Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Reflection for Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

The readings for the day can be found here.

Thank you for staying and praying with us on our Campus Ministry Advent web site these past few weeks. We pray your prayer has been enriched by the reflections of our colleagues.

Today, the day before Christmas, the last day of Advent, we approach Jesus, the One we’ve been anticipating, the One for Whom we’ve been waiting, the One for Whom we’ve been praying: God, entering our lives.   Advent helps us prepare a place for Jesus, to welcome Him, All of the ancient prophecies come to their culmination… 

By today, we’ve learned what Advent is not about, [shopping, busy-ness, planning, baking, buying, parties, Santa, and on and on…] and in prayer, what Advent is [expectant waiting, hopeful anticipation, joyful preparation] of God bursting into our lives, now, then, forever, in all places, at all times.

…Today, if not before, we can let go of all of the busy-ness in our preparations for Christmas, we can stop rushing around.  We can really prepare for Christmas.  Today, certainly, at some point, we can let go of all of the shopping, eggnog, planning, buying, cooking, wrapping, banking, Santa, cards, trees, wreaths, gifts, decorating, dinners, cookies, and more, or, at least, put it all in a different perspective.  We could even, hard as it may be to imagine, leave some things undone…waiting, not finished, much as we are still waiting, still as we are certainly not finished. 

We need to be awake and alert, we’re approaching the hour. 

Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI observed that It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope… and that is our prayer for you. Let’s continue to pray for each other.  May your memories be filled with goodness, and open to hope…


Bill Kauffman
Interim President
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A little more than three weeks ago, we began Advent; now we’re ready to celebrate the reason we started in all of this, in the first place.

Today is the last day of Advent, Christmas Eve, and the readings call us to celebrate, to remember the gifts we’ve been given, to relish the possibilities we’re offered.

St. Luke in the Gospel tells us about Zechariah the prophet, speaking to John the Baptist, who affirms God’s promises--made and kept. 

Zechariah is clear about the role John will play in the new creation.  He will introduce us all to the knowledge of salvation, forgiving sins, teaching us all about the tender compassion of our God.  The promises of God in the Covenant have come to fruition; God will enter our lives.

The brightening light of dawn will conquer the darkness, leading us into hope, guiding us into peace, showing us the fidelity of God and His covenant.  We are called, each of us, no less than John the Baptist, to prepare the way, on this journey we know as life.  In our own lives, we know we either move toward the Lord, or away from the Lord, and the readings remind us of all God has done for us, and is yet to do for us.

May this Christmas give you the gift of peace we’ve all been promised, and the freedom that is ours because of Jesus. May we welcome Jesus into our homes and into our lives, and may our lives and homes be transformed by Him, all through the tender compassion of our God. 

Merry Christmas!

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