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ADVENT Week I
Sunday, December 1
- Jeanne Moore
Monday, December 2
- Philip Powell
St. Albert the Great Priory & Novitiate, Irving, TX
The centurion immediately recognizes Jesus' authority over disease and
disability. Drawing a comparison between his own authority as a military
commander and Jesus' authority as the Son of God, the centurion declares his
faith in Jesus' ability to command that his servant be healed. Not only is he
acknowledging Jesus' authority to heal, he's also confessing that he believes
that Jesus can heal his servant without seeing him or touching him: “. . .but
say the word and let my servant be healed.” Jesus' response to the man's faith
is telling. He is amazed, and says to the gathered crowd, “I tell you, not even
in Israel have I found such faith.” While those who should be flocking to Jesus
– the priests, the scribes, all the people of the Covenant – are instead
questioning, ridiculing, and arguing with him, this Roman solider – a pagan
invader, and occupier among God's own people – sees and hears the truth that
Christ is sent to reveal. The centurion sees in Christ the truth of his divine
mission, the truth of his purpose, and so he accepts the authority that this
truth wields in the man Jesus. There is no way to distinguish or separate
Christ's truth from his authority. If we accept the truth that Jesus is the
Christ, then we also accept his authority as our Lord.
Would he be amazed at our faith, our obedience in 2024?
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP <pnpowellop@gmail.com>
Tuesday, December 3,
2024 - Carl Paustian
I love how so many of our scripture readings start during the season of Advent —
we get phrases like the one we had today, “On that day.” I love it, because it
shows us that we’re pointing towards something.
The Prophet Isaiah gives us this beautiful vision, this beautiful prophecy about
the coming of the Messiah: about the Root and the Stump of Jesse, how he will
judge with justice, how he will be a friend to the poor and the down-trodden. We
also get the incredible vision of peace: the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and
the goat, the calf, the young lion and the child. Enemies in a sense will become
friends. It’s a great vision of what is hoped for.
Advent isn’t simply a time to prepare for Christmas. Certainly, that’s our
proximate preparation. But this is a time, a season, meant for so much more.
It’s meant to prepare us for the end of time, it’s meant to prepare us for the
judgment. Ultimately, it’s meant to prepare us for heaven. The season of Advent,
these four weeks, are meant to prepare us for what we long to see and what we
desire to hear.
And if we’re preparing for something, that means it takes work. That’s the
difference between passive waiting and active preparation. It’s the input that
we must do. If we hope to see justice and lasting peace, if we hope to see the
Kingdom of Heaven, it means that our work now must be implementing that vision.
Fr. Carl Paustian, O.P. <vocations@opsouth.org>
Wednesday, December 4,
2024 - Benedict Johnson
 Readings: Is 25:6-10a; Ps. 23:l-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Mt
15:29-37
Memorial of St. John of Damascus, Doctor of the Church
Why
doesn’t everyone see the truth of God’s love for humanity? Why
are
so many simply unable to
know what God has in store for them. The reading of the Isaiah talks about a
great feast that God will provide for all humanity. This is
our
end, this is why
we
were made: to feast with
God in his kingdom. But until we arrive
there, we are held back. There is a “veil that
veils all peoples, the
web that is woven over all the nations.” The
sufferings of this life, the daily reminders of sin and death among us, the
injustices we experience—all of this keeps us from clinging to the God who simply
wants to feast with us. We find it so hard to see past this veil of pain, of
sin, of death. If anyone were to tell us, “Don’t worry! It’s all in God’s
providence!” we would dismiss him as naive, simplistic, unaware of what we
actually go through. So again, we have to ask: why can’t we see and cling to the
great love God has for us? And
further, if
we
are
an
Order of Preachers, how
do we communicate this love in a way that people will accept?
The
saint we commemorate today, John of Damascus, points
us
in the right direction.
He is best known for defending the Church’s use of icons and images. He taught
that, by becoming incarnate in our mortal flesh, Christ makes us see the
invisible God through his humanity. And so, now in the Church,
we
can really, truly know
and love God through our material images, be they icons, statues, paintings,
etc.. Now this all sounds great, but how does this help us deal with the veil
that blinds us to the feast God call us to?
