Be Vigilant: Daily Meditations for Advent Read online

  Be Vigilant:

  Daily Meditations for Advent

  By Michael Dubruiel

  Amy Welborn, editor

  Be Vigilant: Daily Advent Meditations

  Copyright © 2009 by Amy Welborn

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Amy Welborn

  Cover image: Mount Etna, Sicily. Photograph by Amy Welborn

  Published 2009 by Amy Welborn

  ISBN-13 978-0-9842816-1-9

  Smashwords Edition 1.0, November 2009

  http://www.michaeldubruiel.com

  http://www.howtobookofthemass.com

  http://www.amywelborn.com

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  Contents

  Preface

  First Sunday of Advent

  Monday of the First Week of Advent

  Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

  Wednesday of the First Week of Advent

  Thursday of the First Week of Advent

  Friday of the First Week of Advent

  Saturday of the First Week of Advent

  Second Sunday of Advent

  Monday of the Second Week of Advent

  Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

  Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent

  Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

  Friday of the Second Week of Advent

  Saturday of the Second Week of Advent

  Third Sunday of Advent

  Monday of the Third Week of Advent

  Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

  Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

  Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

  Friday of the Third Week of Advent

  Saturday of the Third Week of Advent

  Fourth Sunday of Advent

  Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent

  Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

  Solemnity of Christmas

  Octave of Christmas--Feast of St. Stephen

  Octave of Christmas--Feast of St. John

  Octave of Christmas--Feast of the Holy Innocents

  Octave of Christmas--Feast of the Holy Family

  Octave of Christmas-Sixth Day

  Octave of Christmas-Seventh Day

  Octave of Christmas-Solemnity of Mary Mother of God

  Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church

  Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

  The Epiphany of the Lord

  Preface:

  Michael Dubruiel wrote these meditations several years ago, but they were never published. I have edited them a bit, and publishing in this e-book format. He wrote them for a particular year so not all the entries will match up perfectly - the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on a different liturgical day of the week this year, for example. But even with that limitation, I thought Michael's observations were definitely worth sharing, and I pray you will find them helpful.

  First Sunday of Advent

  My memories of growing up in New England are filled with examples of what ideally we all might do if we were to celebrate Advent in response to Jesus' admonition in the Gospel of Mark. Gathering on the Sunday after Thanksgiving for the lighting of the village Christmas Crèche, caroling throughout the streets of the small town, and the general mood of good cheer that permeated the cold wintry landscape warms me even now. Everyone seemed to make an extra effort to notice everyone else.

  What does this have to do with the readings you ask?

  Jesus tells his disciples to "watch," to be alert, for they do not know when the time will come. Last Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent begins, we heard the end portrayed and indeed the gathered people (the sheep and goats) are surprised that they had already either helped the Lord or refused him when they had reached out to those in need. If we are truly vigilant we will greet everyone we meet today as though it could be the Lord himself coming into our midst.

  There are no unimportant visitors for the Christian. Advent is a time of expectation of the Lord's coming, not on our terms but in whatever way He chooses to come to us today. Be vigilant!

  The way we celebrated before Christmas when I was growing up seemed to capture this spirit. People genuinely became other-focused. If we truly believe that the Lord might be lurking in the stranger whom we meet, how might we treat Him differently? The Lord commands us to "Watch!" There is no better way to celebrate Advent than this intense watching and vigilance for the unexpected arrival - in our midst.

  Monday of the First Week of Advent

  We say the words of the Centurion before Communion every time we go to Mass but do we really mean it? "Lord, I am not worthy..."

  Most of us probably think there are times when we aren't worthy, but plenty of other times that we are. The truth is that we are never worthy. The more we can foster that notion the less likely we are to sit in judgment of others and the less likely we are to ever think we know better than God.

  If we are to truly look forward to the coming of Christ we have to nurture within ourselves a deep sense of our own unworthiness. This creates space for Christ to enter into our lives. The Centurion realized that a mere word from the savior could save his servant. In faith we should open the Scriptures with the same belief and expectation.

  Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

  "There will only be children in the Kingdom of God," Fulton Sheen once said. He could have been commenting on today's Gospel reading. Jesus praises the Father for having revealed the mysteries of the Kingdom to "mere children" while hiding it from the learned and wise.

  Isn't it true that the more we try to figure it all out the more confused we become? Yet a simple childlike pondering done in prayer before God often reveals answers that years of learning could not obtain. A child goes to its parent and asks "what is it?" We should lose any self-reliance we have and turn to God at every moment of our lives to make sure that we understand "what it is" that we are encountering at the present moment.

