Advent Devotional for Monday, December 22, 2008
Week 4: PEACE
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Luke 1:46-55
Mary’s Magnificat says so much. I’d like to ask you to read it again (and maybe even three times): certainly one reading is insufficient. Even after half a dozen readings, I find it difficult to move past the wondrous opening line: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” What more do we need, especially at this hopeful time, than to allow our souls to do that for which they were made?
Mary’s prayer reminds me of the great (and difficult) Gerard Manley Hopkins poem, “As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame.” Hopkins was a 19th-century English Jesuit and is a favorite poet of mine. In this sonnet Hopkins develops a theme similar to that of Mary’s prayer. Here it is:
AS kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves—goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying What I do is me: for that I came.
I say more: the just man justices;
Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is—
Chríst—for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men’s faces.
My prayer today is that we can hear and follow Mary’s magnificent lead. Let our souls proclaim God’s greatness in everything that we do today. And let us, as Hopkins suggests, see Christ in “ten thousand places.”
By Adam Musser, Theology Teacher/Campus Ministry
Showing posts with label Society of Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Society of Jesus. Show all posts
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Romans 8:22-25 Advent Devotional
Advent Devotional for Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Week 2: HOPE
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.
Romans 8:22-25
July 2, 1996 came and went. The phone rang incessantly. “Is the baby here yet?” “No, not yet.” It was hot, I was swollen, and my ankles were stuffed sausages ready to burst open. Didn’t this baby know that I lived by a calendar? Didn’t he know that I intentionally set the birth date to be such that I would maximize my summer off of work? Didn’t this baby know that I had to be ready to go back to work when school started in the fall? I was tired of being huge. I was tired of being swollen. And I was tired of being pregnant.
If normal wombs are the Holiday Inn for babies, mine was the Ritz Carlton. This child did NOT want to come out. My obstetrician said (on the day AFTER my due date, mind you), “there is nothing going on.” AAAAHHHH!!!! On top of it all, my doctor was from an older generation that didn’t believe in inducing me too soon. Therefore, I had to wait until I was two weeks over due before I would be induced. Joy. As Romans 8:22 states, “we know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Believe you me, I was groaning alright.
Be patient. Yeah, right! I am not a patient person by nature. I am a planner. I am a doer. I am not good at sitting around waiting for things to happen to me. I like to make things happen! This baby was teaching me a huge lesson. I had to be patient. I had to let God decide when this baby was coming. And boy was I getting a huge lesson in patience. We were blessed that we did not have to wait long to get pregnant. We hoped to get pregnant, and boom! there we were. The hope that we had for this baby was immense. We waited. Patiently. Camden Michael was born two weeks past his due date. He was beautiful. “But if we hope for what we do not have yet, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:25. I can imagine Mary looking at her own beautiful son with the hope of the world on his shoulders. What do you hope for? Are you willing to wait for it? For in this hope we are saved.
By Nicki Stacey, Director of Counseling
Week 2: HOPE
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.
Romans 8:22-25
July 2, 1996 came and went. The phone rang incessantly. “Is the baby here yet?” “No, not yet.” It was hot, I was swollen, and my ankles were stuffed sausages ready to burst open. Didn’t this baby know that I lived by a calendar? Didn’t he know that I intentionally set the birth date to be such that I would maximize my summer off of work? Didn’t this baby know that I had to be ready to go back to work when school started in the fall? I was tired of being huge. I was tired of being swollen. And I was tired of being pregnant.
If normal wombs are the Holiday Inn for babies, mine was the Ritz Carlton. This child did NOT want to come out. My obstetrician said (on the day AFTER my due date, mind you), “there is nothing going on.” AAAAHHHH!!!! On top of it all, my doctor was from an older generation that didn’t believe in inducing me too soon. Therefore, I had to wait until I was two weeks over due before I would be induced. Joy. As Romans 8:22 states, “we know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Believe you me, I was groaning alright.
Be patient. Yeah, right! I am not a patient person by nature. I am a planner. I am a doer. I am not good at sitting around waiting for things to happen to me. I like to make things happen! This baby was teaching me a huge lesson. I had to be patient. I had to let God decide when this baby was coming. And boy was I getting a huge lesson in patience. We were blessed that we did not have to wait long to get pregnant. We hoped to get pregnant, and boom! there we were. The hope that we had for this baby was immense. We waited. Patiently. Camden Michael was born two weeks past his due date. He was beautiful. “But if we hope for what we do not have yet, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:25. I can imagine Mary looking at her own beautiful son with the hope of the world on his shoulders. What do you hope for? Are you willing to wait for it? For in this hope we are saved.
