Commenced

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Commenced

Father's   House

Teaching   Questioning   Understanding

Remained Behind In Jerusalem

Found

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Luke 2: 43b, 46-47, 49

Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but His parents did not realize this.

After searching for Him for three days, Mary and Joseph found Him in the temple.

Jesus was sitting with the teachers, and He was listening to them and questioning them. 

All who heard Him were astonished by His answers.

When His parents questioned Him, Jesus said, "Why were you looking in those places? Didn't you realize that I would be in My Father's house?"

Reflection

Many people find it hard to start a new enterprise. Beginnings can be very challenging for us. We are afraid of making mistakes.

In our reading from Luke, Jesus is eager to start on His mission even though He is only twelve years old. He remains behind in Jerusalem and goes to the temple to engage with those who taught there. 

Those who were listening to Jesus in the temple were amazed at His wisdom. How could someone so young know so much?

From this story we get an insight into the ability of Jesus to communicate His Good News. Jesus begins His public ministry in His Father's House. He is comfortable there. He feels so close to the Father that this place seems like the right place to commence His mission.

Jesus is called to teach. He winds up teaching the teachers who were in the temple. They had many years of study; but Jesus had a relationship with the Father that was intimate: He was one with the Father.

Instead of the teachers at the temple questioning Jesus, Jesus was questioning them. His understanding of the Jewish faith was so deep and detailed that all who heard Him could not believe how much He knew.

Jesus had remained behind, but He had a purpose and a plan. He was eager to share what the Father had given Him. He had found truth as He talked with the Father. It was knowledge that He had to share.

It can be difficult to commence a new task, to begin a new venture, to start new relationships. Jesus shows us that when we are starting anew, we have to rely on what we have found in our relationship with God.

We have to go to our Father's House in prayer and realize that God will sustain us and strengthen us in our new ventures. With the Father directing us, we can overcome our fears.

Commencement time!

1. Do you find it hard to start new relationships?  

2. Do you feel that age can get in the way of starting new enterprises?

3. Why do you think Jesus starts His mission at His Father's House?

4. From where did Jesus get His wisdom?

5. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara) 

Visitation

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Visitation

Mary   Elizabeth

Welcome   Blessed   Celebrate

Infant Leaped For Joy

Bearers

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture: Luke 1:39 to 42

Mary travelled to see her cousin Elizabeth. When Elizabeth saw her and heard her greeting, the infant in her womb leapt for joy. 

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said, "You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb."

Reflection

Have you ever had a visit with someone that really impacted you? Mary's visit to Elizabeth was that type of visit.

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Mary is going to help Elizabeth and Elizabeth's words affirm Mary and wind up giving her strength and confidence. 

Mary is in such a difficult situation. So confusing and unsettling for her. Imagine Mary trying to explain how she became pregnant to her family and friends! 

Elizabeth immediately calms her down and reassures her. This pregnancy is a blessing. It is a cause for celebration. Of all the women who could have borne the Messiah, Mary has been chosen. What an honor!

Elizabeth was given a sign of how great an honor it is. The baby within her, John the Baptist, was so excited to hear Mary's voice that he leapt for joy. This was not your typical movement within the womb. This baby made his feelings known.

Elizabeth and Mary are bearers of Good News. New life is coming into the world to bring light into the darkness of selfishness and indifference.

This Good News happens in extraordinary ways through Elizabeth and Mary. John the Baptist will prepare the way by encouraging repentance among the people. Jesus will bring us healing and salvation.

Good News indeed!

An amazing visitation. One that calls us to see the wonderful ways God can work in our lives when we take the time to look and to listen for the signs of wonder and blessing that surround us.

Come Lord Jesus!

1. Have you ever experienced a visit from someone that impacted you deeply?

2. When have you received news that made you leap for joy?

3. What are some of the ways that God has been working in your life?

4. How have you been blessed by God?

5. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Joy

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Joy

Faithfully    Await

Transcends   Excels   Rises Above

Peace Surpasses All Understanding

Rejoice

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures:   Zephaniah 3:17 and 18a

The Lord, your God, is in your midst as a mighty savior.

God will rejoice over you with gladness.

God will renew you in Love.

God will sing joyfully because of you!

Philippians 4:7

The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will protect your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Reflection

Our readings from God's Word speak of joy. When we reflect on joy, we think about those special moments in our life when we have felt fully alive and overwhelmed with the beauty and the goodness that surrounds us. 

The challenge that we all face is to keep that spirit of joy with us at all times. When we are in pain, discouraged by a failure, or facing intense opposition, it is hard to keep that joy blooming in us. 

This is where our faithfulness comes into play. Will we be true to the message that Jesus wants to share with us? The Good News does not change. We have been saved, we have been cared for, we have been loved.

We await in hope the fullness of that message. We know it is true. It is a message that transcends our feelings and moods. It is a message that spurs us to excel in following Jesus and to rise above our frustrations and failures.

Zephaniah tells us that God is in our midst. God is with us as a "mighty savior". This presence of God with us and all around us fills us with a joy that no one can take away from us. God is actually rejoicing over us according to Zephaniah!

