Reflection for Monday, December 8, 2014

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Patronal Feastday of the United States of America

GN 3: 9-15, 20

PS 98: 1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4

EPH 1: 3-6, 11-12

LK 1: 26-38 

“Hail, Mary, full of grace, the LORD is with you. Blessed are you among women” - Luke 1:28

Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Mother of God. We also wait in anticipation of what is to come this Christmas. Like Eve and Adam in the garden, we wait. Aware of our sins and failings, we long for reconciliation with God, our Father. We long for a savior.

Mary longed for a savior as well. How beautiful it is, then, that she was given the gift of being conceived without original sin, so that she would be a perfect vessel for the Lord, her Savior. Not merited, it was God’s grace that made this gift possible. And how does Mary respond when she is asked give up her body and soul—her whole self—for the sake of the Lord? She does not respond in fear, like Adam and Eve. She accepts, in trust and humility, recognizing that she is God’s servant. I imagine, too, that when she responded, she felt great love and joy in her heart. The thirst that she and her people had felt for so long was finally going to be quenched. And she was going to play her “little” part in it.

Let us reflect today on Mary’s heart when she received the Father’s gift of a savior. Let us spend some time with our Savior Jesus Christ, who so gently came into this world to love us and save us. Let us talk with the Holy Spirit, who overshadowed Mary so that our joy would be complete.

Lord, help us to respond to your gifts, both big and small, the way Mary did. Let us “sing to the LORD a new song”, and praise all of your works continuously. Help us, Lord, to become like Mary, so that we may know You in the intimate, unique way that she did. Mary, help us to imitate your humility and trust, so that we may serve the Lord, joyfully and faithfully, in this life and in the next.

“In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.”

-Ephesians 1:11-12

Laura Downing is a senior studying Social Work, a student worker with SLU’s Faith and Justice Collaborative, and a practicum student with the Crown Center for Senior Living.

Reflection for Sunday, December 7, 2014

Second Sunday of Advent

IS 40: 1-5, 9-11

PS 85: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14

2 PT 3: 8-14

MK 1: 1-8

Today’s readings all address the Advent theme of expectant waiting.  They also fit together in a puzzling way.  Reflecting on this puzzle can help us see something important about God and ourselves.

The gospel reading from Mark quotes the reading from Isaiah.  Mark presents John the Baptist as Isaiah’s “voice crying in the wilderness.”  Once this voice appears crying “Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God,” then “the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together.”  Mark’s point: Jesus is the Glory of the LORD revealed. 

But if Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, then why are we still waiting, over two millennia later, for every valley to be filled in, and every mountain and hill to be  made low? Those are apocalyptic images, just like Peter’s image of the heavens passing away with a mighty roar and the elements being “dissolved by fire.”  Such images point to a day when all things will be set right, to a “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”  If Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, then why do we still live in a world full of injustice?  Was the prophecy false?  Does God not keep promises?

The reading from 2 Peter addresses this concern. God has not yet brought all things to completion so that we have a chance to turn away from our deadening small concerns and begin to truly live.  God is merciful, “not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

The gospel reading also suggests an answer.  Recall what John the Baptist proclaimed:

“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus did usher in a new age, in which the Holy Spirit fills and enlivens the body of Christ.  Jesus has ascended, but is also present with us in the Spirit.  Jesus defeated evil and injustice once and for all, but through us is still fighting it.  We have already won, but not yet claimed the victory.  We can live in hope because in Jesus God surpasses our easy dichotomies.  God is not “either/or,” but “both/and”: transcendent and  immanent, divine and human, omnipotent and vulnerable (what is more vulnerable than a babe in a feeding trough?). 

Jesus was the sunrise of a new day, but that day is not yet over.  We are waiting for God, and God is waiting for us.  Waiting for us to think again about what really matters.  Waiting for us to join the struggle against every system that refuses to honor God’s image in every person.  Since it is day, let us keep awake and join the fight, confident that the enemy has already been dealt the decisive blow.  Even as we struggle, we have already won.

Holy Spirit, give us a hunger for justice and the courage to pursue it, not only in our political systems, but also in our closest relationships and in our very selves.

Scott Ragland is a professor in the Department of Philosophy.

Reflection for Saturday, December 6, 2014

Saturday of the First Week of Advent
IS 30: 19-21, 23-26
PS 147: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
MT 9: 35 - 10: 1, 5A, 6-8

“At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them

because they were troubled and abandoned…”

I write this reflection as I am learning of the non-indictment against the New York City police officer who killed Eric Garner by employing an illegal chokehold while on camera. I am feeling deeply troubled and thoroughly abandoned. My friends of color across the country are crying out in grief, anger and hopelessness. We’ve been here before. The last four months have left this city aching, tired, hungry. Some ache for life as it was. Some are tired of marching, tired of arguing, tired of fighting for the right to live. Some are tired of listening. There are those of us hungry for justice, not just for Mike Brown but for all of the unarmed men and women whose lives have been cut short at the hands of state. 

