Thursday of the First Week of Advent
This Week’s Intention: For a deep spirit of peace, joy, and welcome as we prepare for the birth of our Savior.
Today’s Gospel | Matthew 7:21, 24-27
Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
A Reflection for the 1st Thursday of Advent
The celebration of Advent and its culmination on Christmas Day are filled with some of the most beautiful and moving rituals in all of Christianity. They invite us to experience deeply and reverently the story of the birth of our Savior — with one caution. In the richness of our Advent traditions, it is possible to forget that they always point to something more. We must be reminded not to allow the form of our worship to take the place of its substance. Perhaps that is what once caused Jesus to invoke the words of the Prophet Hosea: “For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” In other words, kneeling in front of the creche cannot take the place of following Christ out of his manger and onto his path of doing his Father’s will. The time of Advent is a time for celebration, but it is especially a time for commitment to the true discipleship of kenosis, of self-emptying for the sake of God’s Kingdom.
Prayer for the Day
Eternal Father, you sent to us your son Jesus not just so that we would revere him, but that we also would follow him. Sometimes we can confuse keeping our faith with living our faith. Fill our hearts with a passion for truth and integrity not just for believing the right things but also for doing the right things. May this Advent be for us a time not only of joy and awe, but also of faith and zeal. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts forever.