Christ
uses
us
as images of his
redeeming love in the world. In our Gospel, Christ’s heart “is moved with pity
for the crowd,” the crowd that has followed him, hungry and thirsty and tired
as
they were.
But
his pity
doesn’t
stay inside him. It
actually impacts the crowd, and not without the help of his disciples. They are
the ones
entrusted with
distributing the feast. They are the ones supposed to feed the crowd.
In
so doing, they image and
make present the pity of Christ’s heart for the crowd. The disciples extend
Christ’s compassion to the crowd. They are images that make real and effective
what
the love
they
signify.
Imperfect as we are, we are called to do the same, especially as preachers. Our
words, our preaching, and our lives of ministry are supposed to be sacred images
of Christ’s pity and mercy in the world. The veil that Isaiah talks about won’t
taken away from the world, unless we allow ourselves to become images of that
love. As our
brother, Thomas
Aquinas, often writes, God delights in using secondary
causes.
God doesn’t remove the
veil by some abstract decree from above. He condescends, and he continues to
condescend through us. As we contemplate Christ’s coming this Advent, we should
remember that he continues to come and visit his people through us. The world
needs us to be authentic images of Christ.
Thursday, December 5,
2024 - Francis Orozco
We have
a lot to look forward to on that day when the Lord will come again!
We’re on the 5th day of Advent, the season where we prepare for the comings of
Christ.
We usually spend a lot of time and energy preparing for Christmas Day: buying
decorations and gifts, making plans to travel or host others — or both, and
tracking down an item or ingredient to make something perfect. How much time do
we spend preparing our souls for Christmas Day?
Jesus wants us to build our house solidly on rock, a stable, unshakable
foundation. A strong foundation gives the best opportunity for a robust faith
(as well as a home).
Our Dominican men, in formation to be priests and brothers, spend years in
study, living in community, growing in ministry, and cultivating a solid life of
prayer! And in the last few years, an additional year of formation was added.
People often wonder why, especially when there is such a need in the Church. The
answer is that the people of God need well-formed priests and brothers to be
good preachers and leaders in the Church.
We spend a lot of time preparing for important things. Spending time on the
foundation gives us the best opportunity for a robust faith!
Fr.
Francis Orozco, OP <forozco@opsouth.org>
Friday, December 6
- Theresa Fox
Reading 1: IS 29:17-24
Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while, and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the
orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; And out of gloom and
darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One
of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will have gone; All who
are alert to do evil will be cut off, those whose mere word condemns a man, Who
ensnare his defender at the gate, and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of the house of Jacob, who redeemed
Abraham: Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of, nor shall his face
grow pale.
When his children see the work of my hands in his midst, They shall keep my name
holy; they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob and be in awe of the God of
Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault
shall receive instruction.
Gospel: MT 9:27-31
As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have
pity on us!”
When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he
touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they
went out and spread word of him through all that land.
PREACHING - DECEMBER 6, 2024
Today is commonly known as the Feast of St. Nicholas, a bishop in Myrna in the
4th century. Not much is known about his life, but he was known for being
generous. A legend says that he saved three girls from prostitution by throwing
bags of gold into the house of their family. Somehow stories have come down
through the centuries to connect this bishop with our current idea of Santa
Claus- the giver of gifts at Christmas.
In today’s Gospel Jesus saved the two blind men from a life of blindness by his
healing. This was a precious gift that changed their lives forever. When they
left the house where Jesus healed them, they began to tell everyone of this
precious gift they had received. After all everyone they met would have noticed
the difference. Instead of feeling their way along the road, they now walked
straight marveling at all they saw. All because of Jesus and his miraculous gift
to them.
In this Advent season we often focus on gift giving. Today let us take time to
reflect on the marvelous gifts we have been given. Yes, our sight, our families,
our health and so much more. Let us especially appreciate the gift of faith that
leads us to God and guides our every action each day.
