REFLECTION Through seasons of darkness, I often forget the power and magnificence of God. As a college student, I face so much uncertainty—whether regarding my future, academics, or relationships with the people around me. During times of confusion, my first instinct is not always to seek God. Instead, I try to rely on myself, but I can never solve the problem independently. Over the past few years especially, I have learned to trust in Jesus to carry me through tough times; as the scripture says, He will “let it be done for you according to your faith.” While the Advent season is a wonderful time to celebrate the coming of Christ, like many of us, I often find myself swept up in the worries of this world. At these times we need to remember God is our “light and our salvation;” therefore, whom (or what) do we need to fear? God has promised us that He will always provide comfort and a way out of the darkness; all He asks in return is our belief. Moreover, He will fight for us: “all who are alert to do evil will be cut off.” Let us not fix our eyes on troubling times and the problems of this world, but rather on our eternal Father who is not only our constant champion and comforter, but who also has a place prepared for us in our true home. Cheryl Liu, Class of 2019, is a Global Business major in the School of Foreign Service.
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Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27A; Matthew 7:21, 24-27REFLECTION My pride is often the biggest wall between God and me. I know better than those around me, better than those who have come before me. Better than, more than, smarter than… Advent is a season of humility, of meekness—it announces the coming of the great disruption of the usual, the overturning of our current order. The Almighty comes as weak: God comes to us as a poor, lowly infant, who will bring justice from below, not impose it from above. The humility of Advent is confusing because everything we have been taught about success in life is shattered by the mystery of the coming of this poor messiah-king. True strength comes not from money, possessions, excess. To place our trust in the frivolities of the world builds our house on sand—our strength and happiness are superficial. To build our house on the Rock is to humble ourselves to the position God has chosen: weak, poor, vulnerable. When we approach God in vulnerability, we are open to real transformation from our sheltered, self-impressed, pride. Advent is an invitation to make straight our own paths—to check our pride—in order that we may be ready to receive the messiah’s good news of love and justice, and be ready to respond to it. In that vulnerable humility of Advent, the gates of peace and justice are burst open and all walls are torn down. We are free to experience God’s loving, transformative presence in our world. Kevin Molloy is the Assistant Director of Ignatian Programs & Retreats. REFLECTION - Feast of St. Andrew The Apostle Shame. Urban males regularly face shame. Culture and Society work against them taking pride in themselves and in their accomplishments. Negative influences encourage them to diminish or tarnish what others accomplish or the effort required to grow and to flourish. Shame tears down rather than builds up. Shame deafens ears and hardens hearts. Goodness is not only diminished by shame, goodness often remains unrecognized and unrealized in situations of shaming or being shamed. When we are ashamed, we have trouble hearing Christ calling us to follow him on the way. On this feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, we experience the ‘first call’ narrative. Andrew, Peter, James and John do not fear what others will think or say about their response to encountering Jesus. Rather than feeling shame, the disciples respond immediately to the invitation by the Lord. Scripture reminds us, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame” (Romans 10:11), and “one believes with the heart and so is justified” (Romans 10:10). In their hearts, they heard the message of Jesus and knew that in him they would be justified—they would find themselves in right relationship with Christ and others. Following Christ in a new but familiar way, the disciples became their true selves, their best selves—”Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). As we await the coming of Christ once again into our lives and into our world, may we not be ashamed by our faith and instead let our hearts be opened to the joy of the season. Fr. Mark Luedtke, S.J., (COL’90) is president of Loyola High School in Detroit. REFLECTION Last December, I was walking with a friend on a busy DC street when an impromptu Black Lives Matter protest stopped traffic at the intersection. The protesters held all cars and foot traffic and stood in the intersection with linked arms, chanting “no justice, no peace.” Or maybe it was “know justice, know peace.” Once those driving