Christmas Day

"The power of this Child, Son of God and Son of Mary, is not the power of this world, based on might and wealth; it is the power of love.  It is the power which created the heavens and the earth, which gives life to all creation: to minerals, plants and animals; it is the force which attracts man and woman, and makes them one flesh, one single existence; it is the power which gives new birth, pardons faults, reconciles enemies, and transforms evil into good.  It is the power of God.  This power of love led Jesus Christ to strip himself of his glory and become man; it led him to give his life on the cross and to rise from the dead.  It is the power of service, which inaugurates in our world the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of justice and peace." 
Pope Francis' Christmas message.

Wednesday, December 21

A reflection by Fr. James Martin, SJ, on the "God of surprises."
Pray to be surprised.

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

On December 16, we begin to sing the great "O Antiphons" at evening prayer, as the antiphon to the Magnificat.  There is also the traditional singing of the Christmas Novena which includes not only the "O Antiphons" but the prophecies - those short statements from the Old Testament that "prophecy" the coming of the Messiah.

Here is a contemporary reflection on the "O Antiphons":



Listen to the singing of the traditional antiphons, with the English translation:

The Third Week of Advent

Go and tell John that marvelous things are happening in surprising places.
Go and tell John that people who were deaf from want of good news are singing hymns.
Go and tell John that this is not the work of one lonely Messiah, but the work of God,
carried out by all who believe.
Go and tell John to search every face for the face of God.
What is happening here is bigger than any of us.
What is coming to pass is as big as the Kingdom of God.

Barbara Brown Taylor, in Give Us This Day

Listen:  Go and Tell John, Lloyd Pfautsch

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Good preaching by Dominican Sr. Barbara Reid on the
Feast of the Immaculate Conception:

http://catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/12082016

Listen to Ave Maria, by Franz Biebl

Advent Reflections and Resources

Follow the link below for a thorough listing of websites of women religious communities, offering daily and weekly Advent reflections:

https://giving-voice.org/advent-reflections

The 2nd week of Advent

Offering of preaching by women, for the season of Advent:
http://www.catholicwomenpreach.org/

2nd Week of Advent - A Dream of Peace

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of God shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and fear of God.

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The nursing child shall play
over the hole of the asp,

and the weaned child shall put its hands on the adder's den.
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of God,
as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah

Music:
A Star Shall Come Forth (from the movie, The Nativity)

1st Week of Advent - Live in Expectation

Keep awake, therefore,
for you do not know on what day
your Lord coming.
But understand this:
if the owner of the house had know in what part
of the night the thief was coming,
the owner would have stayed awake,
and would not have let the house be broken into.
Therefore you also my be ready,
for God's future Ruler and Judge
is coming at an unexpected hour.

from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Music:
Cantata 140, Sleepers, Wake! (JS Bach)

Welcome

This "Advent blog" is meant to be a quiet space to contemplate the weeks of Advent.  Each week will begin with a "primary" posting that will include scripture, artwork, and music.  As I become aware of postings from other sources, I will place links on this blog.  You may want to bookmark this page so you can check daily for updates.

This is offered in all humility, as I know most of us have a routine in place, and many sources from which we can draw for our daily meditation.  Use this as you want.  If you would like to suggest a reading or piece of artwork or music, please do so (you know how to be in touch with me).

Blessed Advent.