Community Chat

[gloriajean]

You are a blessed, creative, lovable and needed being created by God.
Lord, may these qualities shine forth and be used to bless those around me.

Scripture for the day:

"For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for
you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in
all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of
the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as
you grow in the knowledge of God." ~Colossians
1:9

Meditation for the day:

We can persevere in all that God's guidance moves us to do. The persistent
carrying out of what seems right and good can bring us to that place where
we would be. If we look back over God's guidance, we can see that God's
leading has been very gradual and that only as we have carried out God's
wishes, as far as we can understand them, has God been able to give us more
clear and definite leading. We can be led by God's touch on a quickened
responsive mind.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may persevere in doing what seems right. I pray that I may
carry out all of God's leading as far as I can understand it.

Hello my friends! After reading your comments on the Saturday thread, I
thought I'll for sure do a Sunday thread. Today is the First day of Advent
and Sundays are important so I won't skip them. What are your ideas for the
Weekend Edition that I'd put on Friday's thread and that would include
Saturday? Or do you all prefer the daily threads? I am only here to please
you and what works out for you. My blessings yesterday were quality time
spent with my husband, it was a very nice relaxing day and we enjoyed the
time together, also visiting with our oldest daughter on the phone was a
blessing. They got a voucher for the cruise that they couldn't get on, so
they plan to take that in January. My rosacea started up again and I'm
grateful that I had some meds for that left so I'm applying it again to my
face and already see improvement! That stuff really works!! On with the
thread now:

Watching the Sunrise During Dark, Mornings of Advent
Thank you. What a gift this morning from you as I watched the blazing
sunrise through a cloudy winter sky. It is hard getting up these dark
mornings, Lord, and yet you gift me with a sight that I miss at other times
of year, when the weather is warmer and the sun rises before I get up. I
stared out the window at the red and purple light, gloriously framed by the
gold of the rising sun. "Be still, and know that I am God" was the only
thing that came to me. I watched in silence, filled with a sense of your
presence in my life.

I am filled with gratitude this day for such a treasure and could feel it
and see it as a gift from you. Thank you for your love. Today, let me carry
a sense of how much you love me to send me such a gift. Let that awareness
of your love change the way I treat others today. Let me be more reverent in
the irritations of the day. I ask your help to move through my errands and
holiday preparations today with peace and a sense of your sunrise in my
heart. Your glory fills my spirit and I want only to give thanks with my
life this day.

"Taken from Praying Advent, on Creighton University's Online Ministries web
site:
<a href="http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html">http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMi...

Used with permission."

Meditation and Reflection for Advent

by Fr. Tommy Lane

Advent is not only about preparing for the celebration of Jesus' birth at
Christmas. We live between the first coming of Jesus when he was born at
Bethlehem and his Second Coming at the end of time when he will come as
Judge of all. Advent is also a time for us to reflect on the Second Coming
of Jesus. So Advent is concerned with the two comings of Jesus; our
preparation for the celebration of Jesus´ birth and our preparation for his
Second Coming. In three of the Eucharistic Acclamations we profess our faith
in Jesus' Second Coming:

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Dying you destroyed our death,
rising you restored our life,
Lord Jesus, come in glory.

When we eat this bread and drink this cup,
we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory.

In the Creed which we profess every Sunday we proclaim:

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his
kingdom will have no end.

In both Eucharistic Prayer III and Eucharistic Prayer IV just after the
consecration at Mass, the Body and Blood of Jesus is offered to the Father
as we await the Second Coming of Jesus,

Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation,
his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven,
and ready to greet him when he comes again,
we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice.
(Eucharistic Prayer III)

Father, we now celebrate this memorial of our redemption.
We recall Christ' s death, his descent among the dead,
his resurrection, and his ascension to your right hand;
and, looking forward to his coming in glory,
we offer you his body and blood,
the acceptable sacrifice
which brings salvation to the whole world.
(Eucharistic Prayer IV)

During the early part of Advent (until December 16th) the Church asks us to
reflect on the Second Coming of Jesus, and not just to reflect on it but to
prepare for it. That is why on the first Sunday of Advent each year we read
excerpts from a chapter in each of the Gospels where Jesus predicted the
destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD but which we may also see
referring to his Second Coming,

For 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.
(Matt 41:37-44 NAB First Sunday of Advent Year A)

Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a
man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each
with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch,
therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in
the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not
come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!
(Mark 13:33-37 NAB First Sunday of Advent Year B)

There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth
nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the
waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the
world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see
the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these
signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your
redemption is at hand.
(Luke 21:25-28 NAB First Sunday of Advent Year C)

The readings of the first Sunday of Advent each year invite us to watch for
the Second Coming of Jesus and the readings of the Second Sunday of Advent
invite us to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus. That is why each year
on the Second Sunday of Advent the Gospel is John the Baptist asking us to
prepare a way for the Lord. And on the third Sunday of Advent each year we
can detect some of the readings encouraging us to be patient for Jesus´
Second Coming.