cars realized what was happening, they stopped honking and the entire block got eerily quiet. The protesters’’ voices echoed as one refrain: ”no justice, no peace. Know justice, know peace.” After about ten minutes, the protesters stopped chanting and let traffic pass. My friend turned to keep walking, but I was frozen. I couldn’t help but feel that I had had one of those ineffably spiritual experiences, that the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me. I thought I knew what my day would entail, but on that ordinary street corner, listening to the voices of my neighbors crying out for justice, I heard the spirit of Lord interrupting my day and whispering, “I’m coming. I hear your cries. And together we will know justice and peace.” This is what today’s readings remind us: we will know justice and peace. In this season of Advent, as we begin our year anew and long for the coming of our Savior, we can dare to hope for the advent of that justice. We can dare to say that spirit of the Lord will rest upon us, and not by appearance shall we judge. It is not to the manger two thousand years ago that Jesus will come, but to us here and now, to our ordinary street corners, interrupting our status quo and establishing that justice and peace for which we work. Carmen Fitzsimmons (C’08) is the Catholic Campus Minister and a Chaplain in Residence in Copley Hall. Lord, as we wait and hope for your coming, open our hearts to interruption and give us hands ready to work for peace and justice. REFLECTION Today’s readings repeat the theme of finding a shelter and a home in the Lord. As the Advent season begins, we often prepare our homes as we wait to celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world, but today’s readings remind us that a true sense of home comes from welcoming Jesus into our lives. In today’s Gospel, the centurion, a man who commands many others, feels unworthy to receive Jesus into his home: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” The centurion knows that even the smallest action from Jesus will restore health and peace to his home, and Jesus recognizes the beauty of the centurion’s great faith. Today’s Gospel reminds me that even though I am not worthy for Jesus to enter “under my roof,” he comes anyway. The more unworthy I am, the more I need Jesus to give me “refuge and cover from storm and rain.” Just as the centurion shows complete trust in Jesus’ ability to heal his servant, I can trust in Jesus to give me a sense of home, wherever I go. When the centurion tells Jesus about his servant’s suffering, Jesus offers to come to his home. Despite our sins and failures, Jesus enters our world and enters our hearts. The psalm for today says, “May those who love you prosper! May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings.” If a word from Jesus, outside the centurion’s home, can bring healing, we can only imagine the peace that will fill us if we have the courage and humility to invite Jesus inside. Emma Doerfler, Class of 2018, is an English and Government major in the College. Jesus, we find our home and our peace in you. May we remain open to your coming and prepare a home for you in our hearts as we await your coming in this Advent season. REFLECTION
Today the words of Isaiah subtly draw our attention to the Virgin Mother, who is the centerpiece of our Advent pilgrimage. His prophecy finds its fulfillment in her. “In days to come,” he foretells, “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain.” Her generous womb builds this house on her mountain of high faith. It makes a new Temple for God that renders David’s house of worship a redundant thing of the past. Let us turn our thoughts, then, to Mary as we long for the delivery of her womb’s gift to the world. We see her in Nazareth with an active love, pregnant with hope, answering God’s request with a heartfelt “Yes!” We think of the difficulties and sufferings, borne for the sake of love, that this “yes” will demand: the physical discomfort of her condition, the puzzlement of “why her,” and the sudden intervention of God into an otherwise peaceful and contented life. In the midst of all this, Mary continues her gracious ways, not giving sway to an easy, and easily understandable, self-absorption. Instead, she communicates an infectious smile, pursuing day by day her gentle duties for others, traveling to Elizabeth, also pregnant, to visit in solace, support, and service. Let us happily take Isaiah’s invitation this Advent and inspire our imagination to journey with Mary: from the great event in Nazareth, down the Judean hills to her cousin, and over to Bethlehem with her just and loyal husband. Let us join our own struggles, hopes, joys, and confusions with hers. Let us especially pray before her fruitful womb, the Temple of God living in the flesh. Rev. Stephen Fields, S.J., is Associate Professor of Theology in the College. |
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