Sacred Night

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Sacred Night

True Light

Acknowledgement By Angels

A Savior Is Born

Incarnation

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:  Luke 2: 10 and 11

The angel spoke to the shepherds and said,

"Do not fear because I bring you news of great joy. A savior is born who is Messiah and Lord."

Reflection

The night was quiet and peaceful.

It became sacred when a child was born.

This child united people with God.

This child brought Light.

It was a Light that would never fade because it was a Light that penetrated all darkness. 

It was a Light that reached deeply into the hearts and souls of all.

People were searching for Peace, for Justice, for Compassion, for Kindness.

This child brought all of that to us and more.

The Love was overflowing.

Angels, messengers from God, proclaimed it.

The message overcame our fears---our fear to trust, our fear to embrace, our fear of getting hurt, our fear in being vulnerable.

The angel told us that a Savior was born.

He would save us from our hatred of those who have a different skin color, religion, nationality, social status, sexual orientation, political belief, or cultural practices.

He would save us by bathing us in His Light.

This Light would change us by becoming incarnate with us, taking on our human flesh so that we could become one with divinity.

The Peace of God could dwell within us and among us.

Will we accept it?

1. How do you picture the night of Jesus' birth?

2. In what ways has Jesus brought Light to you?

3. What are some of the fears that you face that keep you from embracing the message of the angel?

4. Has the Light of Christ changed you?

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

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

Joseph

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Joseph

Earthly   Father

Obedient   Spouse   Fulfill

Message of an Angel

Emmanuel

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 1:20

Joseph had found that Mary was with child and was thinking about divorcing her quietly.

An angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him,

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. This child has been conceived by the Holy Spirit."

Reflection

What is your image of Joseph?

Matthew presents him as an extraordinary husband who goes out of his way to accept Mary in a situation where most people would be upset and angry with her. He becomes an earthly father to Jesus when most of us would walk away and leave Mary on her own path.

What makes the difference for Joseph is his ability to be obedient, to listen in the midst of his anger and confusion. We notice his goodness in his decision initially to divorce Mary quietly rather than to expose her to death by stoning which would have been the usual path to follow and the typical punishment.

He is obedient to the angel who comes to him in his dream because he is a holy man who realizes that the voice he must listen to is the voice of God and not the voice of his fellow villagers and friends who will be shocked at his willingness to take Mary into his home as his wife. This simply was not done and, in the minds and beliefs of those around him, should never be done.

Mary will become his spouse because this is what God wants. This was not Joseph's plan. This was not what the law demanded. God had a different way.

How many times does this happen to us? We think that we have it all figured out. We know what we should do to be successful. Then God points us in a different direction, and we are faced with a choice. Should I do what I had planned, or should I follow what God wants for me?

Joseph decides to fulfill what the angel has told him to do. He knows that he will face mockery and embarrassment, but that does not stop him. God comes first, and he believes this is what God is asking of him.

How do we react when God asks us to do something different and unusual? It is hard to face ridicule and rejection from others. It is so much easier to follow the expected route.

The message of the angel has made the difference. Joseph feels that this is God speaking to him. He makes his choice.

As a result of his choice and Mary's choice, Emmanuel is born. God has become one of us. God will dwell with us.

We will experience how deeply our God loves us and cares for us. God works through two human beings who did the unexpected in their day and time.

God works in the same way today through you and me. When we follow the ways of God and reject the false wisdom and common customs of our day as Mary and Joseph did, we are incarnating God in our world.

Come, Lord Jesus!

1. What do you think enabled Joseph to realize that God's voice was speaking to him through the angel?

2. How difficult was it for Joseph to reject the usual path of the law in taking Mary into his home after he found out that she was expecting a child?

3. How hard is it for you to reject the customs of our day and instead to put God first?

4. In what ways do you see Emanuel present in our world today?

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

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

Doubt

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Doubt

Question   Faith

Impatiently   Waiting   Fulfillment

Is He the One

Answer

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 11:2 to 3

John the Baptist sent some of his followers to question Jesus. John was in prison at the time. 

