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the Lord himself will give you this sign: |
Fourth Week of Advent & Christmas Week: Dec. 23 - 29 |
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The Fourth Week of Advent & Christmas WeekThe Fourth Sunday of Advent is one of only two days in this last week of Advent. We read Matthew's account of the Nativity and the angel encouraging Joseph, "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” This week is filled with special celebrations of the Church year. Monday is Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Christmas Day, the celebration of The Nativity of the Lord. Wednesday is the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr. Thursday is the Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist. Friday is the moving Feast of the Holy Innocents. On Christmas Day, whether we celebrate at midnight or early in the morning or later in the morning, we read the stories of the birth of Jesus. Then, the church celebrates three very important feasts. The first honor is given to the first martyr, Stephen, the first public witness who gave his life for his faith. The second feast honored to follow Christmas so closely is the feast remembering the disciple Jesus loved. The third great feast honors the infant martyrs of Herod's jealous rage, The Holy Innocents. The readings for those feasts renew their stories for us. Friday is the fifth day in our eight days of celebrating Christmas - first from the First Letter of John's powerful letter about God's love for us and our love for others, and from the beginning of Luke's Gospel with the picture of the scene when Mary and Joseph present Jesus in the temple and encounter Simeon and his prophesies about the child and about Mary. On Saturday, we meet Anna and witness her faithful waiting and her enthusiastic sharing of the good news. The Sunday that
follows Christmas is always the celebration of the Holy Family.
It is also the sixth day in the eight days of celebrating Christmas.
There are wonderful readings from the Book of Sirach, the First Book
of Samuel, Paul's letter to the Colossians or the First Letter of
John. The gospel from Matthew is the story of the angel appearing
to Joseph in a dream, telling him to flee with Mary and their newborn
son, Jesus, to Egypt so Herod could not find them. After a time, they
returned and lived in Nazareth, "so that what had been spoken
through the prophets |
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Daily Prayer This WeekThis may be one of the most difficult weeks to be reflective throughout each day. This weekend may be quite full for many of us. Others of us may be alone. apart from the faith community we will join on Sunday and Monday, perhaps daily this week. While some of us have had guests staying with us and a house to clean this week, others of us will be reviewing memories and struggling, even a little, with being alone. Whether this week is full or slow, it is a treasure filled opportunity for reflection. Using the same means we've been using, we can let the richness of this weeks' readings and feasts fill the background of each day. Even on Christmas eve or Christmas day we can wake up, surrendering anxiety by letting the anxiety of these days take us to the scene of our Lord's birth. We can imagine the anxiety that filled the experience of Mary and Joseph. We can keep in our consciousness their trust in God. The Christmas music on the radio or at our church services and liturgies can bring the faith of these hymns and songs into our hearts. And, once it is there, these songs of faith will remain in the background all day long. When we are tempted to worry or complain, to be hurt or angry, to be frustrated or exhausted, the hymns will draw our hearts to rejoicing and gratitude. Thinking about Stephen the Martyr or John, the apostle of love. or the martyrdom of the innocents, with a little desire and focus, can guide our hearts to reflect on the meaning of Christmas - the gift of self-giving love. We can ask ourselves, what generosity can come from from the gratitude I have in my heart after celebrating the gift of redemption? Who in my world needs more love? What happens in me when I think about the people in the world who need my support? Who is being martyred today? Who is witnessing our world's rejection? All of us can imagine Jesus, Mary and Joseph going home. We can imagine their daily life. We can ask for the grace to live in God's presence, just as they must have done, and for the grace to be sensitive to each other and care for each other as they must have. We can ask that we might imitate their busy lives, trusting and dependant on God. Looking on their hidden life together, we can grow in a desire to be more humble, in a peace with greater simplicity, in a courage to let God take care of us. Whether we experience the poverty of that holy stable or the ordinary simplicity of daily routine, we can enjoy this week as a special opportunity to be drawn to a greater closeness with Jesus. |
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