Fourth Sunday of Advent – 2006
May the peace of the Christ Child be with you today!
Of significance in the reading from St. Paul and the gospel of St. Luke in today’s Eucharistic Liturgy is the emphasis on doing the will of God. Writing to the Hebrews, Paul presents words of Jesus, his response to the Father’s will: "Behold, I come to do your will, O God." Luke, through the dialog between Mary and Elizabeth, reminds us how the virgin girl believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.
The will of God for me, for you, indeed for every person ever created by the all-good God is, I would suggest, almost as challenging for to us as it was to Mary and the man Jesus.
These days of Christmas do bring many to spending some time in prayer in a church or quiet space, especially those who have felt alienated from our Church. But for all of us it is a time when our hearts seem to be fertile ground for the Holy Spirit. It is my prayer today that my words might help you as well as myself in taking a look at God’s will in our lives.
You and I, we were in the mind of God forever. Then there was a time when, along with our parents, He created us. Forever in His mind there was also a purpose for us to live out in our lives. Think with me on this: we are infinite spiritual beings. We always were in God’s mind before our birth and will continue either with or separated from God forever after our deaths. Then we can easily say that we are here on this earth "disguised as a temporary human being" seeking to live out our purpose.
Our greatest joy comes when we are fulfilling that God-given purpose. In doing so we are so much in line with the will of God. Mindful of this consequence, that is trying to live out God’s will for us, I want to suggest one of several reasons why there is so much happiness and joy in our world at Christmas.
Imagine for just a moment that you were one part of the triune God. You would have known that the Father’s will would be for you to become a human being. It would be a decision not simply to become a human being for a short time but to accept all that would happen during those years. Fully accepting the will of the Father, your life would radiate joy and happiness because you would have the unique sense that you were doing exactly what God the Father willed for you. This is the reason for Christmas joy: we are touched by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ who took on the fulfillment of the Father’s will in his human life.
Now let’s go back to thinking about God’s will. This is what I know about myself: God’s will is not always easy to discern even in prayer and adoration. So often that difficulty can be traced to a blocking created by over-activism. If I do not find the time to separate myself from the duties and other day-to-day activities for some time with God, I will not be able to understand fully what it is that I am intended to be, to do.
Then, when we do find the time to listen to God, to give room in our hearts to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we will on occasion find ourselves face-to-face with God’s will that might not be exactly what our ego-driven needs appreciate or expect. At times we are called to genuine sacrifice either called to give up something or someone we believe we truly want or need. At other times we might be called to begin something that could be frightening, marked by questions, a la the experience of Mary. Nevertheless, we have the example of Jesus and Mary to help us fortify our response to God’s will for us.
So, I urge you to separate yourselves from the hubbub of these holidays ahead for a little time of reflection on God’s will for you especially as you begin thinking about those trappings that are part of the January first decorations: our new year’s resolutions. When was the last time you seriously asked yourself about your understanding of God’s will for you? Could you write without hesitation what God’s will is for you at this moment in your life? Few, I suspect, truly understand what God wants in their lives. Perhaps the frustration, the loneliness, the emptiness that haunts so many folks today can be related to individuals not simply failing to live out God’s purpose for themselves but because they do not even know what God’s will is for them.
To know God’s will anyone of us must visit that placeless place within our very being where we put ourselves in touch with the Creator God. There, usually in quiet, God will speak. God will make clear what His will is for you. Then you pray like you have never prayed before: "I come to do your will O God! Give me the strength I need to live out your will."
December 23, 2006
May the peace of the Christ Child be with you today!
Of significance in the reading from St. Paul and the gospel of St. Luke in today’s Eucharistic Liturgy is the emphasis on doing the will of God. Writing to the Hebrews, Paul presents words of Jesus, his response to the Father’s will: "Behold, I come to do your will, O God." Luke, through the dialog between Mary and Elizabeth, reminds us how the virgin girl believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.
The will of God for me, for you, indeed for every person ever created by the all-good God is, I would suggest, almost as challenging for to us as it was to Mary and the man Jesus.
These days of Christmas do bring many to spending some time in prayer in a church or quiet space, especially those who have felt alienated from our Church. But for all of us it is a time when our hearts seem to be fertile ground for the Holy Spirit. It is my prayer today that my words might help you as well as myself in taking a look at God’s will in our lives.
You and I, we were in the mind of God forever. Then there was a time when, along with our parents, He created us. Forever in His mind there was also a purpose for us to live out in our lives. Think with me on this: we are infinite spiritual beings. We always were in God’s mind before our birth and will continue either with or separated from God forever after our deaths. Then we can easily say that we are here on this earth "disguised as a temporary human being" seeking to live out our purpose.
Our greatest joy comes when we are fulfilling that God-given purpose. In doing so we are so much in line with the will of God. Mindful of this consequence, that is trying to live out God’s will for us, I want to suggest one of several reasons why there is so much happiness and joy in our world at Christmas.
Imagine for just a moment that you were one part of the triune God. You would have known that the Father’s will would be for you to become a human being. It would be a decision not simply to become a human being for a short time but to accept all that would happen during those years. Fully accepting the will of the Father, your life would radiate joy and happiness because you would have the unique sense that you were doing exactly what God the Father willed for you. This is the reason for Christmas joy: we are touched by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ who took on the fulfillment of the Father’s will in his human life.
Now let’s go back to thinking about God’s will. This is what I know about myself: God’s will is not always easy to discern even in prayer and adoration. So often that difficulty can be traced to a blocking created by over-activism. If I do not find the time to separate myself from the duties and other day-to-day activities for some time with God, I will not be able to understand fully what it is that I am intended to be, to do.
Then, when we do find the time to listen to God, to give room in our hearts to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we will on occasion find ourselves face-to-face with God’s will that might not be exactly what our ego-driven needs appreciate or expect. At times we are called to genuine sacrifice either called to give up something or someone we believe we truly want or need. At other times we might be called to begin something that could be frightening, marked by questions, a la the experience of Mary. Nevertheless, we have the example of Jesus and Mary to help us fortify our response to God’s will for us.
So, I urge you to separate yourselves from the hubbub of these holidays ahead for a little time of reflection on God’s will for you especially as you begin thinking about those trappings that are part of the January first decorations: our new year’s resolutions. When was the last time you seriously asked yourself about your understanding of God’s will for you? Could you write without hesitation what God’s will is for you at this moment in your life? Few, I suspect, truly understand what God wants in their lives. Perhaps the frustration, the loneliness, the emptiness that haunts so many folks today can be related to individuals not simply failing to live out God’s purpose for themselves but because they do not even know what God’s will is for them.
To know God’s will anyone of us must visit that placeless place within our very being where we put ourselves in touch with the Creator God. There, usually in quiet, God will speak. God will make clear what His will is for you. Then you pray like you have never prayed before: "I come to do your will O God! Give me the strength I need to live out your will."
December 23, 2006
