Working Through the Last Days of Advent
The last few days of Advent find me struggling to complete my tasks before taking some time off. The "workbench" must be cleared. My business affairs must be left in order before turning to the celebrations of Christmas.
The year passed with some good, some bad, much simply the daily grind of work. All my efforts seemed so important at the time. Were they? In the end, any good results of all those efforts rest in God's hands. Sure, I try to be "results-oriented" in my work. Isn't that what our bosses and our customers expect? Results? They're not so interested in our daily struggles, the effort we put into things. They want to see the results.
But, in the end, we Catholic men know that all results ultimately flow from the hand of God, not our hands. And in the end it is our helplessness, yes, our nothingness, as St Therese might say, that gives us reason for hoping and trusting in God without limit. And in that spirit, we Catholic men, we little nothings, pray:
It is to a little child, born in poverty, that we turn our hearts, even as we work these last days of Advent. With each task completed, we pray and prepare our hearts for his coming. We think of poor Mary, having to give birth to the Savior of the world in a little, cold, dirty place. Poor Joseph, having to watch helplessly as his wife accompanies him on that 90 mile journey to Bethlehem, finding no place to stay when they arrive, even as Mary is about to give birth - no place but this stable area. The least we can do is get to confession, beg God to make our hearts clean and eager to greet Him when He comes on Christmas.
Centuries before his birth, the Jewish prophet Isaiah (11:6-9) saw the saving power of His birth:
It is Christ alone who gives meaning to my work. Christ alone will bring us together in Him - someday. Hope and trust in Him (no one else, nothing else!) without limit.
The year passed with some good, some bad, much simply the daily grind of work. All my efforts seemed so important at the time. Were they? In the end, any good results of all those efforts rest in God's hands. Sure, I try to be "results-oriented" in my work. Isn't that what our bosses and our customers expect? Results? They're not so interested in our daily struggles, the effort we put into things. They want to see the results.
But, in the end, we Catholic men know that all results ultimately flow from the hand of God, not our hands. And in the end it is our helplessness, yes, our nothingness, as St Therese might say, that gives us reason for hoping and trusting in God without limit. And in that spirit, we Catholic men, we little nothings, pray:
Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts!
It is to a little child, born in poverty, that we turn our hearts, even as we work these last days of Advent. With each task completed, we pray and prepare our hearts for his coming. We think of poor Mary, having to give birth to the Savior of the world in a little, cold, dirty place. Poor Joseph, having to watch helplessly as his wife accompanies him on that 90 mile journey to Bethlehem, finding no place to stay when they arrive, even as Mary is about to give birth - no place but this stable area. The least we can do is get to confession, beg God to make our hearts clean and eager to greet Him when He comes on Christmas.
I read a news story this morning. A Turkish man, Murat Altun, kills the vicar
apostolic, Bishop Luigi Padovese, by slitting his throat. He was the Bishop’s
driver for four years. Islamic fundamentalists and the man’s family – according
to reports – “support” him. Support him! What real religion would justify such
an act? Ah, but these thoughts must be only fleeting, with a prayer for the
Bishop and, yes, a prayer for his murderer. Attention must return to the Savior
who was born to free us from sin.
Centuries before his birth, the Jewish prophet Isaiah (11:6-9) saw the saving power of His birth:
"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
and the calf and the lion ad the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall feed;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
The suckling child shall play over the
hole of the asp,
ad the weaned child shall put
his hand on the adder's den.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea."
It is Christ alone who gives meaning to my work. Christ alone will bring us together in Him - someday. Hope and trust in Him (no one else, nothing else!) without limit.
Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts!
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