Pastor's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (11/30/2008)

Dear People of Holy Name,

“Be watchful! Be Alert! You do not know when the time will come.” (Mk 13:33)

Christ has come, Christ is here, and Christ will come again! In this Advent season we dwell upon the presence of Christ and his continued coming into the world. In Jesus Christ the Lord was born into time, by the power of the Holy Spirit he is present with us now, and in that same Spirit he will draw all things to himself in the fullness of his kingdom at the end of time.

The mystery of the continual incarnation of God into our lives is what we contemplate in these Advent weeks to prepare us for a more meaningful and richer celebration of Christmas. Today’s scripture gives us the character of our waiting in these weeks. We are to be always alert for the coming of God. This means we must be “deliberatelyconscious” in our day, of the Lord who may break into our consciousness at anytime.

Our religion and our religious practices are meant to keep our “God-consciousness” alive at every moment. Just as religious wear habits to remind themselves of their commitment to live in Christ, we would be wise to have visual reminders in our own lives to help keep us mindful of our commitment to live in Christ. Having a prayer card in our wallet or a rosary in our pockets can be a little reminder that God is always with us.

Crucifixes, icons, and other religious articles remind us that God is always with us. The other day I was at the gym on the stair machine looking at a big TV in the distance. I didn’t know what the show was or what words were being spoken, but on the set there was a picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help that showed quite prominently as they filmed one of the actors. With a long history and a love for that image of Mary, I felt so blessed by the faith the picture inspired and the presence of God that I truly smiled inside with great joy.

God is always with us. As we grow in our awareness of God, our Advent-Christmas proclamations of “Emanuel”, which means God-with-us, become more heart felt moments of great joy. Advent is to be a season of Joy where we revel in the presence and love of God who came to live with us, in us and among us.

As we move through this joyful season I invite you to make it a time of conscious awareness of God in all things. Beginning our day in prayer with the Little Blue Books that you received in the mail, helps keep us all on the same page as we pray together and come to know the powerful presence of God among us. Keeping religious articles with us or prominently displayed around us can also help us be conscious of the constant presence and love of God for us.

The manger scene is a traditional display at this time of year and can be a source of many memories and blessings as we contemplate the God of creation coming so humbly to share in our lives. We are all so blessed and this season of Advent reminds us of how blessed we are and what profound joy is ours now. It is this we celebrate in Christmas and this is the source of our, and the worlds, salvation. In Christ we are cared for from death to life and from sorrow to joy.

May the good Lord bless us in our prayer this Advent that we may truly know the continual coming of Christ, and may his joy dispel the darkness that keeps us from the fullness of life!

In Christ’s peace, Fr. Leo