Reflection for Thursday, December 17, 2015

Third Thursday of Advent
GN 49:2, 8-10
PS 72: 1-2, 3-4 AB, 7-8, 17
MT 1: 1-17

How many of us could name our great grandparents? Our great great grandparents? Some might be able to but probably not many. The Gospel for today is the genealogy of Jesus. It contains his family tree from Jesus all the way back to Abraham, 42 generations of family history!

Knowing where you were from and truly knowing your family members and the history of your family was important in Jesus’ time. It is the very reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem. When Caesar decreed that every man should return to the land of his family, Joseph and Mary embarked on a long journey to the city of Jesus’ ancestors.

Many of us will embark on these long journeys to the homes of our family members during this Christmas season. Perhaps the entire family gathers at Grandma and Grandpa’s house for Christmas dinner. Or perhaps we enjoy the company of our immediate family as stories are shared around the Christmas tree.

Wherever we are, Jesus calls us to be with our family. On the night of his birth, Jesus is together in Bethlehem with not only Mary and Joseph, but with all his ancestors who lived and prayed in that humble town.

While it will not be possible for many of us to journey to the homes of our ancestors in Ireland or Italy or wherever your family is from, it is enough to reflect and pray for the members of our families who have gone before us. It is through these people that we are able to live as we do.

During this Advent season and this coming Christmas season, take the time to put the phones down and truly listen to your family. Learn their stories. Know them for the incredible human persons they are. What are your aunt’s greatest fears? What was your uncle’s greatest challenge growing up? What is your grandma most proud of her in her life? Who really are these people that we call our family?

Just as Jesus is in the presence of all his family on that first Christmas, let us also be fully in the presence of our family. As we prepare for Christmas, let us pray for family and for the beauty and wonder that comes from knowing and loving a person so deeply. Let our families be more than just names on a family tree; let them truly be a part of who we are.

Moira McDermott is a senior studying Secondary Education and English.

Reflection for Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Third Wednesday of Advent
IS 45:6C-8, 18, 21C-25
PS 85: 9AB AND 10; 11-12, 13-14
LK 7: 18B-23

“I am the Lord, there is no other…”

With these eight words at the beginning of today’s first Reading, everything is made clear.  When the Lord is Number One in life, everything else seems to fall into place.  Dealing with the daily challenges of life can be a little easier knowing that we are not walking alone.  The little things don’t weigh us down.  We have more patience when dealing with difficult people.  The glass is half full rather than half empty.  When we put other material things before our relationship with God, things soon become out of balance.  Work becomes the primary focus and the source of self-worth.  Material possessions become more important than spiritual well-being.  I like to compare finding this balance with an automobile. When something goes wrong with an automobile, it can throw everything else off.  One low tire messes up the alignment for the entire vehicle.  Being low on oil impacts the functioning of the engine.  Everything is connected, and if one part is out of balance, the entire car is affected.

I like to think of Advent as the time to get things back in balance.  The weeks before Christmas are spent with preparations for the holiday.  There are cards to be written, gifts to be purchased and wrapped, decorations to be put up, cookies to be baked, parties to attend, and on and on.  Advent is the time to remind us to pay attention to our spiritual lives and to find that balance that comes when God is first and foremost in our lives.  Later in the Reading we are reminded:  “Turn to me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God; there is no other!”  So just in case we didn’t hear it at the beginning of the Reading, we are reminded again! 

May these remaining days of Advent provide an opportunity to bring balance back into our lives.  When we truly realize that God is God and place our lives in God’s hands, Christmas will be a time to celebrate both the birth of our Savior and a renewal of new life within our hearts.  There can be no greater gift.

Cathy Zimmer is the Business Manager for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Reflection for Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Third Tuesday of Advent 
ZEP 3:1-2, 9-13
PS 34: 2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 AND 23
MT 21:28-32

Christianity has a very different reality for us today in the United States than it did generations before us.  Those of us from Anglo-European descent may have hungered for religious freedom in a different era, but today we live as the cultural majority. Consciously or not, this profoundly shapes how we read today’s passages. Both texts (Zephaniah and Matthew) uncomfortably challenge us to ask:

• Are we more like the ‘tyrannical city’ or the ‘faithful remnant’?  
• Are we more like the parable’s first son (who says yes but doesn’t work) or the second son (who says no but willingly serves)?

These pointed, almost aggressive questions do not allow us to hide behind someone else or the nearest bush, do they?!  We are boldly asked how we embody God in our daily words, actions and belief.

