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Home Sections The Daily B.R.E.A.D. Dec 21, 2009 - Monday Meditation (Share to Someone The Reason for the Season!)
Dec 21, 2009 - Monday Meditation (Share to Someone The Reason for the Season!) PDF Print E-mail
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Sections - The Daily B.R.E.A.D.
Written by Bobot Apit   
Saturday, 19 December 2009 02:43

I know that for some, Christmas is not a time of joy.  The commercialization of Christmas can breed cynicism.  The holiday preparations can be overwhelming.  In fact, for some, Christmas can be a sad, lonely time.  My prayer this day is for those of us who rejoice to share our joy.  Share a smile, a moment, a meal, a gift.  And especially share the reason we rejoice with someone who needs to hear some good news.  Merry Christmas.

 

St. Peter Canisius, S.J.

 

Song of Songs 2:8-14 or Zephaniah 3:14-18a

 

Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21

 

L uke 1:26-38  (alternate reading: Luke 1:39-45)  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, (27) to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. (28) And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" (29) But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. (30) And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (31) And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. (32) He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, (33) and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." (34) And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" (35) And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. (36) And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. (37) For with God nothing will be impossible."  (38) And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. 

 

Meditation by Daniel Patrick O'Reilly

 

T oday’s scripture readings seem to be about waiting and rejoicing.  In Song of Solomon, the two lovers call to each other in anticipation of their meeting.  Zephaniah tells Israel to sing joyfully for the Lord is in your midst.  The psalmist proclaims, for in him our hearts rejoice.  In the story from Luke, the pregnant Mary and Elizabeth greet each other, and the infant in Elizabeth ’s womb leaps for joy.

 

Well, here we are in the home stretch of Advent.  Christmas is almost here.  We wait in anticipation.  Waiting to rejoice.  Advent seems to be about waiting. I love the Advent season.  Which is weird, because I have to admit, I hate waiting.  I’m just not very patient.  If I walk into a restaurant and there is a line, I don’t even ask how long the wait is.  I just leave.  I’m influenced way too much by our immediate gratification world.  And yet life has taught me that waiting can produce the most wonderful rewards.  In fact, sometimes waiting seems to make the thing we are waiting for more important and of more value. Strange, eh?

 

This time of year the days are short and the nights are long.  The mornings are darker and darker.  In fact, when I get up it is pitch black.  I miss watching the sun rise.  The other morning I realized the moon was trying to peak through the clouds.  I waited a moment to see if the moon would come out.  I thought I should be making coffee or checking the news and weather.  Instead I decided to wait a little longer.  The clouds parted and I was rewarded by a breathtaking view.  A bright moon, surrounded by silvery clouds, lighting up the entire neighborhood.  A tapestry that even Michelangelo would have envied.  A gift from God to start my day.

 

I love the story of Mary and Elizabeth.  Pregnancy is all about waiting.  I know, I know.  I’m sure all the women reading this are rolling their eyes and saying, "oh yeah, he knows all about pregnancy and waiting."  And of course, you are right.  I have to admit to the general male ignorance when it comes to pregnancy.  However, I have partnered with my wife through seven pregnancies and I do understand the waiting and anticipation of the incredible, joyous moment of a new life coming into the world.  Waiting for a miraculous moment.

 

One wonders how Mary felt so many years ago.  Anticipating.  Wondering.  Anxious.  Obedient to God’s will.  Waiting to rejoice.  As we do.  Waiting to rejoice and celebrate the most important event in human history.  God coming into the world as a child.  What an incredible miracle.  What a wonderful gift.  Truly something worthy of rejoicing.  And, until then, we wait.

 

I know that for some, Christmas is not a time of joy.  The commercialization of Christmas can breed cynicism.  The holiday preparations can be overwhelming.  In fact, for some, Christmas can be a sad, lonely time.  My prayer this day is for those of us who rejoice to share our joy.  Share a smile, a moment, a meal, a gift.  And especially share the reason we rejoice with someone who needs to hear some good news.  Merry Christmas.

 

Supplementary Reading

 

He came down to us by Robert H. Schuller

 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14

 

 

Do you want a satisfying life, a life free from emptiness, free from a purposeless existence? Then look for God and nothing else—nothing! You will find God when you come to Jesus Christ.

 

People have often said to me, "If there is a God, why can't we see him? Why doesn't he make himself visible to us?" I love to point out that God did make himself visible more than 2,000 years ago when he drew back the curtain, lifted the veil, and gave us a glimpse of God when he came to Earth as a human being in the person of Jesus Christ.

 

King James of Scotland used to dress in peasant's clothing from time to time and walk through the villages and countryside, hiding his true identity as a king. He did this to find out what his people were thinking—what their agonies, heartaches and problems were. He came down to the level of his people to better understand their lives.

 

Jesus did the same for us. His incarnation was a God-sent revelation to you and to me. He came down to the level of humanity to let us know that everything we have and will experience in this life, he understands implicitly!

 

Thank God for the empathizing, understanding nature of Jesus, who, through shared experience, totally understands every situation and emotion of your life.

  

For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


 
Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6

GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
 


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