Photo: Merry Christmas

 

Spirituality: Joan Chittister, OSB in Becoming Fully Human

Jesus came to us as a child so that we might come to understand not only that nothing we do is insignificant, but that every small thing we do has within it the power to change the world.

Bethlehem-Bound: An Advent of Connection and Conversion

 by John Predmore, SJ

During Advent, it is easy to see ourselves as pilgrims on a journey to Bethlehem. We vicariously walk with Joseph and Mary as they take part in their civic duty. Instinctively, we have an impulse to slow down and to keep life simple while a frenetic world swirls around us. We yearn for silence and stillness in subdued moments so we can raise our awareness of the deeper story that unfolds in our faith.

Once we are Bethlehem-bound, we cannot let ourselves engage in the world’s turbulent pace. We know we must look up at the stars and ponder the Advent mysteries. We want to follow the star that leads to our Savior’s nativity. We are impelled to kneel at times to acknowledge the hardships of that first perilous journey of a young pregnant woman and her husband to the City of David. We seek to connect with the God who makes all things possible.

Advent is a season of connections. Joseph connects with his tribe in Bethlehem, Elizabeth greets Mary; the wise sages travel to see this soon-to-be born king; and John the Baptist leaps for joy. We, too, experience the expectation that Advent brings. Christmas comes every time we see God in other persons. We know that the human and the divine meet in Bethlehem, but also with the greetings of baristas in the coffee shops, the chance encounters with friends in the department store, and in the smiles from the stranger who wishes us goodwill.

We also seek profound connections in the retelling of stories of conversion and metanoia, a transformative change of heart. This is the season of Ebenezer Scrooge really seeing Tiny Tim Cratchit as a person of dignity for the first time, and the green Grinch learning from the poor, but wise, Cindy-Lou Who. We, too, know people who need their hearts softened and enlarged. We know others who cannot even see the poor and the suffering. And we know still others who, unhappy in their lives, cannot see a path forward, people who are miserable and need hope, redemption, and reformed worldviews. In this season of heart-softening tenderness, we prepare to hold the infant in our arms anew.

As much as it is a time of solemn joy, many do not share this. Yet Christmas is determined to come. It comes in the face of hatred, war, and violence. It comes despite prejudice and discrimination. It comes amid hurt, betrayal, and rejection. We know that there is no disaster that is shocking enough, shattering enough to stop Christmas from arriving. No, Herod cannot stop Christmas. No malice or ill-will, nor any force on earth, can halt the progress of this saving event.

There will always be a Tiny Tim, a Cindy-Lou Who, a little drummer boy who can look up and see the guiding star. Someone will hear the angels’ voices and will believe. A young man may let go of a grudge and come to know peace and goodwill. A little boy may sense a mystery during a spell-binding train ride, while a young woman may sit silently in grateful tears as she realizes that somehow, in ways she cannot explain, Christ knows her and cares for her. God will come for us. Christ will be born.

Advent opens for us a night of promise, a night of welcome, gathering us into a circle of love in which we welcome an infant, held in a mother’s embrace and guarded by a father’s protection. This boy gives us a gift: ourselves. He gives us ourselves to enjoy, with pride and honor, and calls on us to generously share who we are with others. He gives us a community where our hearts can soften enough to hold joy — even leap for joy.

Photo: Christmas Presents

 

Poem: Advent Poem, by John of the Cross, O. Carm.

If you want, the Virgin will come walking down the road
pregnant with the Holy and say,
“I need shelter for the night.
Please take me inside your heart, my time is so close.”
Then, under the roof of your soul,
you will witness the sublime intimacy,
the divine, the Christ, taking birth forever,
as she grasps your hand for help,
for each of us is the midwife of God, each of us.
Yes, there, under the dome of your being,
does creation come into existence eternally,
through your womb, dear pilgrim,
the sacred womb of your soul,
as God grasps our arms for help:
for each of us is His beloved servant never far.
If you want, the virgin will come walking down the street,

pregnant with Light, and sing! 

