Preparing our heart in Advent.
Read, Reflect, Respond
Read:
Commitment to the wellbeing of others no matter what. 1 John 4:7-12
Reflect:
Charity is a gift of the Holy Spirit when we unconditionally love God and our neighbors. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God . . . If we are children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. We must love the Lord your God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5) and be committed to the wellbeing of others; seeking good for all people, no matter what. (1 John 4:7-12)
We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become.
St. Claire of Assisi
Respond:
The Spirit lives. Let Your good Spirit lead me on a level path.
Preparing our heart in Advent. Read, reflect, respond.
Read:
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, and they are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality” Galatians 5:19
Reflect:
Identifying works of the flesh does not demand extraordinary spiritual discernment. We can clearly see they center around sexual sin. Think about ordering your physical appetite according to your vocation in life. When we lack restraint with our passions and our thoughts, we can start down the slippery slope of considering others as mere objects to fulfill our desires. Ask yourself, do any of my thoughts, words or actions go against the beliefs of my faith? Does my heart hold any strong cravings or desires that are impure? How does my behavior, including the entertainment I consume, reflect my values and nourish my soul?
Take care of your body as if you were going to live forever and take care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow. St. Augustine
Respond:
Today, Lord, please purify any of my desires that do not come from You.
We all have days where we feel anything but grateful. Days where we stare at the glass half full and it feels like everything is going wrong.
But gratitude draws us closer to Jesus! Thanksgiving changes things. Gratitude fills our minds with higher, sweeter things so we can’t be occupied by negative thoughts!
Studies show that thankful people are more empathetic, less aggressive, healthier, and happier. This makes sense because Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 that rejoicing and praising God is actually God’s will for our lives! When we obey Him, we are happier and we are healthier!
You don’t have to feel happy or have happy circumstances to praise the Lord. If you are in a season of grief or struggle, read Psalm 103 for a giant list of the qualities of God that will never change. He is forgiving, good and redeems us.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. Psalm 118:1
As we prepare our hearts for Advent, let’s yearn for peace. Our lamentations will be heard and our prayers help ease the places of suffering from war and violence for which we can pray concretely today: Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Mali, Libya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Colombia. Take some time to meditate on this prayer for peace written by Patricia Navas González, published in Alethia.
Dear Father in heaven,
You created us out of love and await us behind every event, great and small. United in Christ with all our brothers and sisters who are suffering from armed conflict today, and knowing that we are “wrapped” in the mantle of Mary our Mother, we stretch out our hands to welcome your peace.
Have mercy on all those who have died among countless attacks and on their loved ones, on the wounded, on those who have killed someone, and on all the people suffering due to violence.
We pray to you, Almighty God: stop war and the use of weapons. Give us your peace.
Grant us the humility to recognize our littleness and the wisdom to accept your love and your salvation, which come to us through the cross and atonement.
Disperse the evildoers who sow violence, lies, and hatred in human hearts. Send us your Holy Spirit, who awakens pity, compassion, and forgiveness, and enables us to unite as brothers and sisters for your glory.
I place myself entirely at your disposal so that you may use me along with others to bring peace to the world. Unite me to You, in what I feel and what I think, in all that I am.
Accept now my efforts and sacrifices to empty myself of my selfish interests. Fill my heart with your love and make it be expressed in my eyes, my words, my actions, my life.
May I thus collaborate in the spread of justice and love. May I help you to foster reconciliation and open the world to your eternal riches.
Situation upon situation upon situation, the ever-changing cycle of your story, has been authored by Another, one of infinite power unparalleled wisdom unending grace, who has every epic every turn of the plot every surprising mystery every unnoticed moment written into his book.
The Author is never surprised never taken off guard never confused by new developments never feeling unprepared never just making it through never looking for a way out.
Situation upon situation upon situation, the ever-changing cycle of your story, authored by Another, the changing saga written by the One who never changes.
Let go of knowing the future. Let go of having your own way. Let go of self-sovereignty. Let go of the anxiety of not knowing. Let go of craving more power. Let go of ranting against mystery.
Settle into what you’ve been designed to be. Celebrate being included in the gospel plot. Be thankful you’re not in control. Remember God’s way is better. Know that you’re in good hands.
Things out of your control are not out of control. There is an Author, he is not you his will will be done.
Your story, that ever-changing cycle situation upon situation surprise after surprise mystery chasing mystery year piling upon year has a final chapter, penned before time began written on the pages of eternity and it will be glorious.
Grant, O Lord, that we may always revere and love your holy name, for you never deprive of your guidance those you set firm on the foundation of your love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
Hallowed… Holy. What do I name as holy in my life?
The saints understood the need for a singular focused heart. Not one formed by the world but one aligned with our creator.
St. Benedict of Nursia says, “You change your life by changing your heart.” St. Therese of Lisieux stated: Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be, and becoming that person.
As scripture reminds us, we are to be new wine.
No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. Matthew 9:14-17
Thank you, Lord, for giving me a new heart to fill up with the things you deem worthy.
Thanksgiving is the public acknowledgement or celebration of divine goodness. It is the act of giving thanks, a prayer expressing gratitude. It is easy to look beyond our circle of influence and be overwhelmed by the critical and inconsiderate world we see in the media and social media. With grace, we can open our eyes and hearts to the divine goodness in front of us when we slow down and be present in our life.
It is relatively easy to forget about all the good things God has done for us and to neglect giving thanks for our blessings. Reading Psalm 103 can help foster a spirit of thanksgiving by keeping our eyes focused on the good God has done for us.
He fills our days with good things.
Psalm 103:5
Eucharist, from the Greek word “eucharista”, means thanksgiving. The Catholic Church teaches that “the Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’” Participation in Holy Communion during Mass, consumed with a humble heart, allows the Spirit to increase in me, decreasing my strong will and self-reliance. This allows me to fill my heart with His goodness and surrender to Christ as King of my life.
Sometimes we must jump with both feet into faith and trust. Other times we need to slow down and appreciate what is in front of us. Expressing gratitude helps us cultivate a thankful heart. Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
Happy Thanksgiving and for being Smitten With Goodness!
We are called to have a grateful heart. Throughout scripture there are repeated calls to action to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving is to always be a part of our prayers. Some of the most remembered passages on the giving of thanks are the following:
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1).
Of all of God’s gifts, the greatest one He has given is the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus paid our sin debt, so a holy and just Judge could forgive us our sins and give us eternal life as a free gift. This gift is available to those who will call on Christ to save them from their sin in simple but sincere faith (John 3:16; Romans 3:19-26; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:13; Ephesians 2:8-10). For this gift of His Son, the gift which meets our greatest need, the Apostle Paul says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
We have a choice. In life there will always be those things that we can complain about but there will also be much to be thankful for.
May God grant that He may find us grateful every day for all of His gifts, spiritual and material. God is good, and every good gift comes from Him (James 1:17). For those who know Christ, God also works everything together for good, even events we would not necessarily consider good (Romans 8:28-30).
