Second Sunday of Advent
It was of [John the Baptist] that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths. Matthew 3:3
John the Baptist points the way to Jesus, the Compassion of God, the Prince of Peace. How have I pointed the way to compassion and peace today? Will I make the effort to point the way to compassion and peace tomorrow?
By Vaikoovery (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons
[Jesus said,] “Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” Matthew 24:42
Today the Lord is here. In this moment, God is with me. With each breath, I express God’s Spirit within me.
Lord, help me to stay awake and aware of your presence in and around me.
Christ the King
Then [the other criminal] said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Luke 23:42
Sometimes I forget I am a precious child of God - and so are you. Sometimes I forget I am made in the image and likeness of God’s goodness and love – and so are you. Sometimes I forget I am called to love myself and you.
Today I will practice remembering who I am, who you are, and Who loved us all into being.
[Jesus] answered, “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified.” Luke 21:9a
I am terrified that I am a mistake, a bother, a nuisance. My inner wars have me doubting my self-worth and wishing I were perfect. I rebel against physical pain, mental fatigue, and getting older. I wage an ongoing battle between gratitude for my many blessings and wanting what I don’t have.
The only answer to war, insurrections, and terror that I have found is complete and unconditional surrender to God’s love. Moment by moment.
“…he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” Luke 20:38
Death feels like separation, but if I can put my trust in Jesus’ words, then I know God holds us all, the dead and the living. With God there is no separation, only unity: the undivided, unconditional love of the One who has created every human person in love and for love yesterday, today, and forever.
Luke 19:1-1
Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was… Luke 19:2-3a
What effort do I make to see who Jesus is?
The lock-down dementia unit of a nursing home is where I was seeking to see Jesus this weekend. It didn’t take much of an effort to smile at the residents, to say hello, what a beautiful day.
It took more of an effort to focus on the words of one woman who rambled on, to look her in the eye, and make some kind of heart connection. It took even more effort to make sense out of the gestures of one word-less man and to give him a backrub on demand.
But when joy shone out of my father’s eyes at the sight of my sister and me, when he said, “I love you” without knowing who we were, it was easy to see Jesus. Jesus is always about love.
Fariseo y publicano
Luke 18:9-14
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ Luke 18:13
God loves me. God made me in love for love. God made me in God’s own image of love and goodness.
And so I dare to approach God in prayer, trusting God will have compassion on me despite my weaknesses and failings, trusting God will teach me a new and better way to be, trusting God’s mercy has the power to transform me in every moment so that I become ever more like God in love and goodness.
Luke 18:1-8
…pray always without becoming weary. Luke 18:1b
God likes to hear from me. I am never a bother to God. Gratitude, grumbles, and pleas for help are all understood by God as my human attempts to communicate with the Mystery who loves me unconditionally and wants all good for me.
Can I trust today that God is near, listening, and ready to respond?
Luke 17:11-19
And one of [the lepers], realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. Luke 17: 15-16
When I express gratitude, I deepen my awareness of others – their gifts, talents, kindness, and humanity. My “thank you” acknowledges our interconnectedness, our interdependence, and our common heritage as precious children of God.
My “thank you” to God is an awareness of God’s love, compassion, and generosity. My “thank you” to God helps me remember to put God in the center of my life.
Thank you, God, for the many kind people you have put in my path, and thank you for your gentle guidance and all the many gifts you shower on me.
Luke 17:6
The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Luke 17:6
Just a tiny bit of faith and I know that God can, God will, and God wants to.
Lord, grant me the grace to accept Thy divine will.
Mary Ann McSweeny 