Photo: Christmas Letters

 

Poem: “Listen, Daughter” Visigothic Prayer; 7th century

 Listen, daughter, and behold: 

you have become a daughter of your Son, 

handmaiden of your Child, 

mother of your Creator, 

bearer of the most high Redeemer.

The King has fallen in love 

with the splendor of your beauty 

and has deigned to prepare for himself 

a most pure dwelling in his world.

Obtain for us, therefore, from him 

who, taken by longing for you, made you his mother, 

to pour into us the wondrous sweetness of desire for him,            

so that we remain dedicated to his service in this life,

and our journey o’er, without chaos, we arrive   

with him who was born of you.

Photo: Christimas Choral Singing

 

Poem: “For the Time Being” by W. H. Auden

 Since Adam, being free to choose,

Chose to imagine he was free

To choose his own necessity,

Lost in his freedom, Man pursues

The shadow of his images:

Today the Unknown seeks the known;

What I am willed to ask, your own

Will has to answer; child, it lies

Within your power of choosing to

Conceive the Child who chooses you.

Poem: “They’ve Come to Sing in Your Honor” by William F. Jabusch. (Our Lady of Guadelupe)

They’ve come to sing in your honor 

from the desert and the forest,

From valleys deep in the mountains, 

they make a joyful chorus.

They’ve brought their drums and their dances, 

ancient ways their parents taught them;

Their village saints and their banners, 

ev’ry group made sure they brought them.

 

O Mother dark and lovely, 

hear the poor who come with their song;

Lead them into Jesus’ kingdom 

where they truly do belong.

 

From Vera Cruz and Nogales,              

from old Taxco with its fountains,

Tehuantepec, Zacatecas, 

and Durango in the mountains;

They come from humid Tampico, 

Matamoros near the river,

From ranchos deep in Sonora 

where the cottonwoods still quiver.

They dance to show they love you, 

out of faith and deep emotion,

They offer flowers and candles 

as a sign of their devotion.

The children run and are laughing; 

all are sure that you still love them,

While parents weep out of gladness, 

                                for your picture’s there above them. 

Spirituality: Henry David Thoreau in Walking

...So we saunter toward the Holy Land, till one day the sun shall shine more brightly than ever... shall perchance shine into our minds and hearts, and light up our whole lives with a great awakening light, as warm and serene and golden as on a bank-side in autumn.

Do the Right Thing: The Fourth Sunday in Advent 2025

                                                      Do the Right Thing:

The Fourth Sunday in Advent 2025 

December 21, 2025

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24

 

This Gospel passage features the importance of Joseph’s role in salvation history. He is portrayed as a righteous man who did the right thing. He said “yes” just as Mary said “yes,” and the events of the incarnation could unfold. Joseph could have been virtuous by quietly divorcing Mary and saving his own family’s dignity. He would have been justified and upheld as a virtuous man. He knew by faith that he could not reject Mary because our faith does not allow us to reject those in great need. Joseph learned that he had to be obedient to God. 

 

St. Paul in the second reading tells us that Jesus Christ saved us through the obedience of faith, and he had to learn it somewhere. Jesus learned it from Joseph of Nazareth, a man in the line of David. It was right that Jesus was born into Joseph’s family because he was the right man to teach him the obedience necessary for salvation. This obedience is learned by being in relationship to the God of Israel. This obedience calls for the importance of heeding one’s own conscience.

 

We have seen in life that fear begets more fear, and the opposite is true. Courage is contagious. We are emboldened when we see someone act heroically because we are then more likely to act courageously. It merely takes one person to do the right thing, and others will come along. Think about the U.S. Bishops Conference coming together as a unified body to represent the situation of immigrants. Courage is contagious. Doing what is right is fulfilling the obedience of one’s faith. What might you do to help correct a wrong in society or within your family?