I know of another life cut short at the hands of the state: the life of Christ Jesus. Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the Agitator… Jesus the man who dared to topple the Empire.

I know that many in this community are weary of unrest. But I also know that a great many of my brothers and sisters recognize, along with me, that something has got to give. The slaying of African-Americans by agents of authority forms a link in the ongoing chain of racial oppression. I believe that I have a special responsibility as white woman and as a Catholic to work to overcome this system of oppression and acknowledge, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I remind my brothers and sisters who decry unrest that in the absence of justice, there can be no true peace.

We have a long way to go before we can speak of justice in Ferguson, in the wider St. Louis region, and in this nation. We cannot achieve it without struggle in our communities and within ourselves—for in the words of Frederick Douglass, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”  We must act now to build a more just society. We must struggle together. As we hear in Isaiah: “This is the way; walk in it.” 

We must learn to walk in ways that stand in solidarity with oppressed in this country. We must learn to be the face of Christ, the hands of God, who promises in today's readings that Jerusalem will be rebuilt, bruises will be mended, and the lowly will be sustained. We must rebuild, mend, and sustain.

We have so much work to do.

I hope that you, like the Twelve, will respond to the summoning.


Emily Bland '10 is assistant director of the Vincentian Mission Corps.

Reflection for Friday, December 5, 2014

Friday of the First Week of Advent

IS 29: 17-24

PS 27: 1, 4, 13-14

MT 9: 27-31

Isn’t it wonderful when scripture perfectly reflects what you’re feeling in that moment? In the midst of this bleak midwinter (I’m from Dallas, Texas. I don’t like cold), the scripture reassures us that our suffering is almost at an end. Now, Isaiah doesn’t talk about finals week, sagging GPAs, or the prospect of graduation in 6 months, but I am most certainly one of “Those who err in spirit” or “find fault”. It’s always nice to hear that I “shall acquire understanding” or “receive instruction”. Of course, instruction and acquiring understanding are all what this semester, or college is about, right? So, what does that mean in the context of Advent? This season beckons us to look towards the miracle of a baby born into this world, the love of a mother, the love of God manifest in the world. There’s some donkeys, some wise men, and some shepherds involved too, but all in all it asks us to look up, see that light shining high above us, and that love coming our way. It’s dark, but it’s coming. It’s the coldest time of the year (unless the polar vortex comes back), but there’s some warmth to be found around the manger.

All it takes is a concerted effort on our part to look, see, and believe. The Gospel today emphasizes that. Two blind men ask for the pity of Jesus and He heals them for their faith. Their belief opens their eyes. I wear glasses, so my vision is not perfect, but I can still see those two fingers people hold up to test my vision. However, I have no idea what next semester is going to bring. I don’t know where I’ll be, who I’ll be with, or what exactly I’ll be doing in 6 months. I don’t know whether we’ll be having turkey or ham at Christmas dinner. I should call home about that…

It’s cold, it’s dark, finals are bearing down, and the relatives will be bearing down shortly thereafter. BUT, we have a chance to witness wonderful things if we but take heart, have a little faith, and maybe get a little bit of that “understanding” or “instruction” we need so badly. The Psalm lays it out in such beautiful terms: “the loveliness of the Lord”, “the bounty of the Lord”. Grandma’s cooking probably makes for a pretty nice bounty. Really anything made with love, by someone you love will taste pretty good. So don’t just look forward to those things, look out for them because they could sneak up on you, much like an immaculate conception would sneak up on you.

Andrew Bennett is a student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Resident Advisor in Marchetti Towers.

Reflection for Thursday, December 4, 2014

Thursday of the First Week of Advent
IS 26: 1-6
PS 118: 1 AND 8-9, 19-21, 25-27A
MT 7: 21, 24-27

Today’s gospel is a call to action. When I read it my first thought was, 'why is this gospel showing up in Advent?'  Advent is a time for reflection, a time of hopeful waiting and joyful anticipation. But it is also about preparing. The preparations we are called to in today’s readings have little to do with lights, cookies, parties and presents. These readings pose the question, 'What are you preparing for? What life are you preparing to live?'

Jesus makes it perfectly clear that we are not only to speak our faith, we are called to live it, to embody a faith that does justice. Jesus asks for more than commemoration: he asks for our active participation!

“Whoever hears these words and acts on them will be like the wise man/woman who built their house on a rock”. What are “these words”?  The verses we read today are the conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. These chapters in Matthew’s gospel encapsulate the central tenets of Christianity: the Beatitudes; how to pray; Love your enemies; Live simply – do not worry; Do not judge others; True discipleship.