In the early years after Pentecost the Church believed the Second Coming of
Jesus would be only a matter of years away. Many are of the opinion that St.
Paul, early in his ministry, believed the Second Coming of Jesus would be so
soon that he himself would not die before it occurred. Many believe this is
what Paul meant when he wrote to the Thessalonians,

We who are still alive for the Lord´s coming will not have any advantage
over those who have fallen asleep. At the signal given by the voice of the
Archangel and the trumpet of God, the Lord himself will come down from
heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and only
after that shall we who remain alive be taken up in the clouds, together
with them to meet the Lord in the air.(1 Thess 4:15-17)

But as time went by the early Church gradually began to realize that the
Second Coming of Jesus would not be as early as originally expected.
Therefore it became important for the Church to have written records of
Jesus so the Gospels were composed.

Why did the early Church long for the Second Coming of Jesus and why are we
invited now to reflect on it and long for it during Advent? Jesus´ birth at
Bethlehem, his death, and resurrection are not yet the final victory over
evil. The final conquest of evil will take place when Jesus comes again as
Judge. Jesus´ Second Coming will complete what Jesus began with his birth in
Bethlehem, his death and resurrection. It will bring the fullness of
salvation to the world. Therefore in the early Church they longed for Jesus´
Second Coming and we are invited now to reflect on it and long for it during
Advent.

God is present with us throughout all of history but the Second Coming of
Jesus and the General Judgment will show all of history leading to God´s
final purpose and goal. At the General Judgment we will see how God´s plan
for all of history worked itself out. There are two ways of looking at
history. You can look at history as a secular historian or you can look at
history with the eyes of God. For example, how do you look on the Second
World War? The result of mad man named Hitler? That could be one secular
view of the war. There is another way to look at it. When Our Lady appeared
to the children at Fatima on July 13th 1917 during the First World War she
said,

"if men do not cease offending God, another and more terrible war will break
out during the Pontificate of Pius XII. When you see a night lit up by an
unknown light, know that it is the sign God gives you that he is about to
punish the world for its crimes by means of war, hunger and persecution of
the Church and the Holy Father."

That unknown light occurred on January 25th 1938 and meteorologists called
it the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. This is just one example of two
ways of looking at an event in history. At the Second Coming of Jesus and
the General Judgment we will see all of history leading towards God´s goal
and purpose. The final conquest of evil will take place when Jesus comes
again the second time as Judge which is why we look forward to it.

So the Church invites us to long for and prepare for the Second Coming of
Jesus. How do we prepare for it? Let us place God first in our lives and
love our neighbor as ourselves. Let us cleanse our hearts from sin. The
second reading during the first three Sundays of Advent each year has much
encouragement to prepare our hearts and lives as we await the Second Coming:

And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake
from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the
night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of
darkness (and) put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly
as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and
licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
(Rom 13:11-14 NAB First Sunday of Advent Year A)

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony
with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may
with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome
one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.
(Rom 15:5-7 NAB Second Sunday of Advent Year A)

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the
farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not
complain, brothers, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold,
the Judge is standing before the gates.
(James 5:7-9 NAB Third Sunday of Advent Year A)

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed
on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all
discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among
you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the
revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus (Christ). God is faithful, and
by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
(1 Cor 1:4-9 NAB First Sunday of Advent Year B)

The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard "delay," but he is
patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then
the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be
dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found
out. Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons
ought (you) to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting
for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens
will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire. But according
to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be
found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.
(2 Peter 3:9-14 NAB Second Sunday of Advent Year B)

Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in
Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.
May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely,
spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
(1 Thes 5:16-24 NAB Third Sunday of Advent Year B)

Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you,
and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and
for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be
blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord
Jesus with all his holy ones.
(1 Thes 3:11-13 NAB First Sunday of Advent Year C)

And this is my prayer: 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.
(Phil 1:9-11 NAB Second Sunday of Advent Year C)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness
should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests
known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will
guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
(Phil 4:4-7 NAB Third Sunday of Advent Year C)

Advent is not only about preparing for the celebration of Jesus´ birth at
Christmas. We live between the first coming of Jesus when he was born at
Bethlehem and his Second Coming at the end of time when he will come as
Judge of all. Advent is also a time for us to reflect on the Second Coming
of Jesus. The final conquest of evil will take place when Jesus comes again
as Judge. Jesus´ Second Coming will complete what Jesus began with his birth
in Bethlehem, his death and resurrection. It will bring the fullness of
salvation to the world.

Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a
man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each
with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch,
therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in
the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not
come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!
(Mark 13:33-37 NAB First Sunday of Advent Year B)

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

May our love for each other may increase more and more as we await the
coming of Jesus.

Irritations Help


Most of us can afford to take a lesson from the oyster. The extraordinary
thing about an oyster is this: irritations, like a grain of sand, get into
its shell.

It does not like them. But when it cannot get rid of them, it settles down
to make of them one of the most beautiful things in the world. It makes the
irritation into a pearl.

There are irritations in our lives today, and there is only one
prescription: make pearls out of them.

It may be a pearl of patience. But anyway, make a pearl. And it takes faith
and love to do it.