 

          This week we have seen abhorrent killings: Jews in Sydney who were enjoying Hanukkah, students at Brown University studying for exams, an influential movie director and his wife, an MIT professor, and a local man convicted of his wife’s murder. These are tragic and gut-wrenching. It is difficult to enjoy the lightness of Advent with the sobriety of these tragic events. In the face of these challenges, we need people to rise with courage and do the right thing. We need the average person who will say “enough” and become our hero. The world is filled with too much violence. We need a culture of encounter. We need a culture of peace. We need the energy of love to rise that will halt the progress of evil in its tracks. 

 

          We therefore look to Joseph as a model. In the face of honor or shame, he chose honor. He took the more difficult route because it was the right way to go. He looked with understanding upon Mary and her unborn child and had a heart large enough to care for them both. The mystery of love means that the more we love, the more we can love and the more we have to give. It cannot be exhausted. It is exponential. We have an enormous capacity to love and this ability allows us to do the right thing. We need to tap into this potential when we find ourselves in stress or tension or in situations that seem dark. This love will lead us to a brighter day. Just ask Joseph. My friends, my prayer for you is: May you have courage. The world needs your good heart. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (Judges 13) A barren woman was visited by an angel to receive the message that she would bear a son. She named him Samson and he spirit of the Lord stirred within him.  

 

Tuesday: (Isaiah 7) This is the sign that you will be given: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and he shall be named Emmanuel.

 

Wednesday: (Song of Songs 2) My lover come, springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a young stag. Arise my beautiful one. Come.  

 

Thursday: (1 Samuel 1) Hannah presented her son, Samuel, to the Lord. She left Samuel to grow as a servant of God.     

 

Thursday: (Isaiah 54) Raise a glad cry, you barren one who did not bear, break forth in jubilant song you who were not in labor.    

 

Friday: (Acts 6) Stephen worked great wonders among the people and adversaries debated with him fiercely. They threw hit out of the city, stoned him, and laid him at Saul’s feet.  

 

Saturday: (1 John) What we heard, and saw with our eyes, what we looked upon, and touched with our hands, concerns the Word of life.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Luke 1) Zechariah, on priestly duty, and his wife, Elizabeth, prayed fervently. An angel visited them to announce that they would bear a son, who was to be named John. 

 

Tuesday: (Luke 1) The angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear a son who would become the savior of the world. He shall be named Emmanuel.

 

Wednesday (Luke 1) Mary set out to the hill country to visit Elizabeth and Zechariah. When she entered the house, Elizabeth recognized that Mary was pregnant with the Lord.

 

Thursday (Luke 7) Jesus asked: Why did you go out to see the Baptist? He is the greatest of men born to women.   

 

Monday: (Matthew 10) Jesus said, “Beware of men who will hand you over to their courts and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be led before governors and kings.  

 

Tuesday: (John 20) Magdalene ran to Simon Peter and the Beloved Disciples to tell the news that Jesus has been removed from the tomb. In fear, they ran to see the tomb.

 

Saints of the Week

 

December 21 - O radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.

 

December 21: Peter Canisius, S.J., priest and religious (1521-1597), was sent to Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, and Switzerland during the time of the Protestant Reformation to reinvigorate the Catholic faith. He directed many through the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius. He is a doctor of the church for his work in bringing many people back to the faith.

 

December 22 - O King of all nations, and their desire, and keystone of the church: come and save us, whom you formed from the dust.

 

December 23 - O Emmanuel, our king and giver of the Law, the hope of the nations and their Savior: come to save us, Lord our God.

 

December 24: ERO CRAS

In the Roman Catholic tradition, on December 23, the last of the seven “O Antiphons” is sung with the “Alleluia” verse before the Gospel reading at Mass and at Vespers – Evening Prayer in the Divine Office/Breviary. Most ordinary Catholics, however, are more accustomed to hearing these antiphons as verses in the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

But the literary construction of these wonderful antiphons is arranged in a unique and surprising way: The order of the seven Messianic titles of the “O Antiphons” (and the seven verses of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”) was fixed with a definite purpose. 

