacic is the Director of Campus Ministry at Elder High School. Al and his wife Melinda have 4 sons and reside in Villa Hills, KY as members of Saint Joseph Parish in Crescent Springs.

Advent Reflection for December 6 – Friday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 29:17-24, PS 27:1, 4, 13-14, Matthew 9:27-31

Invitation to Prayer: Dearest Father, please fill my shoes with feet that desire to walk humbly in Your way and act in love on the concerns of my brothers and sisters.

Reflection: No matter the weather outside, the prophet Isaiah is passing along a forecast for God that one fine day is coming, especially for people who are deaf, blind, lowly and poor. In the Gospel of Matthew, two men who are blind are gaining their sight, thanks to Jesus’ intervention. And in some homes this morning, children found small gifts in their shoes if families are celebrating the generosity of St. Nicholas.

Sounds like a good day ahead. Except for one thing. In both passages someone had to first note the existence of people who are deaf, blind, lowly and/or poor and understand how those conditions impact their dignity, livelihoods and their family members. Someone has to do something about it. Jesus did. That’s what brings about the happy anticipation and the rejoicing ahead for that fine day.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to see what is going on around us, to pay attention to how people are faring. It doesn’t appear that Scripture is giving us a pass on our responsibility for people in harm’s way by simply acknowledging people are in bad straits. No, we have to do something. We are called to act on Jesus’ behalf – be his hands and feet on earth as St. Teresa of Avila urges us.

We have a lovely tradition of filling children’s shoes with sweets in honor of St. Nicholas, but we may have forgotten that the origin of that tradition lies in a social justice ill that called for some intervention.

As the story goes, St. Nicholas understood what was required of him when he learned that three girls were going to be forced into prostitution. (We call it sex trafficking today.) He is said to have dropped off three bags of gold to give them dowries. He applied his faith to change their lives.

For any of us who received some treat in our shoes, we would do well to remember that we walk in the footsteps of saints  and we are to show our love of God and neighbors by listening and doing something when we hear the cry of people who are poor, lowly, deaf and blind, because that’s what followers of Jesus do. They pull on their shoes and go respond as Jesus would.

Prayer: Jesus, give me the courage and vision to act when I hear the cry of the poor, to open my hands and move my feet in a direction that loves my neighbor.

 Closing: This day draw closer to your neighbor and act in a way that opens their eyes to see the love of Jesus working through you.

Pam Long is the chair of the Social Action Commission for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Director of Love in Action for the St. Stephen Family of Parishes in Hamilton, Ohio. She and her husband Bob celebrated 50 years of marriage in October. They gave birth to three children and are grateful for three grandchildren.

Advent Reflection for December 7 – Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26; PS 147:1-6; Matthew 9:35-10:1,5a,6b

Invitation to Prayer: O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith, raise us up to be witnesses to Your love through our words, our behaviors, and our actions, that we may use wisely the gifts you give to each one of us.   We make our prayer in the name of Your Son Jesus.  Amen

Reflection: How fitting that our Scripture readings today fall on the day the Church remembers St. Ambrose, one of the Doctors of the Church and a man known for his steadfast commitment to teaching

In our first reading, God speaks through the prophet and tells us that He hears our cries and will bestow His grace. God will give us what we need.  Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospel, fulfills Isaiah by giving the Apostles and the people of that time the words and the command that they needed.  And 2000 years later, He gives us today that same message and command. It is simply to “go”.  Go out as a worker for the King; go and with confidence care for all of God’s people.  Go and without worry, take the time to sit with one another and to use the words that God will give us to provide comfort, support, reassurance.

The holiday season can be painful for those who are alone or suffering from the passing away of family or dear friends.  Jesus is reminding us of that today and puts in front of us, again, the questions we should not be afraid to face:  what goes God want from us? What is our mission; what is our call?  God will use us in extraordinary ways, just as He did the great St. Ambrose, when we take Jesus’s teachings to heart.

As we wait for the baby Jesus to come again, we must again go and be His loving and tender hands, His arms of comfort-giving embraces, His feet to walk with all who are in need.  Holiness of life is discovered in prayer and made visible in action.   Perhaps my friends, today and each day during this season of Advent, we can go and be the laborer that God and this world so desperately needs.

Prayer:  Almighty God, I commit myself to Your mission.  I choose to let Your will guide my steps. Send me, Lord, to those in need. Help me to know how I can help them.

Closing: Cherish these days and make the best use of these few short weeks of Advent. Let the recalling of the miracle of Jesus’ birth and the gift of life that the Father gives us be our inspiration to go and change the world, one person and one interaction at a time.