These words inspire us. It is easy to speak of their beauty and eloquence. To return to our opening question are you preparing to live these teachings? Does it make it on to your to-do list? Is it part of your Advent preparations? Is it part of your five-year plan?

Perhaps the question is not 'what?' but 'how?' When I consider this question I like to think about Mary, our spiritual mother. She is not only the woman who became the mother of Jesus, and brought the first Advent into our history, she is a perfect model of how to be an active agent cooperating with God. She full-heartedly, freely, agreed with her YES to God’s plan and through this partnership she gave birth to a baby, Jesus. First through her faith, then through her flesh. 

Her model of discipleship doesn’t end in the manger either. She continued participating as a faithful partner in God’s plan through all the events of Jesus' life: from birth, to parenting, through his early years to his first miracle, from his ministry to his death upon the Cross.  Mary is a great model for this season of Advent. She reminds us that it starts with a yes. 

So with God's grace, inspired by Mary, let us commit to saying "YES".

Vitina Pestello is the Program Coordinator for the Faith and Justice Collaborative.

Reflection for Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
IS 25: 6-10A
PS 23: 1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6
MT 15: 29-37

On August 19, instead of driving four hours on I-64 West from my home in Louisville to my home at SLU, I tearfully said goodbye to my parents and little sister at the Louisville airport.  Two planes, a taxi, two trains, and thirty hours later, I arrived in the small German town of Kandern.  Theresa, my lovely friend and travel companion, and I hauled our extremely heavy and large suitcases to the entrance of the train station and sat down on the curb.  “What are we going to do if they don’t show up?” I asked Theresa as I realized that neither of us had cell service.  “They” referred to a friend of a friend of a friend who we were supposed to be staying with during our two-week German adventure before settling down in Madrid for the semester.

Exhausted and overwhelmed, we sat together fairly quietly for what seemed like forever as we watched car after car pull into the parking lot only to pull out again minutes later.  I was just starting to panic when a navy blue car suddenly appeared down the road, pulled into the parking lot, and stopped directly in front of Theresa and me.  “You must be Sarah and Theresa!  Hello and welcome to Germany!  We’re Steve and Dawn Liberti!”  Suddenly, all my anxiety disappeared as I was embraced by two complete strangers in a town 4,000 miles away from my homes.

A short drive later, Theresa and I were walking into the Libertis' beautiful home when I was suddenly engulfed by an incredible, overpowering smell.  “I hope you’re hungry!” Steve said.  We’ve got a German feast for you tonight!”  For the next two hours, Theresa and sat around the outdoor table eating three kinds of bratwursts and a potato and carrot dish, sipping on a Radler, and sharing life stories and hopes with strangers who were quickly becoming friends.

While there have been many beautiful moments that have touched my heart during my semester in Europe, my first two weeks were some of the most memorable and meaningful as the Libertis welcomed us with the radical hospitality that Jesus preaches about and practices throughout the Gospel.  In today’s reading, Matthew 15:29-37, we hear the familiar story of Jesus feeding the masses with seven loaves of bread “and a few fish.”  In the story, Jesus surrounds himself with people of privilege and people who are marginalized and because he doesn’t want to send anyone away hungry, Jesus blesses and breaks the seven loaves of bread that the disciples have gathered.  The miracle of this story is not some magical increase in the amount of food, but that by sharing a meal together as a community, every person is able to be physically, emotionally, and spiritually satisfied.  As this Advent season continues, and we gather together with our friends and family, may we remember to show all of our brothers and sisters the same radical hospitality that Jesus showed the crowd and that the Libertis showed me.  

Sarah Nash is a junior studying Sociology and American Studies with a minor in Urban Poverty Studies.

Reflection for Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

IS 11: 1-10

PS 72: 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

LK 10: 21-24

Christmas ads are in every direction one looks, whether it be through television, newspapers, or department stores. Christmas has turned into a season of gift giving and getting. Where has the true meaning of Christmas gone? The Advent season is the time for reflection and anticipation. It is the time for people to prepare for the birth of Jesus.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses his disciples, telling them their eyes are blessed because they have seen Jesus as he is. A few paragraphs above, the act of revealing Jesus is said to be only done to the childlike. Both of these ideas support the fact that the wise and wealthy are not the ones who Jesus will be revealed to. Jesus is revealed to the common people, those who live their daily lives for Jesus. This same idea is true today; a person who is wealthy or knowledgeable about scripture does not get preference over an individual who knows less "stuff" but lives out his or her life for God. Living out the Word of God through daily acts of kindness and being the best person you can be is what Jesus calls each one of us to do everyday. The gift of giving a present is one way to show that you care for a person. If all of the Christmas gifts were acts instead of something tangible our world would be a different place. Jesus showed and spoke the truth about the Word of God. This is something intangible just like an act of kindness or compassion. That is the greatest gift one can give this Christmas season. Rather than taking the Advent season to shop for the people we love, let's think of ways we can show our love through words and deeds, just like Jesus did.