In Latin, the initial letters of the antiphons – Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia – form a reverse acrostic – a play on words – ERO CRAS, which translates into English as “Tomorrow, I will be.”

So, in the silence of Christmas Eve, we look back on the previous seven days, and we hear the voice of the One whose coming we have prepared for – Jesus Christ – speak to us: “I will be here tomorrow.”

 

December 26: Stephen, the first Martyr (d. 35), was one of the seven original deacons chose to minister to the Greek-speaking Christians. The Jews accused him of blasphemy. Though he was eloquent in his defense, Saul of Tarsus condoned his death sentence. 

 

December 27: John, Apostle and Evangelist (d. 100), was the brother of James and one of the three disciples to be in the inner circle. He left fishing to follow Jesus and was with him at the major events: the transfiguration, raising of Jairus' daughter, and the agony in the garden. He is also thought to be the author of the fourth gospel, three letters, and the Book of Revelation. 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• December 21, 1577. In Rome, Fr. Juan de Polanco, secretary to the Society and very dear to Ignatius, died. 
• December 22, 1649. At Cork, Fr. David Glawey, a missionary in the Inner and Lower Hebrides, Islay, Oronsay, Colonsay, and Arran, died. 
• December 23, 1549. Francis Xavier was appointed provincial of the newly erected Indian Province. 
• December 24, 1587. Fr. Claude Matthe died at Ancona. He was a Frenchman of humble birth, highly esteemed by King Henry III and the Duke of Guise. He foretold that Fr. Acquaviva would be General and hold that office for a long period. 
• December 25, 1545. Isabel Roser pronounced her vows as a Jesuit together with Lucrezia di Brandine and Francisca Cruyllas in the presence of Ignatius at the church of Sta. Maria della Strada in Rome. 
• December 26, 1978. The assassination of Gerhard Pieper, a librarian, who was shot to death in Zimbabwe. 
• December 27, 1618. Henry Morse entered the English College at Rome.

Haz lo correcto: El cuarto domingo de Adviento de 2025

                                                               Haz lo correcto:

El cuarto domingo de Adviento de 2025

21 de diciembre de 2025

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Isaías 7:10-14; Salmo 24; Romanos 1:1-7; Mateo 1:18-24

 

Este pasaje del Evangelio destaca la importancia del papel de José en la historia de la salvación. Se le describe como un hombre justo que hizo lo correcto. Dijo "sí" tal como dijo María, y los acontecimientos de la encarnación pudieron desarrollarse. José pudo haber sido virtuoso al divorciarse discretamente de María y salvar la dignidad de su familia. Habría sido justificado y mantenido como un hombre virtuoso. Sabía por fe que no podía rechazar a María porque nuestra fe no nos permite rechazar a quienes están en gran necesidad. José aprendió que debía ser obediente a Dios.

 

San Pablo, en la segunda lectura, nos dice que Jesucristo nos salvó mediante la obediencia de la fe, y tuvo que aprenderla de alguna manera. Jesús la aprendió de José de Nazaret, un hombre de la línea de David. Fue justo que Jesús naciera en la familia de José porque era el hombre indicado para enseñarle la obediencia necesaria para la salvación. Esta obediencia se aprende al estar en relación con el Dios de Israel. Esta obediencia exige la importancia de escuchar la propia conciencia.

 

Hemos visto en la vida que el miedo se convierte en más miedo, y lo contrario es cierto. La valentía es contagiosa. Nos animamos cuando vemos a alguien actuar heroicamente porque entonces es más probable que actuemos con valentía. Basta con que una persona haga lo correcto, y otras vendrán. Piense en la Conferencia Episcopal de Estados Unidos uniéndose para representar la situación de los inmigrantes. La valentía es contagiosa. Hacer lo correcto es cumplir con la obediencia a la propia fe. ¿Qué podría hacer usted para ayudar a corregir un error en la sociedad o en su familia?