By Nicki Stacey, Director of Counseling
Psalm 46 Advent Devotional
Advent Devotional for Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Week 1: PREPARE
God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.
Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,
Though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging.
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Streams of the river gladden the city of God, the dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken; God will help it at break of day.
Though nations rage and kingdoms totter, God’s voice thunders and the earth trembles.
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come and see the works of the Lord, who had done fearsome deeds on earth;
Who stops wars to the ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields with fire,
Who says: “Be still and confess that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Psalm 46
Every day, the media announces even more distressing economic news: “The stock market is plummeting.” “The bailout of the banking sector is costing hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars.” “Thousands of people are being laid off or losing their jobs.” “Senior citizens are seeing their retirement accounts disappear overnight.” “The number of people frequenting local food pantries is on the rise.” Doesn’t this seem to reflect what the psalmist describes as the “earth being shaken, the mountains quaking to the depths of the sea, the sea raging and foaming and the mountains totters at the surging of the sea?” Indeed, the solid foundations on which so many placed their economic hopes and their very lives are crumbling. The earth is being shaken; the mountains are quaking to the depths of the sea.
Many can rightfully claim, where is our loving God? Has God utterly abandoned us? If one feels abandoned, the temptation is to be paralyzed by unhealthy worry and frightful anxiety. If one is not paralyzed by worry, one can fall into hectic, even frenetic activity thinking, “I have to do something, do anything for doing something is better than nothing.” Yet, the psalmist advises, “Do not fear; God is our refuge and our strength!” Is the psalmist calling us to passivism, to naïveté? Is the psalmist calling us to ignore the crisis all around us? Is the psalmist trying to lull us into a drug like stupor?
In this present situation or in other turbulent times, it takes courage to “Be still and confess that I am God.” The simple act of prayer and trust in God requires a great act of faith. It takes great courage to even maintain one’s faith in God in the face of others’ criticism. This courage comes from the promise that “The Lord of hosts is with us…” This expression is very similar to the one that Isaiah uses in predicting the birth of Jesus. He says that Jesus is Emmanuel, that is, God is with us. And it is this constant presence of God with us that gives us courage. God is at our side in the midst of whatever difficulty we have: financial, medical, familial… God does not wave a magic wand that takes away the struggles, the worry and the anxiety. But, God will be there with us in the midst of our struggles each and every minute of every day, loving us, supporting us, inspiring us to navigate the obstacles in our path.
As we prepare for Christmas, let us courageously “Be still” in order to recognize the presence of “Emmanuel, God with us” in our midst. It is when we can “Be still” with God that we can break out of our paralysis. It is when we can “Be still” with God that we can set aside frenetic unfocused activity. It is when we can “Be still” with God that we can recognize opportunities to solve problems.
By Steve Suding, Vice President of Mission
Week 1: PREPARE
God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.
Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,
Though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging.
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Streams of the river gladden the city of God, the dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken; God will help it at break of day.
Though nations rage and kingdoms totter, God’s voice thunders and the earth trembles.
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come and see the works of the Lord, who had done fearsome deeds on earth;
Who stops wars to the ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields with fire,
Who says: “Be still and confess that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Psalm 46
Every day, the media announces even more distressing economic news: “The stock market is plummeting.” “The bailout of the banking sector is costing hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars.” “Thousands of people are being laid off or losing their jobs.” “Senior citizens are seeing their retirement accounts disappear overnight.” “The number of people frequenting local food pantries is on the rise.” Doesn’t this seem to reflect what the psalmist describes as the “earth being shaken, the mountains quaking to the depths of the sea, the sea raging and foaming and the mountains totters at the surging of the sea?” Indeed, the solid foundations on which so many placed their economic hopes and their very lives are crumbling. The earth is being shaken; the mountains are quaking to the depths of the sea.
Many can rightfully claim, where is our loving God? Has God utterly abandoned us? If one feels abandoned, the temptation is to be paralyzed by unhealthy worry and frightful anxiety. If one is not paralyzed by worry, one can fall into hectic, even frenetic activity thinking, “I have to do something, do anything for doing something is better than nothing.” Yet, the psalmist advises, “Do not fear; God is our refuge and our strength!” Is the psalmist calling us to passivism, to naïveté? Is the psalmist calling us to ignore the crisis all around us? Is the psalmist trying to lull us into a drug like stupor?