What an image. God loves us so much and cares about us so much that God is filled with joy. The joy is contagious. It keeps on growing and spreading. It becomes so powerful that God is actually singing with joy.

You have to ask, "If God is singing for joy, how can we stop our singing?". It is this joy that gives us a true peace. Paul describes it in Philippians as a peace that is beyond understanding. 

Some might look at us and wonder how we can maintain our joy and our peace when our hearts are troubled by upsetting news and our minds are clouded by the worries and anxieties that we face every day.

God is there to protect us and walk with us. When we fully realize that, we rejoice. It is a joy that cannot be taken from us. It is a joy that will always be with us. 

Our hearts and our minds will be challenged. Obstacles will have to be overcome. It will not be easy.

However, it will be joyful.

God is singing.

We are invited to join the chorus!

1. When you think of joy, what are some of the experiences that you recall?

2. How have you tried to avoid losing your joy?

3. Do you think faithfulness is important in sustaining your joy?

4. Do you think of God as singing for joy because of you and with you?

5. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)      

 

Proclaiming

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Proclaiming

Rejoicing   John

Peace   Forgiveness   Repentance

The Fulfillment Of Promises

Saviour

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Luke 3: 3 and 4

John went through the whole region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

He talked about the fulfillment of the promise from the prophet of Isaiah:

"There will be a voice of one crying out in the desert. 'Prepare the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight.'"

Reflection

In our passage from Luke, we encounter John the Baptist proclaiming a message of forgiveness and repentance. It is a message from many years ago but one that is so needed in our own day.

Forgiveness is such an essential part of our lives. Just think of the many mistakes you have made and the times you have had to apologize for an unkind action or a thoughtless word. We have to ask others to forgive us so that our relationships can be healed.

Repentance is equally important. We want to change our habits to become a better person. We have seen the harmful effects of our actions and want to make sure that we do not cause anyone pain or discomfort. We try to improve.

We do this in a spirit of rejoicing. We know that God is with us as we repent and grow to become kinder and more aware of the needs of others and less concerned about our own desires. We are joyful and happy because we are serving others and enriching their lives. We are spreading love. 

John points out that the one whom he is proclaiming will fulfill the promise that God communicated through the prophet Isaiah. The Lord is coming.

It is hard, however, for us to really see the Lord. We are blinded by our selfishness and greed. Our world is small, and our concerns narrow. We turn our back on those in need because they do not come from the right country or the right race. We feel superior to others and look down upon them. We do not see Jesus in them.

We need to prepare a way so that we can really see Jesus and embrace Him as we serve those who are in need. A Saviour has come among us. His path can go straight to our hearts or can be avoided as we wander in the wilderness of confusion and self-absorption.

A proclamation has been made. Jesus wants to share His Peace with us and lead us to joy. Can we overcome the distractions that surround us to truly listen to that proclamation?

1. How important do you think the message of forgiveness and repentance is for us today?

2. Why should our repentance be done in a spirit of rejoicing?

3. Do you find it challenging to overcome your blindness as you try to see the Lord in those around you?

4. How can you listen better to the proclamation of the Good News?

5. What do you feel as you ponder Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Fulfill

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Fulfill

The   Promise

Teach   Increase   Abound

The Lord Our Justice

Vigilant

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures:   Jeremiah 33:14 and 16

The Lord says that the days are coming when I will fulfill the promise that I made to Judah and Israel. The lands will be secure and peoples will call her: "The Lord our justice."

Luke 21:36

Jesus said, "Be vigilant always and pray that you abound in strength to escape any difficulties that are imminent and stand in front of the Son of Man."

Reflection

What a great feeling when someone fulfills a promise! I recently had the joy of celebrating our 55th Wedding Anniversary with my wife, Kathy. The promise that she made to me was fulfilled beyond my greatest expectations.

Advent is a time to reflect on the promises that God has made to us and the promises that we want to make to others in our community. God teaches us through the promises that have been made in the past and the promises that God continues to make every day of our lives. 

God promises security and justice according to the prophet Jeremiah. It seems, however, that we live in an insecure world that is lacking justice in many respects. How has that promise been fulfilled?

Jesus explains in our reading from Luke that the promise is fulfilled when we are vigilant and pray. Vigilance is important so that we keep our eyes open to prevent those who would threaten the security of others and take advantage of others to exploit them and to attack their dignity.

Crucial to this vigilance is our prayer so that we can seek the strength of Jesus and obtain the wisdom and the practical strategies to fight for justice.

The promise has been fulfilled. Jesus has come and will be with us as we reach out to those who are overlooked and ignored. 

There are those who seek their own advantage at the expense of others: employers who do not pay a fair wage or who refuse to pay overtime to their employees; banks and real estate agents who discriminate against those of a different race or creed; businesses that do not pay equal wages to men and women for the same work.

Jesus points us in the direction of justice. The promise has been made.

Will we be vigilant in making sure that it is fulfilled?

1. How do you feel when someone fulfills a promise that has been made to you?

2. What promises have you fulfilled lately?

3. Are there some areas of injustice that particularly upset you?

4. Why is vigilance so important for keeping promises?

5. How important is prayer in your life as you strive to establish more justice in the world?

6. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)