Keep Alert. Keep Awake.

ADVENT I - An Advent Reflection on Mark 13: 33-37

(Advent Reflection on Mark 13:33-37)

Dear Jesus,

You came to us, so long ago, as a precious babe lying in a manger.  Shepherds and Magi, alert and awake to their surroundings, came to visit. 

Years later, thousands of others heard your messages, the greatest being, to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbour as yourself.

At times, there were misunderstandings, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty or sick?”  You explained that whatever is done to the least of us, it is done to you. I believe that means you are always with us. 

Yet, you said, you will come again.

Since we do not know the day or time, you told us to always keep alert and awake.  This, however, is humanly impossible. Remember how you asked Peter and the sons of Zebedee to stay awake but they didn’t, not even for an hour?  You rebuked them, yet, continued to love them and forgave them.  Will you not do the same for us?  If that is so, then we need not worry.

We’ll try our best, Lord, to be awake and alert to the needs of others, to love one another and to love you.  We will, however, fall asleep, from time to time. When we do, may we, with each new awakening, rise up and start anew.

We do not know the future.  Thankfully, we believe and trust in your love and mercy.  For this, we are truly grateful.

As for the present, we will take your teachings to heart and strive to live in hope, peace, joy and love this advent season and all other seasons to come.

Amen.

Written by: Fernanda Estoesta, Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph 

33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” - MARK 13: 33-37

IMAGE: Unsplash/Waldemar

Advent - A Celebration of Dreams and Miracles

Advent 2023: A Celebration of Dreams and Miracles

By Sister Melannie Svoboda, a Sister of Notre Dame residing in Chardon, Ohio

Image: Unsplash/Robert Thiemann

This Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is the season of the church year that celebrates dreams and miracles. The dry parched desert can burst into a field of poppies and forget-me-nots… Helpless little lambs can snuggle next to mighty ferocious lions… A wild scrawny man dressed in animal hides and munching on grasshoppers can cry out in the wilderness, “REPENT!” and large crowds can listen to his rantings and be dramatically changed… And a young girl, living unnoticed in Podunk, can answer “yes” to an impossible Divine Request and conceive a child who will turn her life and the whole world upside down.

The readings of Advent give testimony to all of these remarkable things. Maybe that’s one reason so many of us are drawn to them. For they tell us: What you see is not all there is. What you assume is the end, is actually the beginning. What you hear is not the final word. What you desire in the deepest recesses of your heart can still be. The incredible things God has done in the past, God is doing in the present. Right now. And God will continue to do such unbelievable things into the future–no matter how bleak, dark, or hopeless our present time may seem.

God is doing miraculous things no matter how bleak, dark, or hopeless our present may seem.

But there’s a catch. God needs us. God needs us to help make these dreams come true, to help work these impossible miracles. In the past, God needed an Isaiah to keep the vision of hope alive before God’s people. God needed a John the Baptist to proclaim the message of returning to God. And God needed a Mary to dare to say “yes” to God’s request as no other handmaid before her had ever done. So Advent is not a time to set up permanent residence in comforting readings that promise a better future. No, it is a time to partner with God wherever we may find ourselves this Advent to help bring about that better future for which we long.

How do we do this? The ways are countless. They are limited only by our imagination and resolve. Many of these ways are mighty deeds though they may seem to be pitifully small. Allow me to suggest a few.

The refrain for Advent is, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Perhaps we can make this refrain our mantra this Advent as we go about our day. When we first crawl out of bed in the morning, we can say, “Come, Lord Jesus into my entire day. The easy parts, the nice parts, the fun parts. But also, Lord Jesus, come into the messy parts, the unpleasant parts, the difficult parts.” And when we crawl back into bed in the evening, we can say, “Come Lord, Jesus. Give me rest and strength this night so I may partner with you again tomorrow.”

Choose one way to make your small world a better place. Do this by following Jesus’ way of unselfish loving. Speak kindly to others. All others. Sometimes we’re kinder to total strangers than we are to the people we live and work with every day. Sometimes we’re kinder to others than we are to ourselves. Overlook some things. Go the extra mile. Where there is little or no love, put love and there will be love.

Image: Unsplash/Laura Nyhuis

Your attention is a valuable gift. Find ways you can give your attention to someone in your life who is overlooked, taken for granted, living on the margins. It can be a family member… a co-worker… a friend… a neighbor… a pastor… a store clerk… an overworked parent… a shut-in… a caregiver… Simply ask yourself: Who is in need of a gentle word, a “thank you,” a smile, a compliment, a note, a phone call, a visit, an offer to help? In English we use the phrase “pay attention.” There’s always a small price to pay when we focus our attention on someone else.

And finally, my prayer for all of us this Advent 2023 is this:

Come, Lord Jesus! May the readings of Advent bring us great consolation. May they encourage us to dream for a better world. May they strengthen us to partner with you to bring about that better world we hope for. Give us a greater appreciation for the miracle of your life of selfless loving, a miracle we can share in every day. This Advent rekindle in us the deepest longings of our hearts for love, peace, goodness, beauty, and truth. Come, Lord Jesus, come! Amen.

For reflection:

Did anything stand out for you in today’s reflection?

Do you like the season of Advent? Why or why not?

How do you plan on celebrating or observing Advent this year?

Our song today is the Advent/Christmas song, “Beyond the Moon and Stars” by Dan Schutte. It captures so beautifully our longing for God… for peace… for light in the darkness.

---

Advent 2023: A Celebration, used with kind permission from Sister Melannie Svoboda.