Few would choose ‘tyrannical city’ over ‘faithful remnant’---yet if we have not advocated for the poor, oppressed, refugee, or mentally ill, how have we chosen God over personal gain?

If we were born into a different part of the world, we likely would approach these texts from a very different perspective.   Our community is preparing for our fourth trip to Guatemala for Spring Break, and I’m eager to share the powerful instrument of liberation theology with another group of students. Guatemalan people’s reality is defined by instability: the government, economy, health care, education, housing and even the climate.  Liberation theology teaches us how God has a preferential option for the poor and is found more in the brokenness of the world than great victories.

Sometimes texts leave us more uncomfortable than reassured.  Let us remember Emmanuel, God is with us, even in our grappling, questioning, fear and mistakes.  While most of us live in a privileged reality, this is not the universal reality for our world.  Our God chose to take on human form in the humblest of ways, born in a lowly manger.  May this humility inspire us to serve others with equal compassion and claim a voice for solidarity.

Peace,

Rev. Rebecca Boardman

Lutheran Campus Ministry-St Louis

Reflection for Monday, December 14, 2015

Third Monday of Advent 
NM 24: 2-7, 15-17A
PS 25: 4-5AB, 6 AND 7 BC, 8-9 
MT 21:23-27

This time last year I was a new member of the Saint Louis University community, and these reflections had an impact on me—from the diverse contributors representing so many roles within our community to the myriad of ideas, thoughts, stories, and vulnerabilities shared.

Taken in their totality, today’s readings are greater than the sum of their parts—which is so often the case if I take the time to reflect, think and feel.  A variety of words and concepts from these readings have stayed with me—particularly when others asked Jesus, “By what authority are you doing these things?  And who gave you this authority?” (MT 21: 23-27)  And ever the educator, Jesus responded with a question back to them:  “Where was John’s baptism from?  Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”  And, then other words and concepts from the readings jumped out at me—“compassion,” “truth,” kindness,” “hears what God says,” “guide me in your truth and teach me,” “guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way,” “show us, Lord, your love”—and how they have the potential to complement and inform the question regarding authority.  Too often, I find myself seeking answers, solutions, sometimes quick fixes rather than exploring my unknowns within the context of compassion, truth, kindness, humility—all parts of God’s love for us.

This past week was filled with opportunities and challenges—as is every week; and when I found myself looking inward and putting myself more in the role of the learner and not one of authority, my experiences and interactions were richer, more rewarding, and actually produced more energy than ending a busy week feeling totally drained.

My opportunities for growth and exploring some of my unknowns this past week included—watching a movie that addressed a painful topic for the Church and listening to others provide thoughtful comments as well as ask questions in community with others; listening and responding to class presentations where students took the risk to become the authority on a given area of study; participating in a workshop that challenged me to explore my calling within my  professional journey; receiving respectful feedback that a decision made did not sit well with some colleagues; and hearing about challenges that some members of our community are facing and them having the strength to speak up—these are only a few of any number of interactions I have had this week….to either fully engage with heart and mind or to not listen to God’s way and manner of being with others.  In the end, neither Jesus or the chief priests and elders provided definitive answers but rather took the opportunity to reflect and contemplate.

These readings leave me with this question:  How can I more consistently behave and act with kindness, compassion, and humbleness with and for others?  I only hope I take advantage of this Advent season to ponder the question further and to act upon what I might find via God’s love and His way.

Jill E. Carnaghi is a staff member in Student Development.

Reflection for Sunday, December 13, 2015

Third Sunday of Advent

ZEP 3:14-18A

IS 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

PHIL 4:4-7

LK 3:10-18

Advent calls us to embrace the struggle of being a hopeful people while doing good in the present. And the readings today call us to rejoice—for all sorts of reasons.
Many of these reasons for rejoicing are due to absence of things—judgment, fear, and anxiety about our place in the world. But by calling out these absences, we acknowledge that all these reasons not to be happy are very real. These fears, anxieties and understandings of relationships were real to the people of Israel as they are to us today. But, as people of hope, we know that future holds promise for better days.

John the Baptist epitomizes this concept of one-foot-in-the-present and one-foot-in-the future. He points to crowds to Jesus, but he keeps his flock focused on the practicalities of day-to-day living. Hope is not passive, nor is building the kingdom. John was preparing the foundation for the new kingdom by organizing his followers to understand the integrity of doing good while looking to the future.