Theresa Fox <tfoxop@gmail.com>
Saturday, December
7 - Sr. Mary Rose Carlin
Memorial of St. Ambrose
(Is 30:19-21, 23-26; Ps
147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8)
Monastery of the Infant Jesus, Lufkin, TX
Jesus, God made manifest as teacher and healer as prophesied in the Book of
Isaiah in today’s first reading, steps off the page in today’s Gospel for he
comes “teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and
curing every disease and illness” (Mt. 9:35). Recently, at a Novitiate Scripture
sharing on the widow who put two small coins into the Temple treasury, our
aspirant remarked, “How fortunate that woman was to have Jesus looking at her.”
Her comment struck me and came to mind when reading the Gospel of today. In this
case we could say, “How fortunate that crowd was to have Jesus looking at them.”
Moved with pity for the troubled and abandoned crowd, he surprisingly tells his
disciples to ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
Here we see the marvelous mystery that God’s mercy will be extended through
human beings. When he summons the Twelve he specifically gives them authority to
heal. Theologically, we view sickness and disease as the result of sin, although
not necessarily the result of personal sin. Yet God uses what is the punishment
as also the remedy for it is in our sickness and weakness that he is drawn to us
in compassion and we reach out to him in our need. It is also what draws and
binds us to each other. As his coworkers, when we share in his teaching and
healing ministry we share in the very heart of Jesus, the very heart of God for
our hearts like his are moved with compassion at the suffering we see, and we
are filled with gratitude at the mercy we receive.
Christ’s injunction to pray the master of the harvest to send workers into the
harvest is often interpreted by Catholics as an injunction to pray for priestly
and religious vocations. This is fair enough since they are certainly workers.
The immediate context of the Gospel makes it seem even more restrictive. Since
it is the Twelve Jesus calls after saying this, it could be taken as a command
to pray for bishops to be like the good St. Ambrose, whom we celebrate today.
Yet Jesus’ order seems even broader than this for we want all of us to be sent
out to gather the harvest, all of us to share in Our Lord’s tender and
restorative love. Since it is God’s love, only God can give it to us. That is
why Our Lord tells us to ask for it for ourselves and for each other. During
this Advent may all of us proclaim, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand,” by our
lives. May we cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons
whether this is through sacramental ministry, the ministry of our work, or
through our manifest charity. May our own illnesses be healed; what is dead in
us, resurrected; what is leprous, cleansed; and our personal demons driven away
that we may freely give what has been freely given to us: “the tender compassion
of our God” (Lk1:78).
Sister Mary Rose Carlin <srmaryrosecarlin@gmail.com>
 ADVENT Week II
Sunday, December 8
- Chris Eggleton
Joyful anticipation and
hope are in the air! In the Gospel passage, Luke highlights human history, for
God will be born in a particular place and time. John vigorously announced that
the Salvation promised has now arrived and interior disposition is crucial. The
mountains of greed, racism, and hatreds are to be flattened; whatever impedes
our ability to receive the Source of merciful love is to be relinquished.
In her
novel “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” Carson McCullers writes: “There was hope in
him, and soon perhaps the outline of his journey would take form.”
The
brown-streaked song sparrow, which only begins singing in late winter offers its
hope-filled song.
Chris Eggleton <ceggleton@opsouth.org>
Monday, December 9
- Ceal Warner
Tuesday, December
10 - Joseph Kerstiens
—
Matthew 18:12-14
What is
your opinion?
A small business owner has worked tirelessly for his family and most of his
life. He is moderately profitable, he is prudent with his finances, and on top
of that he is a great employer and an even better manager. Having put in extra
time to grow his enterprise at a healthy rate, he now has several storefronts
throughout town that have quickly become a beloved part of the city’s culture.
Despite the success of his small chain, he has one location that consistently
underperforms. This location is on the edge of a dying part of town, regularly
receives complaints about the staff, bounces between being in the red and
turning an unjustifiably meager profit and fails to measure up in quality of
output to the rest of the chain. One could easily say it is damaging the
goodwill of everything that the entrepreneur has worked so hard to build.