 

          Esta semana hemos presenciado asesinatos atroces: judíos en Sídney disfrutando de Janucá, estudiantes de la Universidad de Brown estudiando para sus exámenes, un influyente director de cine y su esposa, un profesor del MIT y un hombre de la localidad condenado por el asesinato de su esposa. Son trágicos y desgarradores. Es difícil disfrutar de la ligereza del Adviento con la sobriedad de estos trágicos acontecimientos. Ante estos desafíos, necesitamos que la gente se levante con valentía y haga lo correcto. Necesitamos a la persona común que diga "basta" y se convierta en nuestro héroe. El mundo está lleno de demasiada violencia. Necesitamos una cultura del encuentro. Necesitamos una cultura de paz. Necesitamos que surja la energía del amor que detenga el avance del mal.

 

          Por lo tanto, vemos a José como un modelo. Ante el honor o la vergüenza, él eligió el honor. Tomó el camino más difícil porque era el correcto. Miró con comprensión a María y a su hijo nonato y tuvo un corazón lo suficientemente grande como para cuidar de ambos. El misterio del amor significa que cuanto más amamos, más podemos amar y más tenemos para dar. Es inagotable. Es exponencial. Tenemos una enorme capacidad de amar y esta capacidad nos permite hacer lo correcto. Necesitamos aprovechar este potencial cuando nos encontramos en estrés, tensión o en situaciones que parecen sombrías. Este amor nos guiará hacia un día más brillante. Solo pregúntenle a José. Amigos míos, mi oración por ustedes es: Que tengan valentía. El mundo necesita su buen corazón.

 

Escritura para la misa diaria

Lunes: (Jueces 13) Una mujer estéril recibió la visita de un ángel para recibir el mensaje de que tendría un hijo. Lo llamó Sansón y el espíritu del Señor se agitó en él.

 

Martes: (Isaías 7) Esta es la señal que se les dará: la virgen concebirá y dará a luz un hijo, y se llamará Emanuel.

 

Miércoles: (Cantar de los Cantares 2) Ven, mi amado, saltando por las montañas, brincando por las colinas. Mi amado es como un joven escenario. Levántate, mi hermosa.

 

Jueves: (1 Samuel 1) Ana presentó a su hijo Samuel al Señor. Dejó que Samuel creciera como siervo de Dios.

 

Jueves: (Isaías 54) Levanta un grito de alegría, tú, la estéril que no daba a luz; prorrumpe en cánticos de júbilo, tú que no estabas de parto.

 

Viernes: (Hechos 6) Esteban obró grandes milagros entre el pueblo y sus adversarios debatieron con él acaloradamente. Lo expulsaron de la ciudad, lo apedrearon y lo pusieron a los pies de Saulo.

 

Sábado: (1 Juan) Lo que oímos y vimos con nuestros ojos, lo que contemplamos y palparon nuestras manos, se refiere a la Palabra de vida.

 

Evangelio: 

Lunes: (Lucas 1) Zacarías, en su función sacerdotal, y su esposa, Isabel, oraron fervientemente. Un ángel los visitó para anunciarles que tendrían un hijo, que se llamaría Juan.

 

Martes: (Lucas 1) El ángel Gabriel le anunció a María que daría a luz un hijo que se convertiría en el salvador del mundo. Se llamaría Emmanuel.

 

Miércoles (Lucas 1) María se dirige a la región montañosa para visitar a Isabel y Zacarías. Al entrar en la casa, Isabel reconoció que María estaba embarazada del Señor.

 

Jueves (Lucas 7) Jesús preguntó: ¿Por qué salieron a ver al Bautista? Él es el más grande de los hombres nacidos de mujer.

 

Lunes: (Mateo 10) Jesús dijo: «Cuídense de los hombres que los entregarán a sus tribunales y los escudriñarán en sus sinagogas. Serán llevados ante gobernadores y reyes.»

 

Martes: (Juan 20) Magdalena corrió a Simón Pedro y a los discípulos amados para contarles que Jesús había sido sacado del sepulcro. Atemorizados, corrieron a ver la tumba.

