Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: December 6, 2009
Second Sunday of Advent, Cycle C
Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA:
For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection,
please go to Catholic Digital Resources:
http://catholicdr.com/calendar/December/Advent2.htm - Preview a sample
Next Sunday's Readings:
Baruch 5:1-9
Ps 126:1-6
Phil 1:4-6, 8-11
Luke 3:1-6
http://www.usccb.org/nab/120609.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_12_06.mp3
The readings for the Second Sunday of Advent will remind us that this liturgical season is a time of spiritual preparation: Aside from shopping for gifts, decorating, and stacking up the Christmas cards, what are we doing – spiritually – to make Christmas more of a rebirth of Christ in our lives, a holy day instead of a non-Christian holiday?
What are we doing during Advent to let Jesus restore our joy?
In our responsorial Psalm today, we proclaim: "The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy!" Do you feel the joy when you mouth these words?
To you, Saint John the Baptizer is proclaiming: "Prepare the way of the Lord!"
What kinds of preparations do you personally need to make so that you can experience the joy that comes from truly relying on Jesus?
What are you doing to straighten out the messes in your life, i.e., the areas of sin that continually distract you from a closer, stronger intimacy with Christ? "Make straight his paths!"
What depressing or discouraging valley of hardship needs to get filled with the joy of the Lord? If it seems hopeless, it's because you haven't yet opened yourself to let Jesus into this area of your life. If you already do have hope but fear or anxiety is stealing your joy, this indicates that your focus is more on the problems than on Jesus your Savior.
What mountain of debt or difficult obstacle needs to be made low by trusting in the Lord and using his digging tools? This Advent is meant to be a time of becoming more familiar with those tools as you pay more attention to the instructions provided in theteachings of Christ.
What's twisted and warped in your thinking, like a road that winds through a jungle of confusion? The Holy Spirit's guidance can correct and lead you straight to holiness! What's rough about you? What's edgy and sharp and rubs others the wrong way? Jesus wants to smooth you like a diamond polisher!
In other words, in what ways do you still need to see the salvation of God? And what are you going to do about it?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
Which of the above questions stand out most for you? What will you do with this to prepare the way of the Lord so that he bring his joy more fully into your life?
Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
Name a tradition you grew up with that prepared you for Christmas. How did this affect your spiritual growth? What's your favorite way of preparing for the holy celebration of Christmas? Why?
STARTING ON MONDAY, if you're a member of the "Emmaus Journey" e-group, share your answers by writing to EmmausJourney@gnm.org
* To join and become a member, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/GNMcommunities/EmmausJourney/
© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
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