Knowing this, it makes it understandable when he decides to close the failing
location without hesitation. What good business is there in supporting something
that hurts the rest of all you’ve worked for? Why keep a seemingly
unsalvageable, failing part of the business? Why pour in even more extra work
with little promise of return? It is frankly bad business.
So why do we see the shepherd in the Gospel today make a similar reckless
and bad decision? If you’re like me, you’d think it is foolish to endanger such
a large part of your livelihood for something so trivial. What are we missing?
How can God, as the good shepherd be so foolish?
In a sense, God is foolish—at least by human standards. He is ready and willing
to put aside and give up absolutely everything for the sake of his beloved, with
zero expectation of a return on investment. His love is so sacrificial that he
would make the bad business decision to “keep the failing shop” or “go in search
of the stray,” not because that “failing shop” and that “stray” are
intrinsically worth saving, but because His love for them gives them value. My
friends, we are not a good business decision for God; it was a scandalizing
decision for him to give Himself up on the cross for us. And yet this love is
exactly what we are called to emulate.
In His seeking out those who are lost, God communicates both (1) where our value
truly comes from—that is, His desire to salvage us and seek us out, His desire
for us; and (2) the nature of love that we are called to—that is, a foolish and
reckless love willing to give up of our own livelihood and being for another.
This twofold lesson will benefit us as we prepare for Christmas:
(1) How have I defined myself? By my successes? By my accomplishments? By my
relationships? How might my life change if I see my sole value in God’s love for
me? On Christmas day, God entered into this world to seek us out. What does it
mean for Him to seek me out?
(2) Christ became human on Christmas so that we can become like Him. Do I love
as God does? Do I love without thought to myself, foolishly and recklessly? What
can I abandon for love of Him and love of my neighbor?
Joseph Kerstiens <jb.kerstiens@gmail.com>
Wednesday, December 11,
2024 - Carmen Mele
Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
(Isaiah 40:25-31; Matthew 11:28-30)
Today’s
reading from the second part of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah highlights the
paramount virtue during Advent – hope. Hope enables humans to tolerate desperate
situations by providing a plausible remedy. In the reading Jewish exiles in
Babylon are experiencing hardship. They were defeated with heavy losses during
the siege of Jerusalem. Now as strangers with a distinguished heritage they face
ridicule and contempt. God, speaking through the prophet, assures the people
that they will not remain marginalized for long. He, forever young and strong,
will see them through the trial to peace and prosperity again.
The well-known passage from the Gospel of Matthew likewise gives a message of
hope. Jesus tells those who feel overburdened by the many laws of Judaism not to
give up. Rather they are to find hope in a relationship with him. He provides
comfort and strength with his love for them. He is the long-expected Messiah who
has come to save them from their sins.
Many find the Church today a legalistic overseer with countless rules. Because
they have lost the sense that she is the Body of Christ, they leave her. Christ
would have us tell them to wait and try developing a spiritual relationship with
him. We, Christ’s body, are to share their joys and sorrows, work and recreation
in his name.
Carmen Mele <cmeleop@yahoo.com>
Thursday, December 12,
2024 - R. B. Williams
 OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
[Zechariah
2:14-17 OR Revelation 11:19a;12:1-6a, 10ab
and Luke 1:26-38 OR Luke 1:39-47]
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed
with the sun, with the moon under her
feet, and
on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with
child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. [Revelation]
Sing
and rejoice,
O
daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among
you, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day,
and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you, and you shall know
that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. [Zechariah]
Marian devotion is one of the most prominent signs
of Catholicism, whether East or West. Here in the United States, and south of
our southern border, the devotion resulting from an apparition of Mary
to
a humble peasant on a
hill in Mexico in 1531 has a very prominent place. This would be particularly
important to Mexican Catholics. Despite some sentiment to the contrary since
almost every country south of the border has
a particular Marian devotion -a Nicaraguan student
once said to me,
'Tm Nicaraguan.
She's not OUR Lady!" -
Pope John Paul II proclaimed Our Lady of
Guadalupe
to be the patroness of
all the Americas! The image from the cloak ("tilma") of St. Juan Diego on
display at the shrine in Mexico City is visited by thousands of pilgrims every
year.
