“Abba Lot came one day to see Abba Joseph and said to him, ‘Father, I keep my little rule to the best of my ability. I observe my modest fast and my
contemplative silence. I say my prayers and do my meditation. I endeavour as far as I can to drive useless thoughts out of my heart. What more can I do?’
“The elder rose to answer and lifted his hands to heaven. His fingers looked light lighted candles and he said, ‘Why not become wholly fire?’”
- Sayings of the Desert Fathers
(Why not, indeed? What would this mean for
you?) |
IS 54:1-10; PS 30:2 AND 4, 5-6, 11-12A AND 13B
LK 7:24-30
When the messengers of John the Baptist had left,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John.
“What did you go out to the desert to see B a reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in
fine garments?
Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously
are found in royal palaces.
Then what did you go out to see?
A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom Scripture says:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
he will
prepare your way before you.
I tell you,
among those born of women, no one is greater than John;
yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”
(All the people who listened, including the tax collectors,
who were baptized with the baptism of John,
acknowledged the righteousness of
God;
but the Pharisees and scholars of the law,
who were not baptized by him,
rejected the plan of God for themselves.)
Reflection on the
Scriptures |
In the gospel, Luke comments that the sinners are the ones who listened to Jesus' words and acknowledged the goodness, the justice, the righteousness of God. On the other hand, it is the self-righteous religious people who didn't see any need for conversion or baptism by John who rejected God's plan for them.
Hope and joy comes from experiencing mercy and the promise that we will never be alone, that God's love endures forever. That confidence is so freeing. As the joy grows, we can actually feel the self-absorption fall away. We can sense ourselves no longer carrying the same burdens. Our hearts begin to become sensitized again to notice and care about the suffering of others. Our own Advent hope is the "glad tidings" we have to share with others. The "gifts" we
have to give to others, for the world, are more about our hope and joy, to lift others' spirits, to allow us to be a community which cares for each other. Yes, we have great differences and deep divisions, and we've almost been trained by our culture to demonize each other - the ultimate self-absorption. With hope and joy come freedom to pay attention to what disturbs others and leads to anger and even hatred. We an be Advent people when we move to heal and comfort, to have compassion on
woundedness and rejoice that our God is near, in fact, always with us, with all of us. We may not be able to imagine how God can love us all. That's what it begins with really believing our God can really love me.
- by Andy Alexander, S.J.
Revelations of Divine
Love - by Julian of Norwich
Thirteenth Revelation, Chapter 32
“There be deeds evil done in our sight, and so
great harms taken, that it seemeth to us that it were impossible that ever it should come to good end.” “That Great Deed ordained . . . by which our Lord God shall make all things well”
ONE time our good Lord said: All thing shall be well; and another time he said: Thou shalt see thyself that all MANNER [of]
thing shall be well; and in these two [sayings] the soul took sundry understandings. One was that He willeth we know that not only He taketh heed to noble things and to great, but also to little and to small, to low and to simple, to one and to other. And so meaneth He in that He saith: ALL MANNER OF THINGS shall be well. For He willeth we know that the least thing shall not be forgotten. |
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