 

Santos de la semana

 

21 de Diciembre – Oh Aurora radiante, esplendor de la luz eterna, sol de justicia: ven y brilla sobre los que habitan en tinieblas y en sombra de muerte.

 

21 de diciembre: Pedro Canisio, SJ, sacerdote y religioso (1521-1597), fue enviado a Alemania, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia y Suiza durante la Reforma Protestante para revitalizar la fe católica. Dirigió a muchos mediante los Ejercicios Espirituales de Ignacio. Es doctor de la Iglesia por su labor de reconciliación con la fe.

 

22 de diciembre – Oh Rey de todas las naciones, y su deseo, y piedra angular de la iglesia: ven y sálvanos, a quienes formaste del polvo.

 

23 de diciembre – Oh Emmanuel, nuestro Rey y dador de la Ley, esperanza de las naciones y su Salvador: ven a salvarnos, Señor Dios nuestro.

 

24 de diciembre: ESTABA LOCA

En la tradición católica romana, el 23 de diciembre, la última de las siete “Antífonas O” se canta con el verso “Aleluya” antes de la lectura del Evangelio en la Misa y en las Vísperas – Oración de la tarde en el Oficio Divino/Breviario. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los católicos comunes están más acostumbrados a escuchar estas antífonas como versos en el himno de Adviento “Oh Ven, Oh Ven, Emmanuel”. 

Pero la construcción literaria de estas maravillosas antífonas está dispuesta de una manera única y sorprendente: El orden de los siete títulos mesiánicos de las “Antífonas O” (y los siete versos de “Oh Ven, Oh Ven, Emmanuel”) fue fijado con un propósito definido. 

En latín, las letras iniciales de las antífonas – Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens , Clavis , Radix, Adonai, Sapientia – forman un acróstico inverso – un juego de palabras – ERO CRAS, que se traduce al español como “Mañana seré”. 

Así, en el silencio de la Nochebuena, miramos atrás a los siete días anteriores y escuchamos la voz de Aquel para cuya venida hemos preparado –Jesucristo– que nos habla: “Estaré aquí mañana”.

 

26 de diciembre: Esteban, el primer mártir (m. 35), fue uno de los siete diáconos originales elegidos para ministrar a los cristianos de habla griega. Los judíos lo acusaron de blasfemia. Aunque fue elocuente en su defensa, Saulo de Tarso condonó su sentencia de muerte.

 

27 de diciembre: Juan, apóstol y evangelista (m. 100), era hermano de Santiago y uno de los tres discípulos del círculo íntimo. Dejó la pesca para seguir a Jesús y estuvo con él en los acontecimientos más importantes: la transfiguración, la resurrección de la hija de Jairo y la agonía en el huerto. También se le considera el autor del cuarto evangelio, tres cartas y el Apocalipsis.

 

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 21 de diciembre de 1577. En Roma, muere el hermano Juan de Polanco, secretario de la Compañía y muy querido por Ignacio.
• 22 de diciembre de 1649. En Cork, murió el hermano David Glawey, misionero en las Hébridas Interiores y Bajas, Islay, Oronsay , Colonsay y Arran.
• 23 de diciembre de 1549. Francisco Javier fue nombrado provincial de la recién erigida Provincia de la India.
• 24 de diciembre de 1587. El hermano Claude Matthe falleció en Ancona. Era un francés de origen humilde, muy estimado por el rey Enrique III y el duque de Guisa. Predijo que el padre Acquaviva sería general y ocuparía ese cargo durante un largo periodo.
• 25 de diciembre de 1545. Isabel Roser pronuncia sus votos como jesuita junto con Lucrezia di Brandine y Francisca Cruyllas en presencia de Ignacio en la iglesia de Sta. María della Strada en Roma.
• 26 de diciembre de 1978. Asesinato de Gerhard Pieper, bibliotecario, asesinado a tiros en Zimbabue.
• 27 de diciembre de 1618. Henry Morse ingresó en el Colegio Inglés de Roma.