  We may be surprised to find that the Kingdom of God will have finally come to us.

  Wednesday of the First Week of Advent

  "How many loaves have you?" is Jesus' question to us today.

  It is easy in life to concentrate on what we lack in the face of the problems that arise daily. But Our Lord's response is to take what we have, give thanks to God and throw whatever we have at the problem. There is a lesson in this for all of us. The disciples, when confronted by Our Lord's question, mouth our response, "but what is this for so many?" and Jesus ignores this objection.

  Today take what you have and give it. Give it for others. Take the words that are buried in your mind and share them with those you meet. Take the loose change you have in your pocket and throw it into the Salvation Army bucket. Whatever you have it is enough - share it.

  Give what you have today, asking God to bless it as you do.

  Thursday of the First Week of Advent

  I didn't realize it at the time but I am certain that The Carpenter's Christmas by Peter K. Rosegger is based on the Gospel passage for today. Jesus says, "It is not those who say to me, 'Lord, Lord,' who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven." Read the story and then go back to the Gospel where the rest of the passage talks about how the sensible p
erson builds his house on rock that withstands the storms that rage against it.

  How does our faith withstand the storms that wage against us during the course of our lives? Can we make sense of the daily intrusions that interfere with our plans? Are we truly open to Our Lord's coming at every moment or are we closed to his coming to us in any way but the one we have decided upon?

  Friday of the First Week of Advent

  Two blind men wish to be healed in today's Gospel. Jesus asks them if they believe that he can restore their sight. They say that they do and indeed he does. But then he orders them to tell no one about it.

  They go off and tell everyone they meet about it.

  What is the lesson for us? We receive God's grace freely but we continue to ignore his commands--so we have a lot in common with the blind men. We need to understand that our reliance on God is a 24 hour a day task. That it isn't just a matter of going to Confession or asking God to help us at a particular moment in time. We need God's assistance every step of the way, less we think that now that we are "healed" we can do it all on our own again.

  During this Advent season we should be aware of the darkness of our own intellect and the need of God's light at every moment of our existence.

  Saturday of the First Week of Advent

  "You received without charge, give without charge," Our Lord tells his disciples in today's Gospel reading from Matthew (Mt. 10:8).

  What are we to give?

  Healing to the sick. Life to the dead. Freedom to those in demonic bondage.

  As we prepare our Christmas lists this year, we might reflect on our choice of gifts. Do they truly reflect the gifts that God has given us freely? What might we give our loved ones that will truly help them in their illness, in all their dyings and in all their struggles?

  I'm sure the answer will come if we learn to reflect in a new way, one that is focused on what God has given us.

  Second Sunday of Advent

  Patience is a virtue and most of us don't have it.

  Yearly we celebrate Advent both in expectation of Christmas (the Lord's first coming in the flesh) and in expectation of his Second Coming. Of course for many the Lord has come during the past year as they have left us here and hopefully joined him in Heaven. But for those who remain, there can be the sullen feeling that the Lord is delayed in His return.

  Today Peter addresses this apparent tarrying of the Lord in his return, "The Lord is not being slow to carry out his promises, as anybody else might be called slow; but he is being patient with you all, wanting nobody to be lost and everybody to be brought to change his ways."

  The Lord is virtuous, He has patience in abundance. While we might think we are the ones in need of patience, it is really He who is exercising patience with us. Giving us the much needed time to repent, to realize that His way is the only way.

  I am reminded of a book that I read in the 1980's entitled "Way of Divine Love" by Sr. Josefa Menedez. Sister Josefa was a Spanish Nun who lived in the early 1900's, a contemporary of St. Faustina. She too had visions of Our Lord appearing to her and like Faustina, she too was told by Our Lord that His mercy was not being made known to people.

  One of the messages focused on Sister Josefa suffering and praying for a particular soul who Our Lord wanted her to pray for, because that person was in danger of being lost. I recall from the book that the person suddenly died in a car accident because Our Lord told Josefa that it was the right time for the person to enter into salvation. If they had been left to remain they might have fallen again and never turned to Our Lord. This view -- that all of Heaven is concerned with the salvation of each individual is hardly the one that most of us carry around with us.