Ann Knezetic is President of the Student Government Association.

Reflection for Monday, December 1, 2014

Monday of the First Week of Advent

IS 2: 1-5

PS 122: 1-2, 3-4B, 4CD-5, 6-7, 8-9

MT 8: 5-11

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not rise raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.”

Today’s first reading contains one of my favorite quotes from the Old Testament, and is particularly appropriate as we begin yet another season of Advent.   Advent is a time of hopeful waiting, a time of peaceful reflection, a time to prepare for the “Prince of Peace” to enter into our world and our lives.  And there is no more desperate time that our world needs the peace of the Lord than now.

From racial conflict and injustice in our very own backyard, to wars halfway around the globe, our society is crying out for peace, desperately wanting to turn swords into plowshares.  At times, I find myself overwhelmed by all of the conflict occurring in our world – just watching the news for 10 minutes can cause me to become very cynical about peace ever being achieved.  It’s easy I think for us to despair in these moments, and ask questions like “What can I possibly do to heal this broken world, to help bring about the peace that our Lord desires?”

That of course is an impossible task – if any of us could bring about world peace by ourselves, it would have already been done.  But if we can’t do that, what can we do?  Perhaps we can take time to reflect this Advent on how we can beat swords into plowshares in our own lives, our own small communities.  What conflicts are we still hanging on to, perhaps with a friend or a family member?  What trespasses have we not yet forgiven?  How I can live peacefully each day?  If we can work on ending the small, petty conflicts that can too often consume our days, maybe that will be a start.

Mother Teresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”   As we wait for the true peace that only the Lord can bring this Advent season, let us consider the ways we can make this a time to spread peace in our own lives, and the lives of those we love.  And may those small acts of peace create many ripples, and inspire others to turn their swords into plowshares.

Bobby Wassel is the Assistant Director in the Center for Service and Community Engagement.

  

Reflection for Sunday, November 30, 2014

First Sunday of Advent
IS 63: 16B-17, 19B; 64: 2-7
PS 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19
1 COR 1: 3-9
MK 13: 33-37

Welcome to Advent, 2014.  This beautiful time of year, filled with faith and possibilities, offers us a designated period of time to think about and to pray about our own purposes in life…and Who really forms us to enter into those larger opportunities and purposes.

As we begin these Campus Ministry reflections for Advent, we can all begin with prayer, whether we know, exactly, what we want, or need or are waiting for, or what we hope.  We can pray, anyway, with gratitude and for all we might still need.

Simply asking God to be with us, to help and to assist us suffices as we begin Advent is not only helpful, but will, as St. Ignatius told us, bear much fruit.  As each Advent day begins, we can enter more fully into the moments, the Scriptures, and the reflections, and the thoughts and prayers offered by members of our University community.

The readings, throughout Advent, as you know, ask us to prepare, to hope, to anticipate what God offers us, and to seek the grace to receive it, always with gratitude.

My prayer for you and our entire SLU community, then, is one of restful anticipation and thoughtful preparation, in this Christmas season. 

May God bless all of us at Saint Louis University.
-Fr. Paul Stark, S.J.
Vice President of Mission and Ministry



"Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come!" We read those words every Advent, and I always think of the bumper sticker that says, "Jesus is coming - look busy!" If we are not careful, we can lead ourselves to imagine that this season is about putting on a good front and "getting ready for Christmas," as if it might get here before December 25 just to keep us on our toes. The language of repentance is never far away during Advent, and the word in the New Testament for repentance, metanoia, literally means a change of mind - to see things with a new heart and a new perspective. Now, we can't just convince ourselves out of the blue to suddenly understand things in a different way, to see black as white and up as down. We see anew by seeing new things, by being exposed to worldviews and experiences that do not simply reinforce our prejudices. We in St. Louis have had plenty of opportunities in the past weeks and months to challenge ourselves to see new things and hear new perspectives, if we have been willing to do so. I suggest that "Be alert!" may mean for us, "No more business as usual - get out of your comfort zone!" If you think that the best way to get a SLU education is to shut your eyes and ears to the outside world and focus that much harder on your books, think again. The circumstances of the past months have put an endless stream of opportunities in front of us to educate ourselves, engage in conversation, and get involved, if we choose to do so. Pay attention to the kairos of the moment - the possibility of newness and the invitation to help make it a reality. We may never know when the time will come, but when it is here, we have the chance to take it seriously enough to put ourselves in the thick of it, knowing that we have the potential to help advance the reign of God in people's lives.
-Patrick Cousins
Campus Minister

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!