He told them to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we be looking for someone else?"

Reflection

It is so hard to be certain about anything. Someone tells us something and it can sound accurate and impressive. Then we do a little research, and we find it is just one of those conspiracy theories that mislead people so easily.

No wonder people have so many doubts today. There is, however, a long history of doubt. When we read the scriptures, we see our first parents, Adam and Eve, trying to deceive God and hide from God. One of the twelve apostles, St. Thomas, even has the word "doubting" attached to his name!

It seems like John the Baptist has some doubts about his cousin, Jesus, in our reading from Matthew. Some commentators mention that this might have been a tactic by John to get his followers to focus on Jesus. He might have felt that the response of Jesus would draw some of his reluctant disciples to join Jesus.

In many ways doubt can help us to deepen our relationship with Jesus. Our questions can lead us to find answers that help us to see a clearer path to follow. All of a sudden, we get a new insight into what Jesus was really saying and not just what we thought He meant. The blindness is lifted.

Those answers can lead us to a much deeper and stronger faith. I have often encountered adult learners who will tell me how frustrated they were because they were never encouraged to question or were made to feel badly if they did raise a question or expressed a doubt.

I have also seen the opposite when students raise questions, and we get into a great discussion that illuminates an issue that the students were struggling with for a long time. I love that look of peace that students get when they see a way forward from something that they found puzzling or disturbing.

I think the key is to be patient with ourselves and to realize it can take some time to have our deepest questions answered. That waiting is one of the major themes of the Season of Advent. We wait patiently for Jesus to speak to our doubts and to lead us by His Light.

When we take our time to really listen to Jesus, we can feel fulfilled and energized to begin anew. We know that Jesus is with us as we doubt and wants to help us resolve those doubts. 

The question that John poses is a question for us as well. Who do you think Jesus is? Is Jesus just a nice person who left us with some inspiring teachings or is Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity?

We have a choice.

How would you answer?

1. What are some of your doubts about faith?

2. When you get a doubt, does it upset you or motivate you to find a way to resolve it?

3. Can you think of a time when you found an answer to a doubt that helped you to feel at peace?

3. Is Jesus the Messiah or are you looking for another?

4. What do you feel as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

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

Voice

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Voice

In Wilderness

Foretold   Coming Of   Messiah

Kingdom Of Heaven Is Near

Repent

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 3: 1 to 3

John the Baptist was in the desert preaching. 

He said, "Repent. The Kingdom of God is here!"

It was of him that the prophet Isaiah spoke: "A voice of one crying out in the desert. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight."

Reflection

What are some of the voices that you have been listening to lately?

There are voices that can lift us up, and there are voices that can tear us down. We enjoy the praise and can be upset with the criticism. We learn over time that the criticism can sometimes help us even more than the praise.

To really listen to the voice of God, which is the only voice that really matters for us, it can be helpful for us to go into the wilderness. We can use the silence and the peace. Our lives can be filled with too many distractions. It's easy to lose focus.

God's Word can help us. The prophets from the Hebrew Scriptures give us many clues about the messiah and the pursuit of justice. If we take time to see what they have foretold, some of those confusing voices can give way to clarity. The prophets give us insight into God's plan for us.

We learn that God will send a Messiah who will help us to embrace God's Love more fully. The Messiah will teach us more about God. Our issue is: will we listen to that voice?

When we do listen, we learn that the Kingdom of God is near. All we have to do is repent of our selfishness and indifference. 

Isaiah speaks about our need to prepare if we are going to embrace the Kingdom of God and live a life in harmony with God's teachings and in service to our sisters and brothers. 

When we do prepare, get ready, and listen to the voice of God, the path is made straight. All those distractions diminish. We see our goal. We are led to the Messiah. 

Enjoy the voice!

1. How have you found the voice of God?

2. Can you think of a time when criticism has helped you?

3. How do you go into the wilderness?

4. What are some ways that you find helpful in preparing to embrace the Kingdom of God?

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

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