Advent Reflections – December 23, 2015

Published on December 23, 2015December 22, 2015 by KateLeave a comment

Living in Harmony: Real Life

Living in harmony and unity grows out of the cultivation of a few habits. Really, living in harmony and unity, within ourselves, with others, and with God could be concluded to be our main goal in life. After all, Jesus’ final prayer, according to the Gospel of John, was

That they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they may also be in us. John 17:21

Jesus’ final prayer is about our unity, both with God and with one another. You can be sure that if this is a desire of Jesus, it is a desire of Mary, our Mother, whose purpose is always to concretely bring us into greater unity with her Son. In a way, each of the themes we have reflected on this Advent season pave the way for unity.

Open to Life – we cannot find harmony and unity with others if we are not open to experiencing their life, no matter how different it is from our own. No only must we be open to it, we must find a way to reach common ground when our differing experiences cause us to view one another in suspicious, concerning or even hostile lights.
Able to Love without Requiring Love in Return – we cannot find harmony and unity with others if we are not willing to be the first to love, to be the first to extend a hand of friendship. Being willing to love without requiring or needing love in return means making ourselves vulnerable and humble. We love not because someone else acted toward us in kindness, generosity, respect, or love first, but because we have been created in the image and likeness of Love Itself. We love because God loved us first, unconditionally and completely (cf. 1 John 4:19).
Willing to Sacrifice for Others – we cannot experience harmony and unity with others if we are not willing to give up something of ourselves for the sake of the other. The gift of perfect love, of perfect unity, is Jesus on the cross, giving His whole self for the sake of our broken, imperfect, yet beautiful selves. If we are to live out Jesus’ call for unity, we can expect nothing less to be demanded of us. The more we die to self, the more we allow God to move and shape our lives, the greater and more perfect unity we will experience.
Capable of Forgiveness – we cannot experience harmony and unity with others if we are not willing to seek and extend forgiveness. We are no longer the perfect creatures from the garden. We are broken. We are sinful. We are in need of mercy. These are not sentiments. They are facts. If we wish to find true harmony with one another and with God, we must accept the fact that we will need to become the living embodiment of forgiveness – quick to forgive and quick to seek forgiveness.

The beauty of Jesus’ final prayer is that even before He prayed it, He had prepared for us a practical, living example of how to bring it to fruition. The example of Mary’s Motherhood shines forth for each person, illuminating key moments which, when gathered together, present a path for holiness, for peace, and for unity among all peoples and most importantly, unity with her Son, Jesus our Savior.

Advent Reflections – December 21, 2015

Published on December 21, 2015December 17, 2015 by KateLeave a comment

Living in Harmony: Mary in Scripture

When God first spoke to Mary and she accepted His will into her heart and womb, she embarked on a rocky road. She must have told Joseph about the experience, since Scripture tell us he was going to quietly divorce her. Mary and Joseph experiences a period of complete discord and disunity. Perhaps she tried to explain what happened – but how can you really explain “an angel told me, how could I say no?” She may have appealed to his goodness and compassion, asking him to protect her from the severity of the law which could have been lethal if she was not married. At least, that’s what I would have done.

I, however, am not Mary, who was full of grace and lived in unique and perfect harmony with God. When I imagine how Mary would have handled this time of disunity, I find something rather different than my own attempts to fix the problem. Actually, I don’t think Mary tried to fix the problem. I think sat Joseph down and explained as best she could what had happened. She understood that what she was telling him was difficult, impossible even. And yet she would have trusted in his faith in God and in her. She probably told him to pray about it and listen for God’s whispers in his heart. Even when he moved to divorce her, I believe she kept her peace and patience.

Even though Joseph may not have been in unity with Mary during this difficult time, she was with him. She maintained her patience, her compassion, her understanding and her faith in God’s will. She supported Joseph as he struggled to understand what was happening to him through her choice to be the Mother of God.

Being in unity with someone does not mean perfect understanding exists between the two of you. Sometimes, unity is difficult and requires sacrifice, patience and compassion. How can you build greater unity and foster harmony with someone you have a tendency disagree with?

Advent Reflections – December 17, 2015

Published on December 17, 2015December 11, 2015 by KateLeave a comment

Capable of Great Forgiveness: Mary in Scripture

While we don’t have any recorded Scripture passages of Mary saying “I forgive you,” we do have one scenario in particular that I believe she would have said those words.

Imagine, if you will, losing your child for a brief moment in a grocery store. For any parent, the panic sets in rather quickly. Your head starts swiveling, you eyes quickly scanning around you, trying not to appear too frantic as you urgently whisper-yell their name. Your cute bob of curls pokes his head out from behind the next aisle, holding up his favorite box of cereal – “Mommy! Let’s bring this home!”

Now take that situation, with it’s quick onrush of emotions, and lengthen it by 5 days. That is how long Mary and Joseph searched for Jesus. The Gospel of Luke tells us they looked for him 1 day among their relatives as they began their journey home from Jerusalem. When they couldn’t find him, they had to travel that full length back, day 2. Then, after 3 days scouring the city, they finally found him in the Temple.

Personally, I can only begin to imagine the panic, fear, frustration and desperation Mary and Joseph must have endured. Even if he was the Son of God and had his own explanation for his absence, I hope he still apologized for the grief he put his mother and father through. Mary’s example of motherly love is clear. She did not withhold her forgiveness from her son.

Is there anyone I have been withholding my forgiveness from? Pray for the courage to reach out you hand in peace and forgiveness, rather than in judgment and anger.