Deacon Ed Bayliss is assigned to the St. Gregory the Great Family of Parishes of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Guardian Angels and Saint John Fisher.  He works as business manager at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains and serves as deacon and OCIA leader at the cathedral basilica.  Deacon Ed and his wife Kim have 5 children and 7 grandchildren.   

Advent Reflection for Sunday, December 8 – The Second Sunday of Advent
Readings: Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6, Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11, Luke 3:1-6

Invitation to Prayer: Come, God of peace. prepare our troubled and burdened hearts to receive you more this day.

Reflection: Advent often flies by for me. Four weeks doesn’t seem like a lot of time to “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Mary carried Jesus in the womb for nine months, literally allowing herself to be transformed from the inside out for the coming of Christ. Yet we condense that time to an intentional and intense four weeks of preparation. Last week we reflected on Hope that only comes from God, this week, we focus on the Peace that only comes from God. 

I love this first sentence we hear from God today to prepare us for His peace, “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever.” Our world is so broken right now. We live in constant stress and fear that life can often seem miserable. But that is not the story God wants to tell us. God’s story is not one of misery and woe, rather it is one of victory and peace.

As a child, one of my chores was pulling the weeds in the flowerbed in front of our home, and I hated it! It was the worst thing in the world for my adolescent self because it took forever and was so boring. Yet, in the weeding of the flowerbed, the path to our home looked inviting to my friends and family. People felt welcomed and invited to a beautiful and peaceful space. Today, my life can be quite chaotic. I keep a full schedule and hold high expectations to perform to the best of my ability. Because of that, I can get bogged down in the stresses of life and feel anxious and worried about many things. Today, I’m reminded in these readings to slow down and prepare the flowerbed of my heart for the coming of Christ. I must intentionally make time to pull the weeds from my heart that make me anxious and worried so that the flowers of peace may rest there instead.

Today, as we sit with these readings, my hope and prayer for you is the same as St. Paul’s for the Philippians, “That your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, help us to slow down and weed our hearts of all the things that rob the peace you have bestowed on us.

Closing: “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

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

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

Invitation to Prayer: Lord Jesus, may our lives be like that of your Holy Mother, sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and open to the grace you offer us every moment of our lives.

Reflection: “Hail Mary, full of grace!” (Luke 1:28)

Today we celebrate the great Marian Feast of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.  That is, today we are commemorating the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady whereby Mary was preserved by God from the stain of Original Sin!  The Immaculate Conception is full of doctrinal, spiritual, and symbolic significance, but at its root, the Immaculate Conception was a gift from God.  A gift to Sts. Joachim and Anne, Mary’s parents, who were childless until they were blessed with Our Lady; a gift to Mary herself who clearly could not have done anything to merit such a gift prior to her own conception; and finally, a gift to us, that we might become the sons and daughters of so noble a mother!

Some may have the mistaken idea that being good and holy came easily to Mary because she was conceived without original sin.  And while I would agree that the graces she received were such that goodness and holiness came naturally to her, that is not the same thing as coming easily.  Goodness and holiness are the fruit of trials and tribulations and Our Lady had more than her share.  Among her many titles are the Mater Dolorosa (the Sorrowful Mother) and Our Lady of Sorrows after all.  Furthermore, the same graces that were freely given to Mary throughout her life are also freely given to us.  God doesn’t dispense high-grade class “A” graces to saints and martyrs and lower-grade class “B” graces to the rest of us.  He gives the same grace to all!  Therefore, holiness and goodness can come naturally to us as well.  Really, it is only our unwillingness to say yes to the joys and suffering that goodness and holiness brings that stands in the way!

So, let us rejoice in the truth of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady that the Church teaches and Holy Tradition hands on to us.  Let us rejoice in Our Lady’s fiat, in her yes, by which Our Lord was born of a Virgin, by which Mary became not only the Mother of God, but also the Mother of the Church, and our Mother!  As a result, not only is Jesus Our Lord and Savior but He is also our brother, and we are privileged to call God our Father.  Let us especially rejoice that, like Mary, all the graces we need to live a holy life have been freely given to us.

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us!

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank you for your Mother, your first and greatest disciple.  May her example inspire me to live a life pleasing to you.  Through your Sacraments, grant me the grace to courageously choose the path of perseverance and holiness and so become the saint you want me to be.

Closing: Take a moment this week and prayerfully consider where you need to say yes to God during Advent.  In what area of your life is the Holy Spirit urging you to accept the grace He is offering you?

Deacon Rusty Baldwin is assigned to the St. Gaspar Family of Parishes.  He has been married to his beloved wife Heather for 40 years.  They have 8 living children and 4 with God in heaven.  Deacon Baldwin is retired but keeps quite busy serving in various roles in his Family of Parishes.