The
significance of the image is multi-layered. Mary is presented as a young
pregnant
mestizo
woman surrounded by many symbols. She is seen by many as God's favor and
presence among the poor and oppressed people of the Americas. I have seen
reproductions and stylized versions of the famous image on all kinds of surfaces
in Texas and elsewhere in the Southwest of the USA. I have met both women and
men with the first name "Guadalupe!" There is no question of the power of the
image and the one who is depicted in it!
As with
all Marian apparitions, whether Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, Medugorje, etc..,
people of faith are invited to consider the message and the person, Mary, who
brings it. These should all point to the Son of Mary and strengthen the faith of
those who are drawn to the particular devotion. The celebration of this feast is
a reminder
of the Blessed Mother's
maternal care as well as a reminder of what her
Son‘s
teachings challenge us
to
do for others, especially
the poor and oppressed of the Americas.
AMEN
Friday, December 13,
2024 - Auggie DeArmond
St. Anthony of Padua
New Orleans, LA
Lectionary: 185;
Reading 1: Is
48:17-19; Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6;
Gospel: Mt 11:16-19
Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
Jesus compares the people of his day to two groups of “children who sit in
marketplaces,” playing make-believe games, who are rather fickle about what they
want from each other. The argument has to do with whether John the Baptist’s
ascetic way of life and discipleship were better or worse than Jesus’s
“celebratory” spirit of welcoming sinners to repentance. In other words, Jesus’
critics try to create friction between those who followed John and those now
following Jesus.
Yet, both John and Jesus focused on the same goal: Calling men and women to
reconciliation with God. There was no animosity between Jesus and John. In fact,
there was great admiration for each other and, from the perspective of John,
great devotion to Jesus as the Messiah. John even directed his own disciples to
follow Jesus!
Every person in the Church has an opinion on discipleship and devotion to the
faith. There are those people in today’s generation who criticize the members of
the Church for being inconsistent in our witness to that faith. Why do you spend
so much time in adoration? Is it not more practical and effective to offer
outward service to the community? Shouldn’t you be more involved at the local
food pantry instead of always fretting about your regular participation in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation? All of these are important exercises of Christian
discipleship, and we should make such active and contemplative practices a
reality in our own lives, regardless of the criticisms of others.
Whether through prayer or works of charity, both of which are integral to the
Christian discipleship, we should direct our hearts to the hearts of both John
the Baptist and Jesus. They both desired that men and women turn back from sin
and be reconciled to God. As we continue the Advent Season, let us offer both
our corporal and spiritual works toward the goal of preparing ourselves and our
neighbors of the coming of Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate image of God and
man reconciled.
Fr. Augustine J. DeArmond, OP, JCL <adearmond@opsouth.org>
Saturday, December
14 - Wayne Cavalier
 ADVENT Week III
Sunday, December 15
- Cristóbal Torres Iglesias, OP
The Fulfillment of All Desire
At this time of year, I often think about the Christmas morning of 1980. I’d
spent weeks pining after a battery-operated toy electric guitar to bring my rock
star fantasies to life. I remember that ecstatic moment under the tree when,
having torn through the scotch-taped wrapping paper, my hands finally held the
fulfillment of all desire. After inserting the C batteries in the plastic casing
and striking my coolest rock-star pose, I ran happily about the house,
improvising melodies on the colorful plastic buttons (it was string less!) and
showing off the most amazing Christmas gift Santa (my dad) had ever given me. I
played my new guitar for hours, sharing my excitement with everyone that
Christmas morning… until I sat on it. And that was that.
Christian life is a school that forms us to look perseveringly toward the
fulfillment of all desire. Our faith schools us the sometimes-difficult
discipline of living in hope. Advent especially fosters this, with readings and
liturgical texts that train our hearts and minds to watch and wait in darkness,
as we quietly rejoice in the approaching light. The indispensable element, of
course, is to continually refocus the heart on the right thing, on that alone
which can truly fulfill every desire, plastic electric guitars notwithstanding.