  We are told in the Gospel that John the Baptist is sent to prepare the way for Israel's meeting with Our Lord. Perhaps you and I are being prepared right now by the John the Baptists' in our midst. Perhaps we are preparing the way for someone else. We should ask for the prayers of others and we should pray for others. We should be praise the patience of Our Lord in delaying His coming for our own benefit.

  Monday of the Second Week of Advent

  Mary's "How can this be?" is the primordial human question when confronted by God's grace. We can always think of a thousand reasons why we are undeserving of meriting any special favor from God. It only grows worst with age, after receiving numerous benefits from God we continue to squander God's grace and are even more convinced that we are undeserving of any further blessings.

  But God is not like us. In the Gospel of the Monday of the Second week of Advent, Jesus forgives the sins of the man whose friends brought him to be healed. The Pharisees complain that only God can forgive, but Jesus who of course is Divine says "so you will know that the Son of Man has the power to forgive," an interesting way of taking something that is "divine" and mandating that it become a "human" activity.

  In the same way that God's grace is so freely given, we too should give freely. Forgive, stop making requirements the basis for our love, not to bury the graces that we have been given while the Master tarries in His return.

  Indeed, we will know that we have arrived when others mouth the words of Mary, "How can this be?" Then we will know that we are acting in God's graces.

  Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

  Sometimes we get it all wrong.

  Perhaps it comes from our childhood and being threatened with retribution from God when our parents realize that they can't see us and be with us all the time, but most of us carry within us an image of God as the supreme being out to get us.

  In today's gospel, Jesus tells us otherwise. "It is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost."

  Not one. Not you. Not the horrible people you know. Not the better than good people that you know. Not one!

  God wants everyone to be saved.

  Fostering a longing for the coming of Christ can only happen if we believe that it is for our good.

  Fulton Sheen used to portray the image of Satan and Christ speaking to a soul both before the person committed a sin and afterwards. Before, Sheen said, Christ seemed like the obstacle to the sinner, Satan the friend. "God doesn't want you to enjoy yourself, etc" But after sin the real identity of Satan as the accuser takes shape, "Now you've done it! God could never love you after what you've done! You might as well go on doing it!" But Christ appears as a savior, "Come back, I forgive you!"

  Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent

  Rest, that is what the Lord promises today to those who come to Him. If you work and you find yourself overburdened, come to Him and He will give you rest.

  This is kind of the opposite of all the other sayings that we often think of when we think of following Jesus. Most of them emphasize the cross and the difficulty. We think of it as something hard and it would be if it weren't for Jesus.

  The focus must always be on Him first. Come to Him and He will give you rest.

  I regularly see the difference in my life between the times that I spend quality time in prayer and those times that I do not. Everything seems more burdensome without prayer. Prayer--my time with Christ, puts everything in perspective, and indeed lightens my perceived place in the world.

  So today is an invitation, like those "rest area" signs that happen every forty or so miles on an interstate: if you seek a light "yoke" and an easier "burden" follow the signs and come to the Lord.

  Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

  When I hear the Gospel reading for today, I'm stopped in my tracks by the phrase "the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm" and necessarily I've had to spend some time canvassing the great minds of the church to figure out just exactly what Jesus meant by this.

  Well, it turns out that the Greek word that is translated "violence" above is probably best rendered "forceful" but that doesn't change the overall passage that much, yet it does give us some indication of what is meant by violence. The early Fa
thers of the Church felt that the passage was best understood by thinking about who was entering the kingdom of heaven--sinners, namely people who did not belong there. They were intruders, outsiders who had been let in through the violence of the cross.

  Taking this a step further, if our sins are really what nailed Jesus to a cross then we see that the violence we have done to the Son of God in some way has been our ticket to the kingdom of heaven.

  It is only those however, who are desperate to enter who get in. One imagines the crowds that surrounded Jesus and John the Baptist (a modern example might be Pope John Paul and the crowds that surround his visits). Only a desperate person would get close enough to touch Our Lord.

  So it is today. Are we desperate in our desire to enter the kingdom of heaven or is it somewhere way down the list of things to do today?

  Friday of the Second Week of Advent

  The gospel today confronts us with our own response to Jesus' call. The early Church Fathers saw this as an exasperated statement of Our Lord bemoaning the unbelief of the people no matter who the messenger. John the Baptist came leading an ascetical life and the people thought him possessed. Our Lord comes mixing with people, eating and drinking with them and they call him a glutton and drunkard. As one church father puts it, "The whole of this speech is a reproach of unbelief, and arises out of the foregoing complaint; that the stiff-necked people had not learned by two different modes of teaching".