We also live in turbulent times in the region and in the world. Building the kingdom remains uncomfortable for us, because just as John’s followers were pushed out of their comfort zone by answers to their own questions, we challenge ourselves when we dig deep into today’s issues of social justice and the common good. Hoping for a better future—and fairer structures and just legal systems—is good. But hope isn’t enough. Hope in the future must be complemented by action today.

And that action may be in verbal and physical protest, or in collaborating to write legal briefs, or in initiating difficult conversations with friends and colleagues, or in committing to personal goals to engage most effectively as an aspiring academic or professional. Or, at times, it may be all of the above.

As James will remind us later in his epistle that faith without works is dead, so too John reminds us today that hope without works is empty, untethered and wistful. We are called to be and do better. And that is our challenge today as members of the Saint Louis University Community.

And, on a lighter note, take a look at the video below. It’s from another era, and the songs are from an earlier era still. The video is a classic—and a little goofy and campy through our lens today. But take a look and a listen, and look up the songs (and the singers) if interested. You’ll find this blending of hope and action is an eternal and yet very modern struggle. https://youtu.be/zFVxX3RtyhQ

Dr. Fred Rottnek is Associate Professor and Director of Community Medicine in the School of Medicine.

Reflection for Saturday, December 12, 2015

Second Saturday of Advent 
ZEC 2:14-17
RV 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10 AB or JUDITH 13: 18 BCDE, 19
LK 1: 26 -38 or LK 1:39-47

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and is also the eve of Gaudete Sunday. This means the merging of two celebrations of absolute joy, and two reminders of the unexpectedness in our expectation.

Tomorrow’s celebration of Gaudete Sunday will mark the halfway point in our waiting, halfway through Advent, halfway to Christ. The day and the pink candle we mark it with are a reminder that we cannot lose our hope in waiting-- that we must not let ourselves be overcome with the anxiety of waiting, but rather that we must be overcome with the joy of expectation.

For those who are not familiar with her story, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego in 1531, an indigenous man living in Mexico during Spanish occupation immediately after the conquest of 1519-1521. In her apparition to Juan, Mother Mary reveals herself in the clothing and skin-coloring an indigenous young woman, speaking to Juan in his native language. Juan brings Our Lady’s request for a church to built at the site of the apparition in her honor to the Archbishop of Mexico City, and brings back the sign of Our Lady’s imprint on his cloak when he is asked to retrieve proof of the apparition.

What does the apparition of Our Lady to an indigenous man in the mid-16th century have to do with our experience of Advent today?

In two weeks we celebrate the Incarnation, God made tangible, God choosing to enter into the human condition, in all of its gritty reality, its beautiful earthy nature. Unlike the common Christian experience of waiting for the second-coming and the Kin-dom of God today, the Jewish people on the whole were anticipating the coming of a concrete human person. From the Book of Zechariah today: “See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day” (Zec 2:14-17). Christ, they believed, would come specifically into their own historical socio-political situation and establish a new, literal kingdom in an earthly context, perhaps through political revolution.

Imagine, then, how unexpected the historical Christ was! Poor, often homeless, Jesus spent time with women, thieves, the terminally ill, and social outcasts. And when he did spend time speaking with and teaching those he would have been expected to come to, the Jewish social elite, he did so by discussing women, thieves, the terminally ill, and social outcasts! Christ was the embodiment of unexpectedness within expectation. He came first through the body of a woman, his Mother, not to stage a political revolution, but to die as an innocent victim of state violence, sentenced to death for the very crime he was expected to, and yet did not, commit. And yet couched in his death, in the waiting for the Resurrection that our waiting in Advent should conjure reminiscence of in our hearts and minds, is joy. Because death does not win, injustice does not win.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, appearing with Jesus in her womb, again embodies the bringing of unexpected joy. The Catholic Spanish would have expected an apparition to themselves, from a Mary who looked rather like themselves. Instead, the message came to them of an image of an indigenous Mary, through a poor, indigenous man. God brought joy, once again, to the people who needed it, rather than those anticipating it. The joy of the Mother was brought to an oppressed people first, empowering them to act as agents of change in a time when they had been robbed of agency, to speak with authority to those who had recently robbed them of their voices. The joy of the coming of Christ rings true in this story as well, and reminds of the story found in our Gospel today, of the annunciation. As Mary responded, “May it be done to me according to your world,” so to should we be open to the unexpected Christ moving within our hearts, as he moved within her womb (Luke 1:26-38).