On Gaudete Sunday, or the Sunday of Rejoicing, we are reminded that in some
sense, the end of our wait is always near. We never know when a piercing ray of
grace will break through the darkness and turn it on its head, any more than we
know when the Prince of Peace will call us home. Life in Christ trains us to
persevere in quiet joy, in times both dark and bright. As Advent gives way to
the fulfillment of all desire, let us perseveringly seek Jesus, knowing that his
presence is within us and around us, waiting to be known, loved, and made known.
And as God sustains us in hope, may we rejoice, knowing that the Spirit of Life
conforms us - even now - to the One for whose coming we so ardently yearn.
Cristóbal Torres <cmti1971@gmail.com>
Monday, December 16,
2024 - Francine Schwarzenberger
“I
shall ask you one question…”
The time of Jesus’ passion is approaching. Tension is building as Jewish
religious leaders attempt to catch Jesus off guard. Jews and Gentiles alike are
rejecting God’s invitation to the Messianic banquet. But Jesus, so cleverly,
asks one question – precise and concise – in today’s reading. “I shall ask you
one question…”
Jesus asks one question often. Some scholars say he does this more than 70 times
in the Gospel according to Matthew, but in all the Gospels, he only answers
three. Sometimes the questions confer dignity, or initiate a conversation, or
lead people to deeper knowledge. Sometimes the question exposes duplicity.
“Who touched me?” “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother ‘s or sister’s
eye?” “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” “What do you want me to do for
you?”
It is Advent, a time of welcoming the Incarnate Word in our midst. What question
is Jesus asking you today?
Francine Schwarzenberger <francineop@msn.com>
Tuesday, December
17 - Carlos Salas
Tuesday
of the Third Week of Advent
Genesis 49:2, 8-10 | Matthew 1:1-17
To look forward to what’s ahead, we look at where we’ve been. On this final week
before Mary gives birth to the Word Incarnate, we remember today the ancestors
and the pillars of our faith. Matthew begins the genealogy of Jesus with
Abraham, God’s friend, the one who models faith in God for us. The second
section begins with David the king, the father of the wise Solomon, and the
final section post-Babylonian exile. Fourteen generations in each section,
though not precise. Matthew’s goal was not to set in stone the hard historical
information but to convey the relationships. Most importantly that Jesus is the
son of Abraham and the son of David by lineage through the adoption of St.
Joseph, the husband of Mary.
In this lineage we find ancestors who remind us both of the praiseworthy and
grace-filled example doing of God’s will on the one hand, and the reminder that
sinfulness has entered humanity on the other. I think that that is what we all
need to recognize when doing an examination of conscience before approaching the
Confessional. When we only look at our sinfulness we can be led to anguish, but
only looking at the moments of grace can tempt us into a state of comfort.
Instead, both are necessary. And it is only by that holistic approach that we
can more easily notice that the Lord has been walking with us through our life,
and not that He is distant (or even altogether gone) in the darker memories of
our life. Christ Himself referred to the ancestors by Moses in the passage about
the burning bush when he called “Lord” the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob, and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him
all are alive. If the Lord is with those who have already died, how much more is
He not with us who are preparing to welcome His Son into our life?
In this process of examination of one’s conscience, recognizing that the Lord
has been with us through it all, we are then ready to give Him all our
sinfulness and accept His grace. We look forward to what’s ahead: the
remembrance of His birth and His dwelling among us. To welcome Him into our life
even more, it is helpful to take this final week to make a thorough examination
of conscience and ask the Lord to help us notice His presence with us through it
all.
fr. Carlos Salas, OP <csalas94@hotmail.com>
Wednesday, December
18 - Cecilia C. Bryant
Righteousness, justice, salvation; these words are heard throughout today’s
readings and are significant as we approach the celebration of the Incarnation.
Righteousness is defined as acting in accord with Divine or moral law. True
justice can only be obtained through the Just Judge GOD himself who shows no
partiality and loves each of us equally as His own and confirmed this by sending
His only Son so that everyone who follows Him will obtain Salvation – Eternal
Life with GOD. We cannot achieve salvation without GOD. HE is in us and with us.
