Thursday of the First Week of Advent
Intention: That the start of this Advent will herald for us a time of prayer and conversion as we return our hearts and our lives to the work of building God’s Kingdom of peace, justice, and love.
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 First 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 caveat. Immersed in our traditions, it is possible to forget that they always point to something more. 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, we must not allow the form of our worship to take the place of its substance. Kneeling in front of the creche cannot take the place of following Christ out of his manger and onto the path of doing his Father’s will. The time of Advent is a time for celebration, but it is also a time for commitment to the true discipleship of kenosis, of emptying ourselves for the sake of serving God’s Kingdom.
Prayer
Eternal Father, you sent to us your son Jesus not just so that we would revere him, but also that we would follow him. Sometimes we can confuse keeping our faith with living our faith. Fill our hearts with a passion for truth and integrity, and not just for believing the right things but also for doing the right things. May this Advent be for us a time of faith and zeal as well as of joy and celebration. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.