ADVENT -- Visualizing Peace for the New Year

WHAT IS YOUR NEW CHURCH YEAR RESOLUTION?

 

Today begins a NEW CHURCH YEAR;  we know it's the Year of St. Matthew's Gospel;  Cycle  'A';  back at the beginning you might say.

 

When we look at our readings to begin this New Church Year,  Isaiah encourages us to visualize peace and let the ways of God be the guiding force in our lives:

 

     "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.

      Let us walk in the light of the Lord!"    

 

(What would peace look like for you if you visualized it?    Visualize a world of peace!)

 

 

Paul, writing to the Church of Rome, encouraged them and us:

 

     "Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light."  

 

 (Works and 'words' of darkness;   put on 'Light' -- who is the true 'Light of the World' that we can put on?) 

 

 

Jesus says in our first hearing of the Gospel of Matthew for the New Church Year:

 

     "Stay awake!   For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.

      You must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect the Son of Man will come."

 

If Advent is a time of waiting for THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD,  what can we do to bring 'light' and not darkness into the world?   If Advent is a time when we hope for THE PRINCE OF PEACE to be born anew;  what does that means for you?  How is that to happen, if not somehow through our lives?   Should we not be about visualizing peace, being committed to peace, be somehow working for peace?

 

Patricia Sanchez, writing in a homily help for Preaching Resources for this First Sunday of Advent, has a reflection for us on something we can do to start the process of 'peace-making';  it starts inside us, disarming the weapons of war we give a home to there:

 

"While most of us may not wield swords and spears, we have sufficient weaponry in our arsenals to destroy one another.  We have words and looks and attitudes that cut deeper than any sword.   We have anger and resentment and prejudices that build unscalable walls and unbreachable barriers between us.   We have pride and selfishness that insist on making our way and our time the top priority in so many situations.   We also have apathy and insensitivity that blind us to the needs of others.  These are the weapons of war that must be disarmed before peace can grow and before our time is spent."

 

HAVE A BLESSED ADVENT AND A GREAT NEW CHURCH YEAR! 

           -- your Franciscan brothers in Ava; we are praying for you....pray for us, too!

Brothers Francis, Leo, and Benjamin

ALWAYS READY TO WELCOME YOU! 

It is always worth letting you know that your time here at our Prayer Fraternity will be amplified by the 'other brothers' who live here.   The front-line of hospitality is always Benji and Frankie (he's to the right of Leo in photo above) who are sure to welcome your vehicle as you come into our parking lot.

During your days with us, whether you are sitting outside on the deck outside your room, making your way to the main building for chapel or the library or for a meal, taking a walk on the grounds on one of the many trails through the woods, or whatever you might be doing, you can trust that you will be visited and accompanied by any one of our three Franciscan brothers who are committed to the hospitality of our place.   Having read thoroughly The Rule of St. Benedict, they know that 'every guest is Christ' and they will treat you accordingly.   

Benji,   Frankie,  and Leo say:    "COME AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH US!"   (translation:   "SPOIL US")

Christ the King - a reflection

 

LET JESUS BE THE 'KING' OF YOUR HEART!

 

As we come to the end of this 2010 Church year, Catholics and Christians all over the world celebrate a wonderful truth of our lives of faith:   "Jesus Christ is the King of our lives".    Patricia Sanchez helps us understand the true nature of Jesus' kingship in the following homiletic reflection;  this appears in 'Preaching Resources';  you can check out that and other resources at CelebrationPublications.org.

 

"Jesus' reign over his disciples is not an imposed dominion, but a warm welcome extended to all who love and admire him as King of their hearts.  As William Bausch affirmed (in his book: Once Upon a Gospel), Jesus was a king like no other, in that he did not have a scepter, but he did have a towel with which he washed his disciples' feet.  Patricia Sanchez goes on to say that Jesus had no standing army, but he did have followers.   He did not sit on a throne, but on the back of a donkey.  He wore no crown of gold, but one of thorns.  He did not use his authority to take life, but to give it.   He did not set boundaries or entertain only the nobility, but he welcomed prostitutes, tax collectors, foreigners and thieves.   He did not exploit people, but spoke sympathetically of widows, prodigals, Samaritans, and the poor.   He did not wield the sword of punishment, but extended mercy and forgiveness.    He did not coerce, but he invited.    He, rather than tax his subjects to pay the debts of his monarchy, laid down his life so that the 'debt' of human sin would be forgiven.   He did not come to conquer, but to save."

 

towards the end of her reflection, Patricia Sanchez offers a final challenge to all of us who are Christians:

 

"We who are the blessed subjects of Jesus as our King are to reflect his image.  We are not to distort that likeness with sin and selfishness or to diminish it with our prejudices and pride.   We are to work hard so that the virtues of our king become our own and (these same virtues in us) become the means by which others will recognize our belonging to him.   Sealed with his love at our baptism, anointed with the oil that consecrates all we are and all we have to his service, we are to live so true to him that others will want to accept his rule and welcome his reign in their hearts." 

Prayer Quote from your Prayer Fraternity

The following quote from St. Augustine (of Hippo) is intriguing;  we offer it to you for your reflection.

"TRUE, WHOLE PRAYER, IS NOTHING BUT LOVE."

IN PRAYER SEEKING THE KINGDOM

WHERE DO WE FIND THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

In responding to the Pharisees, who are asking him when the Kingdom of God will come, Jesus says in Luke: 17:20:

"For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."    or in other translations:  "For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you."    There is a quote from the Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa of Avila, that we see below, that offers good homily material, a thought to ponder for personal prayer, a reflection to begin a meeting, or something for faith sharing with others:

OUR HEARTS ARE HIS KINGDOM

Let us realize that we have within us a most splendid palace built entirely of gold and precious stones -- in short, one that is fit for such a Lord -- and that we are partly responsible for the condition of this building, because there is no structure so beautiful as a soul full of pure virtues, and the more perfect these virtues are, the more brilliantly do the jewels shine.

Within this palace dwells the mighty King who has deigned to become your Father and who is seated on a throne of priceless value, by which I mean your heart.

Had I understood always, as I do now, that so great a King resided in my soul, I should not have left him alone so often, but should have stayed with him sometimes and not have kept his dwelling-place in such disorder.

He does not force our wills but only takes what we give him, but he does not give himself entirely until he sees that we yield ourselves entirely to him.