Joseph knew this because as the Gospel states he was a righteous man and did not
hesitate when the angel told him he was part of GOD’s plan for the salvation of
the world. Are we prepared to follow the path of righteousness and allow GOD to
be the Just Judge?
Cecilia Cahill-Bryant <cmcahill63@hotmail.com>
St. Peter Chapter Dominican Laity
Memphis, TN
Thursday, December
19 - Carl Paustian
Friday, December 20,
2024 - Francis Orozco
The
Lord loves to give us signs, he loves to send us little messages or, at times,
big messages.
Do we like receiving signs?
I often think of an episode of The Simpsons where Homer, the father, prays to
God for everything to remain the same:
“Dear Lord…For the first time in my life everything is absolutely perfect the
way it is. So here’s the deal: you freeze everything as it is and I won’t ask
for anything more. If that is okay, please give me absolutely no sign. [1 second
pause] Okay, deal. In gratitude, I present to you this offering of cookies and
milk. If you want me to eat them for you, please give me no sign. [1 second
pause] Thy will be done.”
Most of us, though, whether we notice them or not, whether we ignore them or
not, do receive signs from God. Unless we believe that our life is headed in the
wrong direction, we’ll usually pray a variation of Homer Simpson’s prayer. But
our Lord has great plans for us; he has a mission for us that we may not even
believe we can accomplish. And he tells us about it! What comes after the pause
can determine our life. Homer Simpson doesn’t wait. Our Blessed Mother pondered.
Today, ask the Lord for a sign and wait longer than 1 second. Give it a few days
or weeks. Use that time to ponder. Our Lord has great plans for us; he has a
mission for us that we may not even believe we can accomplish.
Fr.
Francis Orozco, OP <forozco@opsouth.org>
Saturday, December 21,
2024 - Moses Owens
Readings:
Song of
Songs 2:8-14; Psalm 33; Luke 3:39-45My mom talks about how when she was pregnant with
me she could sometimes see me rolling my little fist across her stomach–my
knuckles outlined on her belly. I have no memories of those prenatal acrobatics,
but she and my dad remember. Their tiny baby is now a grown man, but that little
fist saying hello from within left enough of a mark that she can talk about it
30 years later. As our Advent waiting gets closer to ending, we’re swept up in a
similar joyful image of waiting–of love not yet fully seen but nonetheless
believed. And in that belief the wait moves from task to delight. We are called
up into sweetness still to come, into an embrace deepened by delay.
We’re used
to thinking about waiting alongside ideas like patience, endurance, and
suffering. But what about joy? Can we sit still long enough to let the
discipline of waiting lead into the joy of resting in a good thing, in Goodness
Himself?
That little fist on my
mom’s stomach decades ago spoke a promise to her and my dad. That all the
backaches, sleepless nights, and otherpains of pregnancy would be beyond worth it. That a
child really was coming. Not just any child–their child,
their son. My parents could wait, and bear the less than
pleasant parts of that wait, because they believed in the goodness of what was
coming once those 9 months were over. We’ve waited these 3 weeks so far and now
are invited to rejoice as we take stock of who we’re waiting for. Not just a
savior, our
savior. Not just a
random, poetic ‘lover’ in Song of Songs, but
our lover.
Our God and King.
Our faithful and promised Friend.
Our
Jesus.
So if these past 3 weeks, months, years or decades
have been more labor pains than happy baby-bumps and cute photo shoots
announcing life to come, rejoice anyways. Dig deep and ask the Christ Child to
leap within you, to call out to something or someone around you and get you out
of yourself and into His life and love. Ask Him to let you see a little foot or
fist pushing out in joyful defiance of the labor of waiting. And even if He
doesn’t show you what you’re looking for, sing all the same. After all, it's to
you and me that He says, “Let me see you, let me hear your voice, For your voice
is sweet, and you are lovely.”