Sister Melannie, a Sister of Notre Dame resides in Chardon, Ohio, USA. She counts herself very lucky! Melannie was raised in a loving family on a small farm in northeast Ohio. She entered the Sisters of Notre Dame right after high school. Over the years, her ministries have included high school and college teaching, novice director, congregational leadership, spiritual direction, retreat facilitating, and writing. If you are interested in more of her writings you can find them here.

A Pilgrimage

I was given the privilege of attending the Mission Alive Program in LePuy, France in September of this year.  It was a journey of self-discovery for me and for many of my colleagues from around the world who are partners with the Sisters of St. Joseph.  We were there as pilgrims, not as tourists, and we were guided by Sisters who helped us slow down and reflect.

Part of our week included a guided tour of Mother St. John Fontbonne’s home, as well as a trip to visit her grave in Lyon.  We learned about her life and the historical portion of the Sister’s beginnings, yet it was the thoughtful prayers and reflections at the graveside that highlighted why we were there.  Frankly, it brought more questions than answers…

Who was this strong woman who led her young charges into the unknown? 

How did the Spirit move in Mother St. John Fontbonne?

What can I learn from her example of strength and courage?

How is the Spirit moving in me?

I picked up a pebble from the grave to mark the day and it became a touchstone, a memory, an urging to move towards answering those questions.

-Guest Blog by Michelle Vermeeren, Staff, Sisters of St. Joseph

Remembrance Day 2023

As a child of the 50’s, preparation for and attendance at Remembrance Day ceremonies was exciting and significant. My Dad and two uncles had served in World War II so it was very exciting to watch them parade down our main street with their comrades proud with the thought there would be no more war. In school we prepared by memorizing and reciting “In Flanders Fields”. Though I am sure our teachers told us the story of the poem’s origin, now in my 70s, I have lost memory of those details and wonder if you may have too.

John McCrae, The author of “In Flanders Fields” was born in Guelph, Ontario to Scottish parents. John was described as warm and sensitive to people and animals. A bright student, he showed interest in the military and in writing poetry. He was the first student from Guelph to win a scholarship to the University of Toronto. There he completed his medical training while also publishing many poems and short stories. He joined the military and led a battery with the Canadian field artillery during the South African war. In 1914, when Britain declared war with Germany, John McRae enlisted - along with the 45,000 other Canadians stepping forward to serve. He was 42 at the time so was posted as a medical officer. In 1915 while in Ypres, Belgium, his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was brutally killed in action. Lieutenant Helmer’s remains were buried in a makeshift grave in a field where many crosses marked the graves of so many unknown soldiers. The poppies were just beginning to bloom. The next day John, while sitting on the footboard of an ambulance reflecting on the tragedy of the day before, penned “In Flanders Fields” in 20 minutes. It is the most widely read poem in honour of those who have given their lives in the hope for peace.

I would invite you to read his beautiful poem with me every day we pray for peace.

-Maureen Condon, Associate, Sisters of St. Joseph

World Mission Sunday

World Mission Sunday – October 22, 2023

by Father Ron MacDonell, SFM (Scarboro Missions)

On October 7, the world awoke to the news of horrific violence in the Holy Land, making it a very “unholy” land, a place of fear and death. The teachings of Jesus came immediately to mind: “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will die by the sword” (Mt. 26:52)“ In everything do to others as you would have them do to you, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 7:12); “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:43-45a).

“But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven” ”

— (Mt. 5:43-45a)

This is the mission that Jesus entrusted to his disciples then, and to us now: to love everyone, even our enemies, and to be people of peace embracing everyone in our human family. We are all sisters and brothers. On World Mission Sunday, we stop to renew our commitment to this mission, our “sending forth” by Jesus into world to be lights of peace and love in the darkness of fear and hatred.

We do not have to look far to see where we can live our particular missions. For over thirty years, I have shared life with Indigenous people in the Amazonian rainforest of Brazil. In particular, I have accompanied the Makushi in the struggle for their language rights. Community leaders and schoolteachers have worked hard at producing materials such as bilingual Makushi-Portuguese dictionaries and radio programs in Makushi to promote the teaching of their language to the new generation.

The Makushi people also fought for decades to have their land reserve approved by the federal government in 2005 as the “Raposa/Serra do Sol Indigenous Land.” However, their reserve and the lands of the 1.7 million Brazilian Indigenous, representing 350 different groups, have come under attack in the past year. A group of politicians proposed the “Time Frame” bill, which would mean that the Indigenous could only claim land they already inhabited on October 5, 1988, the date when the new Federal Constitution of Brazil was promulgated. This would mean no new reserves or no expansions of existing reserves – a huge drawback for the growing Indigenous population.

Good news! Happily, on September 21, 2023, the bill was voted down, 9 votes to 2 votes, by the ministers of the Federal Supreme Court. This victory was due in large part to the numerous protests organized over the past year by Indigenous groups and their allies, including the Indigenist Missionary Council of the Catholic Church. This missionary activity in defense of land and life was blessed by God. The courage of the Indigenous and their allies was rewarded with renewed hope for the life of future generations.

St. Luke tell us that Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples ahead of him, with this instruction, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’” (Lk 10: 5). They were successful: “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’” (Lk 10: 17). On this Mission Sunday, let us remember that we are like those seventy-two disciples. We go into the world with hope and love and, through God’s Holy Spirit, the demons of fear and hatred are defeated. Let us remember their example when we become discouraged: the mission is not ours but God’s. We pray in gratitude with St. Paul, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Eph. 3:20-21).

by Fr. Ron MacDonell, SFM (Scarboro Missions)

Image: Unsplash/Javier Miranda