My hope for each of us at this point in our Advent season is that we refrain from allowing our expectation to become anxiety. Let us, in some ways, shed expectation, embrace the unexpectedness, and leave our hands and hearts open to the humble God reaching out to us in ways and people we could never imagine. This is just where we will find Her. This is where we will find Joy.

Maria Bednar is a senior majoring in Theological Studies and Women's and Gender Studies and is an intern in Campus Ministry.

Reflection for Friday, December 11, 2015

Second Friday of Advent 
IS 48:17-19
PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
MT 11: 16-19

Today ‘s Gospel should be relatable for any social human being. Here Jesus clearly exemplifies the judgmental nature of mankind and their many opinions.  He compares the two reactions of the people towards John the Baptist and Himself. He says, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they [the people] said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’” And then He says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’”

John and Jesus “just can’t win.” One refuses to eat and drink, and the people respond negatively. The other eats and drinks, and the people still respond negatively. This sounds much like the experiences of the social world today. People are full of opinions, and though this is not necessarily a bad thing, there will always be someone who has an opinion different from your own. (i.e.“Haters gonna hate.” Right?)

So what can we do?  And how does this apply to the Advent season? We must first begin by accepting the reality that we cannot please everyone. No matter how hard we try, we will make decisions in our lives that others may not approve of. At first this seems like a negative thought, but now think of Mary, the Virgin Mother. Mary decided to bear the Son of God. She said, “Yes.” despite what others would think about her (i.e. that she was a young, unwed mother who cheated on her fiancé).  And her decision changed the course of the universe.

So we must remember: as long as we are making decisions with and for God, we need not get distracted by negativity. This advent season, it is important to free ourselves from the social world of opinions, and focus on the coming of Jesus Christ. Don’t get distracted by debates about a red coffee cup or the next presidential candidate. Remember everyone is entitled to his or her opinions, accept your differences, and love on. This advent, make the conscious decision with Mary to ignore the negative opinions of others, and focus on preparing yourself for the coming of the King of the Universe.

Parker Davis is a junior majoring in Theological Studies and Communications.

Reflection for Thursday, December 10, 2015

Second Thursday of Advent 
IS 41:13-20
PS 145: 1 AND 9, 10-11, 12-13 AB
MT 11:11-15

There are some readings from the Bible that just move the soul, that set it aflame with a strong inherent knowing that the Lord is here, He loves us and is yearning for us. God is Love, and thus naturally longs to have an intimate relationship with us through prayer, the sacraments and others. We feel this and know this, at some points more so than others. But then we read a passage such as the first reading today (Isaiah 41: 13-20) and come across this line in verse 14: “Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the LORD; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.”

WHAT.

Maggots? Worms? But Lord, I thought you loved us?! But this is exactly the point that God wants to make with us. “The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and of great kindness.” He loves us so much that, even if we were measly, helpless, spineless worms, he would lift us up. Love Himself would transform us into a state-of-the-art, speedy, shiny new sleigh, one that cuts through snow and ice and storm like a knife through butter.

And it doesn’t stop there.

The Lord will cease at no expense to share His infinite mercy and kindness with us. He has promised to completely fulfill us… and then fill us some more. Parched with thirst, God will not only give us a glass of water but will create rivers and fountains, marshlands and springs for us – what a generous and amiable Father we have! And He doesn’t bestow these blessings on one group at a time, allowing them to trickle down to each individual member. He comes to YOU first, and showers YOU with all these gifts. “God loves all of us as if there was only one of us” as St. Augustine said.

Jesus knows how to romanticize us with these words and promises that hold so much Love and Truth. He is the Savior, the world’s Emmanuel, and He is also our best friend. He knows us better than anyone else, and comes to each individual in the exact way that he/she needs a friend. Despite our failings, despite our lacking love at times, despite our forgetfulness, Jesus is always present. In fact, He comes to us. In the joy. In the suffering. In the silence.

In the Gospel today, Jesus tells us “…there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” He pursues us constantly because He loves us, but also because He wants to show us our worth. Yes, YOU are worth the Son of God’s time, attention, unconditional love and protection. Sure, we mess up because we’re human. But our sins can never diminish the strength of Jesus’ love for us and it can never exhaust the ocean of His infinite mercy.

Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation, of awaiting the “Holy One of Israel”. The good news is that we know our Savior will come. Our longing will be met by the incarnation of Love, and He will fulfill us to the ends of the earth if we allow Him. How much louder and more spirited should our song be when we sing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!”


Erin Canning is a senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering.

