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 afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water. (Is 41:13-20)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121423.cfm
If God will not forsake the afflicted and the needy . . . will we? Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591), and his mentor Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) suffered greatly at the hands of the church. Yet at the same time, both of them spent their lives renewing the church through their commitment to prayer and contemplation. Today’s picture is a drawing of the crucifixion by John of the Cross.
Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. (Is 40:25-31)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121323.cfm
Run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. The prophecies of Isaiah are filled with words of hope and the promise of the God who comes to save us. Saint Lucy (283-304) is one of the virgin martyrs of the early church. Her story is one of great courage. She is the patron of all who suffer from diseases of the eye. Before the calendar reform (1582) Saint Lucy’s Day was the winter solstice.
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. As we approach the 500th anniversary of the apparitions to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin 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!”
The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. (Is 35:1-10)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121123.cfm
Roses in December . . . tonight in many parishes the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe will begin. Over 300 years before Lourdes and Fatima, in 1531, la Morenita appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on the Hill of Tepeyac in what is now Mexico City. The message: “I am your loving Mother.” That message continues to resound in the hearts of all people of faith.
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated . . . Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care. (Is 40:1-5, 9-11)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. (Mk 1:1-8)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121023.cfm
The message of Advent is not one of threat, rather of comfort: that God comes to shepherd us with care. In this second year of the Sunday lectionary cycle, except for the remainder of Advent and the Season of Easter, during the Liturgies of Ordinary Time and Lent, we will be hearing the Gospel of Mark. My mom’s favorite preparation for Christmas was to attend a performance of Handel’s Messiah. She loved to sing along with the chorus!