Moses Owens <tylerowens94.to@gmail.com>
 ADVENT Week IV
Sunday, December 22
- Michael Kratz
Monday, December 23
- Francis Mary Kratz
Mal 3:1-4, 23-24; Ps
25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14; Lk 1:57-66
God is constantly calling us back to Him
and seeking us to renew our commitments to Him. He does not just seek a
half-hearted “yes” to His call, but a decisive turn of heart towards Him and our
neighbor (Mal 3:24). Sometimes this turn of heart confuses those who are close
to us, especially if they expect us to act a certain way. We see the shock
people have when Elizabeth and Zechariah decide to name their child John,
against the traditional custom, due to the angel Gabriel’s message to them. But
also note, as Zechariah takes the decisive step to follow God’s will for his
life, “immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing
God.” (Lk 1:64). And those who were originally opposed to this decision were in
awe and took the events to heart (Lk 1:65-66). Following God along His path
frees us and gives us joy, even in the midst of life’s difficulties, and this is
picked up by those around us.
The Advent season is a wonderful opportunity for turning our hearts back to
Christ. Each day of life we are called to turn back to the Lord’s path, but the
Church has instituted particular seasons focused on this to help reinvigorate
our efforts. In Advent, we anticipate Christ’s Second Coming by examining our
life and seeing what needs changed. Just as Zechariah surely had to reflect on
his decision to follow God’s will after a previous fall, so we also must examen
our lives and bring them into conformity with Christ. In a few days, we will
celebrate in joy at Christmas, where we are truly made present to Christ’s birth
on earth through the liturgy. We ourselves must internalize this mystery, take
it to heart, and allow it to change our life into that of Christ’s.
Francis Mary Kratz <fkratz@opsouth.org>
Tuesday, December 24,
2024 - Dave Caron
Luke 1:67-79
On this last day of the Advent
season, we hear from the father of John the Baptist who prays that the “...the
dawn from on high will break upon us...” These words remind us that
we
have a God who brings order
out of chaos. In Genesis we hear that God creates the earth and all that
lives on it. We learn that the
first act of creation is the creation of light and darkness—even
before the creation of the sun
and the moon. Thus, the dawn, the first light of day is God, from whom Zechariah
expects a merciful visit.
While Zechariah is expecting a
messiah, whom we know to be Jesus, we might apply Zechariah’s prophecy to every
day. The dawn continues to be the sign of God’s presence. Who among us hasn’t
been caught up in the glimpse of a sunrise over the blue ocean or peaking over a
magnificent mountain? Each year Easter Masses and Sunrise Services
are
held to welcome the
Christian
sign of Christ's resurrection.
Every day the dawn appears and proclaims that God is with
us.
Like
the sun, God lights our way out of hopelessness, despair, tragedy, war, etc.
God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness is like that of the sunrise. We can be
assured that that it will
lead
us and guide us to peace, wholeness, and holiness
in
God’s
presence. All
this is God’s handiwork.
May the
Sun
of
Justice whose birth we celebrate tonight, Christmas Eve show us mercy and may
His kindness lighten our hearts, just as the sun illumines the earth. Amen.
Dave Caron, OP
Wednesday, December
25 - Tom Condon
Unlike
the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke, St. John’s Gospel does not contain the
story of the birth of Jesus. Instead, the first chapter of John’s Gospel, known
as the prologue, contains this famous verse: “And the Word became flesh and made
his dwelling among us.” John doesn’t mention Mary and Joseph, angels, shepherds,
animals, or other familiar figures we associate with the birth of Jesus. Yet
this passage is what the church proclaims on Christmas day. John’s Prologue is
more poetic than descriptive. The verse is simple and beautiful. and states the
theological message of the event of Jesus’ birth. The Word of God, the Second
Person of the Trinity, was born a human being and lived among us. That’s what
this great Solemnity is all about. God’s Son joined us in our human state and
revealed to us the glory of the Father for all to see.
Our Christmas traditions include opening presents, visiting family and friends,
and eating a festive meal. It’s a wonderful day for everyone. In all our
celebrations, we must not forget why we celebrate. Pure and simple: “And the
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Christ remains with us now
and will remain with us until the end of time, when he will come again to gather
all his holy ones to share in God’s glory for all eternity.
Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
Fr. Thomas M. Condon <tcondon@opsouth.org>
St. Dominic Priory
St. Louis, Missouri
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