Reflection for Wednesday, December 9, 2015

The Second Wednesday of Advent
IS 40:25-31
PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10
MT 11:28-30

Where I come from, we have funny sayings that get us through difficult times.  When obviously weary and distraught, my people say things like “it ain’t no hill to a stepper” or “I ain’t no ways tired” or “some days you eat the bear, and other days the bear eats you.”  Still, they fight their way through the most trying of situations.  That is the spirit of my people—we make it in spite of troubling circumstances and impediments.  With my people, the truth is that it is almost sacrilegious to admit that one is tired or weak or vulnerable.  We do this to protect ourselves from those who would take advantage of us.  Along those lines, among my people, it is taboo to entertain the thought that we may not make it to our end goal.  If I asked my elders why they believe so strongly that we will make it, they might respond “because we are the children of the ‘eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth’” (Isaiah 40:28).

As a boy, I was taught that the most egregious sin against the Creator is despair.  I learned that it was not just pessimistic but selfish to think that I could be so low as to not rise again.  To think in such a way would be tantamount to casting doubt on the omnipotent Creator.  Back in my home church, aptly titled “Greater Faith,” I can vividly remember the larger than life Texas transplant and community stalwart the Rev. Joe T. Denman hollering at the top of his lungs: “Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the LORD will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:30)!  With a crucifix and picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. hanging on the wall in his background, I had no choice but to believe the Baptist preacher.  More than believe, though, I tried to live the words I heard.

Admittedly, these are difficult days.  Aside from the fact that it is flu season and papers are due and no one can seem to agree on how to get things accomplished, black youth are dying too frequently at the hands of criminals (some of those criminals have sworn in front of witnesses to protect and serve the youth they have killed) or by way of systems (think health care, housing, educational, and courts) that choke the life out of young black people slowly.  When I think to complain about the way my faculty meeting went or that I have to fill out yet another form, I remember that some people--in very close proximity to this campus--are climbing higher hills and fighting bigger bears than I.   Some of those people come so close to despair that they strike out and shout to keep away those who would take advantage of them in their state of vulnerability.

Still, they (particularly the young people) believe in the promise of better days.  They count on the Creator who “numbers them, calling them all by name” (Isaiah 40:26) because they know that they are valued.  Thankfully, unlike man, their Creator pardons all iniquities and redeems their lives from destruction (Psalms 103:3-4).  They will, one day, be able to set down the burdens of poverty and race that our society has forced them to bear.  In this season, I proclaim for them the words that Jesus once spoke to those who were tired and oppressed:  “You will find rest for yourselves” (Matthew 11:29).

Stefan Bradley is currently director of African American Studies Program and associate professor in the Department of History.

Reflection for Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Second Tuesday of Advent
GN 3:9-15, 20
PS 98:1, 2-3 AB, 3CD-4
EPH 1:3-6, 11-12
LK 1:26-38

The Gospel reading for today’s Feast of the Immaculate Conception speaks of the Annunciation, the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary at the conception of Jesus.  Although it would seem that the Immaculate Conception refers to Jesus’ conception, it actually is a feast in honor of the conception of Mary. It is a celebration of the belief that she was conceived without the stain of original sin.  The angel Gabriel confirms that her nature is, “full of grace”.  The original Greek word used is kecharitomene and means: “has been and continues to be filled with the grace of God.”  (CCC 490-493, 722, 2676)

The Gospel for today (Luke 1: 26-38) is wonderful for reflection.  Each line holds truths worth pondering.  Catholic teaching states that Mary was pure from the moment of her conception, pure in mind, body and spirit.  Her soul is so immaculate, that God could join the fruit of her womb and become flesh of her flesh, bone of her bone.  The fruit of her womb, Christ, is fully human and fully divine, sharing both natures.  Imagine that, the creator of the universe, enfleshed (incarnate) as a response to his pure love for humanity.

When I place myself in the scene of the gospel I can picture the young Mary taking an afternoon rest from her chores.   A whispering rustle, followed by a warm enveloping light entered the room as the angel appeared to the young woman.  I can feel her startled response to this visitor and his words, as she pondered what they could mean: “Full of grace, the Lord is with you… conceive… bear a son…  Son of the Most High…”   Her question, “How could this be?”  And the angel’s calming reassurance, “do not be afraid… the Holy Spirit will come upon you… the Most High will overshadow you… for with God nothing will be impossible.”  I listen to her response, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”  The angel departed from her leaving her, and me, in wonder.

Judi Buncher
Mission and Identity