Advent Week 1 - Thursday

Gospel
MT 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

Reflection:

Here is the question posed by Bishop Barron for the day:

"On what, precisely, is the whole of your life built? Is your foundation strong and solid?"

I wish it were possible to say in response, "I was confirmed into the church on May 20, 1973 and from that day to to this, I have lived my life in harmony with the gospels, with total obedience and a unwavering faith." The truth is no one can make such a claim. We don't have the luxury of only having to lay the foundation once and that build up a towering spire over the course of our lives.

Instead we have to begin again each day. There is no guarantee the work we did yesterday or over the last week is still steady and still. The Lord, for his part, is still there and is ever ready for us to lay down our burden of rock and pain and to great us reward for our effort but we are not so dependable.

Some days we build a good structure, tall and straight that rises several story high. Other days we are lost to the flood of uncertainty and we fail to build something of value. Overtime we can become more adept at using faith to help keep our days centered and on him and filled with good things that honor his expectations of us.

Today started well enough but this afternoon ill winds of my own making have pushed against my work and there is some unsteadiness to the structure.

I pause to reflect on the importance of building with faith.

Advent - Week 1 Wednesday

Gospel
MT 15:29-37

At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
The disciples said to him,
“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?”
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

Reflection:

Bishop Barron asks: 

"Do you notice any change in your life when you don't receive communion for awhile? "

This publication was planned long before Corona 19 was a thing. The reflections come from homilies given by the Bishop over a period of years. The question posed could have no way presaged the events of this year so the impact of the question could never have been anticipated. Within 3 weeks of the shutdown, I had gone the longest period of time without attending mass since conversion to the faith. From that day forward, we are in unknown lands. I never conceived there would come a time when the norm for us sitting in front of a TV screen watching a life streamed or recorded Mass where we can participate only virtually in the liturgy of the Eucharist. I have received the body in hand perhaps 5 times in 8 months and given the current spirally numbers of infection, it may be months more before I can again receive in person. 

There is great value, I have learned, however, in watching while in a proper disposition while Father Jeff Fleming prays an entire Mass without another person present. I gain comfort watching the Mass life streamed from Mt. Angel Abbey and there is real mystery from watching a Mass "As Gaeilge"  from Glenstal Abbey in Ireland. These are worship and celebration opportunities that would have never occurred to me as being normal ways to spend Sunday morning. 

The thing is, the decision to stay home on Sunday is mine to make. I am not forced to take these options but the church has deemed it wise to make in person attendance optional but then to make other avenues of participation possible. 

What we have now is not perfect but just as the earliest Christians had to be creative to celebrate the eucharist, we are now called upon to do the same. I don't like it. No one does. I am, however, grateful to be in communion if if I am not at Holy communion. 

Advent, Week 1 - Sunday

Prologue 

It has been 6 months since my last entry. I intended to take 2-3 months off before getting back into a regular spiritual reflection practice. I let acedia get in the away. Since we are now in the period of "mini-Lent" we call Advent, it is time to saddle up and ride again. My intent will be post twice a week. Once on Sunday and then again on Wednesday for my Perkins 4th day brothers. Gitti-up. 

Gospel
MK 13:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“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 own 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!’”

Reflection:

Bishop Barron poses this question: 

In what ways are you "sleeping" and not being "watchful" for the end, either your won death or the Second Coming? 

There are few among us who are not both "sleeping" and "watchful." We have been faithful to the Mass until the pandemic flipped our lives upside down and for the first time in who knows how long we were given exemption from the requirement to attend Mass on Sundays. Who knew on Easter Sunday infection rates and deaths would still be be rising as we enter into Advent? Who knew that our 4th day and other prayer groups would be forced from gatherings around the table to gathering in front of screen? I have to confess that not only did my practice of weekly mass fall by the wayside, but I fell out of the habit of the Liturgy of the Hours and Lection Divina. It seems that many of my years long devotional practices went out the window because of the changes caused by working from home and the move.

I was clearly more in the sleep state than I was wakeful. In recent weeks, however, I have begun to climb back up the ladder. I tune into virtual mass more often and pay close attention to the liturgies. I adopt the postures of the mass and recite the prayers and responses. The eucharist is missing but a sense of communion has returned. I am praying the hours again and walking daily with my senses invested in creation with thanksgiving and gratitude. I am waking up again. the world is different. I am different. Our liturgy is different. God is the same.

In pinch myself and whisper "Watch!"