Photo: Monet's Houses of Parliament

 

Prayer: The Letter of James, 5:7-9

 Be patient, brothers and sisters,

until the coming of the Lord.

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,

being patient with it

until it receives the early and the late rains.

You too must be patient.

Make your hearts firm,

because the coming of the Lord is at hand. (James 5:7-9)

 

Prayer: Chet Raymo in Natural Prayers

All of my life has been a relearning to pray—a letting go of incantational magic, petition, and vain repetition ""Me Lord, me," instead of watching attentively for the light that burns at the center of every star, every cell, every living creature, every human heart.

Photo: Monet

 

Prayer: John of the Cross

However softly we speak, God is so close to us that he can hear us; nor do we need wings to go in search of him, but merely to seek solitude and contemplate him within ourselves, without being surprised to find such a good Guest there.

Spirituality: The Longing for Home by Frederick Buechner

I recognize that even in the valley of the shadow of my own tangled thoughts there is something holy and unutterable seeking to restore my soul... I always stop and touch the coarse gray bark of one particular tree with my hand or cheek, which I suppose is a way of blessing it for being so strong and beautiful. Who knows how long it has been standing there wearing its foliage like a crown even though a part of it is dying? Because of that quality of sheer endurance one morning I found myself touching it not to bless it, but to ask its blessing, so that I myself might move toward old age and death with something like its stunning grace and courage.

Photo: Three trees

 

Spirituality: Alfred Delp, S.J., prison writings

“When I pace back and forth in my cell, three steps forward and three steps back, hands in irons, ahead of me an unknown destiny, I understand very differently than before those ancient promises of the coming Lord who will redeem us and set us free,” Delp wrote in one of his December 1944 Advent reflections.  

Poem: “The Grace and Impatience to Wait” by Walter Brueggemann

In our secret yearnings 

we wait for your coming, 

and in our grinding despair 

we doubt that you will. 

And in this privileged place 

we are surrounded by witnesses who yearn more 

than do we 

and by those who despair more deeply than do we.

 

Look upon your church and its pastors 

in this season of hope 

which runs so quickly to fatigue 

and this season of yearning

which becomes so quickly quarrelsome.

 

Give us the grace and the impatience 

to wait for your coming to the bottom of our toes,                             

to the edge of our finger tips. 

We do not want our several worlds to end.

 

Come in your power 

and come in your weakness 

in any case and make all things new. 

                        Amen. 

Look Within: The Third Sunday in Advent 2025

                                                                          Look Within:

The Third Sunday in Advent 2025 

December 14, 2025

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Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11

 

Standing by the Jordan River, within sight of John the Baptist, Jesus asks the crowd, “What are you looking for?” and “What do you hope to see?” He wants them to articulate for themselves why they traveled so far to see something transcendent. There is a restlessness in their souls that can only be satisfied with an encounter with God. They want to know that God knows and remembers them. The question remains, “Do I matter to God?

 

          I want to ask you a question. Are you okay with being restless? In what parts of your life do you experience restlessness and what do you do with it? Perhaps another way of asking it is, “Where are you still unreconciled? Has there been a part of your life where you have simply settled and you have stopped trying?” This restlessness is good because that is where God is operative. I suggest that we embrace that restlessness because God’s desires are within that restlessness. It is where God is bringing about change in your life. Do not be afraid of these feelings because they will lead us to a more fulfilled place. 

 

Jesus asks why the people are so curious about the spectacle of John the Baptist and what he represents. They are looking for an outward manifestation of God. He wonders: Why do we look for answers out there when God is inside us and within us? Jesus preached that the Kingdom of God is among you. It is all around. It is wherever people are reconciling and connecting with one another. Why don't we look within? That’s where we will find God. God is present in our heart and in our soul, and when the love in us encounters the love in another person, God is present like an explosion of energy. God is not one who can be captured on the outside. Every increase of love, every increase of compassion and mercy is an encounter with the God who is within.

