The sun through the bare trees

Walking in the Light…

The readings for the First Sunday of Advent begin with the prophet Isaiah’s vision:

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!” – Isaiah 2:1-5

What does your vision of walking in the light of the Lord look like?

Picture yourself ascending the mountain to receive instruction from the Lord. Be attuned to the stirrings of your heart as you do so. Thinking about your ways (words, actions, and general way of being), ask the Lord to join.

Letting the Lord be the judge, what adjustments might help you to greater reflect the image of God?

The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 122 (verses 1-9):

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the Lord.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the Lord, our God,
I will pray for your good.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

What phrase(s) draws your attention most? In what way does it strike a chord with you? Spend some time praying with this verse(s). How are you inspired? Share the thoughts and feelings that arise with the Lord. Ask the Lord to deepen your understanding and the grace to embody the wisdom of this psalm.

In the Second Reading (Romans 13:11-14), St. Paul writes that time is of the essence as he urges the Christians in Rome to embrace that which is eternal, the Light of Christ, over “works of darkness” (verse 12). Knowing that works of darkness can enter through the disguise of light and that the Light of Christ is not stagnant, in what ways do you invite the Lord to be with you as you make decisions, and how do you keep the Lord in your heart and on your mind, as you proceed through the tasks of each day? Ask the Lord to help you in areas you find challenging and to awaken you to areas of potential growth.

The Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent is from Matthew, chapter 24, verses 37-44:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

“Stay awake!”, “be prepared,” the time is unknown to you. It could happen in the next breath, far into the future, or somewhere in between. What is your initial reaction to this Gospel passage? And, in what ways does it move you?

Part of awareness and preparation involves thinking about when something will be coming or how long it might last. However, no matter how much one might plan, things can change. And while there are things that one can do regularly to be ready, faithfulness to God is about holding fast to the Lord with an openness or flexibility that allows one to cooperate with His grace. In this way, impediments to staying awake and being prepared are cast out, rather than interfering with discernment and a greater sense of God’s will.

What gets in the way of your openness to change, or things being different than what you thought, hoped for, or planned? Think of a situation where you were open to change. What was that like? And what role did prayer play in it?

Now think of a situation where you were resistant or hesitant to change because what you saw was different than your way of thinking, your approach, or what you pictured. What were you clinging to that removed the choice of being flexible? Ask the Lord to step through this situation with you and for the willingness to accept His point of view, whether it includes reaffirmation, further instruction, or gentle correction.

Continue to reflect on and pray with the insights revealed to you throughout the week. Ask for the grace to be inspired and guided by the will of God, and the desire to draw closer to God this Advent.

The sun through the bare trees

Show us, Lord, your mercy; grant us your salvation. – Psalm 85:8

The Heart of Preparation…

In a lot of ways, it’s human nature to see preparing in terms of stocking up on tangible assets such as food, beverage, health, and other household supplies. However, the preparation Jesus is talking about in chapter 24, verses 37-44 of the Gospel according to Matthew (included below) , is about not being so attached to that kind of mindset, but rather to focus on embracing what can be attained not through material means, but through a heart that is maturing in its capacity to love and to be loved. This is something that is not accomplished by how much one does or the number of prayers that one might say, but rather by how one’s prayer influences decisions, actions, and interactions, so as to strive to live in such a way that one reflects the heart of God here on earth.

It’s not that preparing to have what one needs to sustain oneself physically is not good. It’s that it can be easy for that to become a bigger part of one’s concerns and for the mind to take over, leading to a heart that’s less than what it is created to be. One that is more self-serving than it is open to being a servant of God. Comparatively, when one can start with their heart, inviting God into the mix, everything else can fall into place. The result being that one has what they need, and not only sees the places where they are able to give, but also has a desire to do so.

As we enter the first week of Advent, in what ways do you need the heart of God to be revealed to you? And how do you desire to be a presence of the heart of God in each moment, in the coming weeks and beyond?

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” – Mt 24:37-44

The Heart That Seeks…

At the beginning of the second chapter of the Book of the prophet Isaiah, it is written that the people of all nations shall strive together toward the house of the Lord, saying:

“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that we may be instructed in God’s ways,
and we may walk in God’s paths.” (verse 3)

In the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 24, verses 37-44, in speaking to the disciples about being prepared for the day of the Lord, Jesus says,

“Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left” (verses 40-41).

On the surface, to the human eye, or mind, there is no discernible difference between the one who is taken and the one who is left in this passage. And, in the end, only God truly knows.

However, Jesus seems to be making the point that it does not matter what one does. It does not matter whether one “falls in line” (or out), but rather the reason for doing so, or not, is what matters. That is, what is in one’s heart? What is one preparing, or preparing for? And, who is really being served, and how so?

Returning to the prophet Isaiah, it is clear, many nations and many people. Also, many are the ways and the paths of God. Again, only God truly knows. Yet, while the exact time and place, and what lies ahead, may be a mystery, the heart that seeks is always connected, helping one to be awake to the pulse of the Spirit.

There is no need to look for God here or there. He is no farther away than the door of your own heart. – Meister Eckhart

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” – Matthew 24:37-44