In this present situation or in other turbulent times, it takes courage to “Be still and confess that I am God.” The simple act of prayer and trust in God requires a great act of faith. It takes great courage to even maintain one’s faith in God in the face of others’ criticism. This courage comes from the promise that “The Lord of hosts is with us…” This expression is very similar to the one that Isaiah uses in predicting the birth of Jesus. He says that Jesus is Emmanuel, that is, God is with us. And it is this constant presence of God with us that gives us courage. God is at our side in the midst of whatever difficulty we have: financial, medical, familial… God does not wave a magic wand that takes away the struggles, the worry and the anxiety. But, God will be there with us in the midst of our struggles each and every minute of every day, loving us, supporting us, inspiring us to navigate the obstacles in our path.
As we prepare for Christmas, let us courageously “Be still” in order to recognize the presence of “Emmanuel, God with us” in our midst. It is when we can “Be still” with God that we can break out of our paralysis. It is when we can “Be still” with God that we can set aside frenetic unfocused activity. It is when we can “Be still” with God that we can recognize opportunities to solve problems.
By Steve Suding, Vice President of Mission
Isaiah 43 Reflection
Advent Devotional for Friday, December 5, 2008
Week 1: PREPARE
Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.
Isaiah 43
As I begin to reflect on the above scripture passage I am reminded of the passage from the Second Book of Paul when he is struck blind by God and Paul asked God what he should do. God responds by saying “"Then the Lord said to him (Paul), Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
It really does not matter what you have done in the past, it matters what God wants you to do now. You can not change the past, but you can listen for God’s word and see what it is doing. For me, and I am sure many of you as well, it is to be here at Saint Martin de Porres High School and to listen for God’s word. What we must do is not always clear to us. We must take the time to reflect and to listen and to see the overwhelming presence of Jesus Christ in our family that we call Saint Martin’s. When we do this, it becomes easier for me to see what I must do.
God is preparing something big for us. We just need to get out of the way and make room for the Holy Spirit. Do you not see that God is doing something new? He is transforming each and everyone associated with our community into what he wants the world to be. Anyone who comes to our building that takes a moment to let God in sees it.
Always remember to take the time to realize that we learn far more from our students that we can ever teach them. I am amazed and overcome with emotion every day by the commitment our students make to the community of our school.
So as we prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ during this Advent season, take the time to see the great things God is doing right now. You answered his call to go into the city and you are being told what you must do. Take the time to see God creating a way in the desert and turning wasteland into rivers. Take the time to reflect on the overpowering presence of Jesus Christ each and every day at Saint Martin’s. When we take the time to do this, it makes the Advent season that much more meaningful to me.
In closing, PREPARE for the birth of Jesus with a new perspective on what we must do and to see the new things God is doing. I thank you for the opportunity to share this with you.
GOD BLESS,
By Tom Bennett, Vice President of Corporate Work Study Program
Week 1: PREPARE
Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.
Isaiah 43
As I begin to reflect on the above scripture passage I am reminded of the passage from the Second Book of Paul when he is struck blind by God and Paul asked God what he should do. God responds by saying “"Then the Lord said to him (Paul), Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
It really does not matter what you have done in the past, it matters what God wants you to do now. You can not change the past, but you can listen for God’s word and see what it is doing. For me, and I am sure many of you as well, it is to be here at Saint Martin de Porres High School and to listen for God’s word. What we must do is not always clear to us. We must take the time to reflect and to listen and to see the overwhelming presence of Jesus Christ in our family that we call Saint Martin’s. When we do this, it becomes easier for me to see what I must do.
God is preparing something big for us. We just need to get out of the way and make room for the Holy Spirit. Do you not see that God is doing something new? He is transforming each and everyone associated with our community into what he wants the world to be. Anyone who comes to our building that takes a moment to let God in sees it.
Always remember to take the time to realize that we learn far more from our students that we can ever teach them. I am amazed and overcome with emotion every day by the commitment our students make to the community of our school.
So as we prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ during this Advent season, take the time to see the great things God is doing right now. You answered his call to go into the city and you are being told what you must do. Take the time to see God creating a way in the desert and turning wasteland into rivers. Take the time to reflect on the overpowering presence of Jesus Christ each and every day at Saint Martin’s. When we take the time to do this, it makes the Advent season that much more meaningful to me.
In closing, PREPARE for the birth of Jesus with a new perspective on what we must do and to see the new things God is doing. I thank you for the opportunity to share this with you.
GOD BLESS,
By Tom Bennett, Vice President of Corporate Work Study Program
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