 

In what do we hope when we come to Church? What do we expect will happen? Each person may have a unique answer, and here is the message I want you to receive and to know. You matter to God. You belong. God wants you, and God’s heart is restless until you accept this love. You are important to God, no matter who you are or what you have done. God remembers you – fondly, uniquely, lovingly – and God wants to share God’s life with you. God gives you, not just God’s presence, but also a community that is loved by God. You are given a community to support you and to help you deepen your experience of this magnanimous love. You are given to a community to be cherished and nurtured. God wants you to have a deeply felt knowledge of God’s embrace of you and a deeply felt knowledge of God’s dream for the world. Our experience of worship at Church ought to be one of awe and wonder at the certain belief that God is indeed desiring you and caring for you and seeking the best for you.

 

Why did you come here today? What do you seek? God’s presence is the place of fulfillment where the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and God is here. Yes, there are outward signs and wonders. Yes, there are symbols and sacraments. The glory of the Lord is within you. Look inward. Look within. Look into your soul and then go tell others what you hear and see. This is indeed a day of gladness. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (Zechariah 2) Rejoice, O daughter Zion. I am coming to dwell among you. The Lord will possess Judah and he will again choose Jerusalem.

 

Tuesday: (Zephaniah 3) On that day, I will change and purify their lips that they may call upon the name of the Lord. You shall not exalt yourself on my holy mountain.

 

Wednesday: (Isaiah 45) I am the Lord; there is no other; I form the light and create the darkness. Turn to be and be safe all you ends of the earth for I am the Lord, your God.

 

Thursday: (Isaiah 54) Raise a glad cry, you barren one who did not bear, break forth in jubilant song you who were not in labor.    

 

Friday (Isaiah 56) Observe what is right; do what is just; for my salvation is about to come; my justice is about to be revealed.

 

Saturday (Genesis 49) Jacob said: You Judah, shall your brothers praise. The scepter will never depart from you, or the mace from between your legs.  

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Luke 1) The angel Gabriel was sent to a virgin betrothed to Joseph to announce that the Holy Spirit would overpower her and she would conceive a son. 

 

Tuesday: (Matthew 21) A man had two sons – one who said no, but did what his father asked; the other who said yes, but did not do what he asked. Which son was better?

 

Wednesday (Luke 7) The Baptist sent his disciples at ask: Are you the one who is to come? Look around: the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, and the poor hear the good news.

 

Thursday (Luke 7) Jesus asked: Why did you go out to see the Baptist? He is the greatest of men born to women.   

 

Friday (John 5) The Baptist was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his lift, but I have greater testimony than John’s.

 

Saturday (Matthew 1) The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus.

 

Saints of the Week

 

December 14: John of the Cross, priest and doctor (1542-1591), was a Carmelite who reformed his order with the help of Teresa of Avila. They created the Discalced (without shoes) Carmelite Order that offered a stricter interpretation of their rules. John was opposed by his community and placed in prison for a year. He wrote the classics, "Ascent of Mount Carmel," "Dark Night of the Soul," and "Living Flame of Love."

 

Saints are not celebrated during the octave leading up to Christmas.

 

December 17 - O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge.

 

December 18 - O Adonai, and leader of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power.

 

December 19 - O root of Jesse's stem, sign of God's love for all the people, before you the kings will be silenced, to you the nations will make their prayers: come to save us without delay!

 

December 20 - O key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, opening the gates of God's eternal kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• December 14, 1979. The death of Riccardo Lombardi, founder of the Better World Movement. 
• December 15, 1631. At Naples, during an earthquake and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the Jesuits worked to help all classes of people. 
• December 16, 1544. Francis Xavier entered Cochin. 
• December 17, 1588. At Paris, Fr. Henry Walpole was ordained. 
• December 18, 1594. At Florence, the apparition of St Ignatius to St Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi. 
• December 19, 1593. At Rome, Fr. Robert Bellarmine was appointed rector of the Roman College. 
• December 20, 1815. A ukase of Alexander I was published banishing the Society of Jesus from St Petersburg and Moscow on the pretext that they were troubling the Russian Church.