These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled. I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel. (Num 24:2-7, 15-17a)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121624.cfm
As far back as the Book of Numbers we encounter these haunting words of Balaam about a star and the one whose coming the star announces. As we come to these final days of Advent, the Star becomes a sign of the one we await.
Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4-7)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121524.cfm
In the midst of Advent waiting, the liturgy invites us to rejoice because the Lord is near. In many countries the Novena for Christmas or Las Posadas are about to begin. Everyone is making final preparations for the great feast. Saint Paul has some good suggestions for us in these final days of Advent: Be kind, Don’t be anxious, Pray and ask for what you need, and Give thanks.
In those days, like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace. How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Whose glory is equal to yours? You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses. (Sir 48:1-4, 9-11)
I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands. (Mt 17:9a, 10-13)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121424.cfm
The gospel of Matthew reminds us that Elijah has indeed returned in the figure of John the Baptist. And Jesus points out that the Son of Man will also suffer at their hands. Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591) worked together with Saint Teresa of Ávila to renew and reform the church. His writings are classics of Spanish literature.
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 1)
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121324.cfm
Saint Lucy (283-304), whose name means light, is one of the important saints of Advent. Before the calendar reform (1582), her feast day was the Winter Solstice and was celebrated as a festival of light with carols, candles, and candies. From the manner of her martyrdom, Saint Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and is invoked by those with vision problems.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121223.cfm
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a sign of hope to us who await the coming of our God. The Brown Virgin of Tepeyac signals a new evangelization, not European, but indigenous, resulting in the baptism of over 11 million indigenous people who began the journey with Christ. As we approach the 500th anniversary of the apparitions to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin which occurred in December, 1531, we sing the great hymn of praise: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed!”
