Reflections on the Word: Saturday of the First Week of Advent – December 3, 2022
On this Advent Saturday, the readings invite us to make an important to-do list for our spiritual well being and the well-being of our world.
On this Advent Saturday, the readings invite us to make an important to-do list for our spiritual well being and the well-being of our world.
Not everyone in the church has the same gifts – one is an apostle, one is a prophet, one is an evangelist; others are teachers, pastors and so forth. This is a great blessing in the church!
St. Theresa reminds us that when we see our lives and our world with God’s eyes, we focus on those things that are lasting and good – the spiritual bonds we share with one another and creation.
To be able to experience God, to encounter God and to be changed by the encounter, is, at its core, the heart of the Christian life.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to courage and affirms our value even when we think we don’t matter. And St. Paul’s words remind us to be humble – not because we don’t matter, but precisely the opposite!
In the Gospels, Jesus is often most upset with those who – while thinking they are doing God’s will – actually make it harder for people to experience the love and mercy of God.