Do His Will

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

By Beth DeCristofaro

Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock. He humbles those in high places, and the lofty city he brings down; He tumbles it to the ground, levels it with the dust.  It is trampled underfoot by the needy, by the footsteps of the poor. (Isaiah 26:4-6)

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. (Matthew 7:21)

Piety

Oh God, may I see you in the face of strangers instead of feeling fear or dissimilarity.

Oh Jesus, help me come closer to You and believe more firmly in the presence of your saints, angels and holy ones.

Yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Study

Isaiah tells us as does Jesus, we can’t do it alone.  Our very lives are God’s gifts full of unlimited love and bestowed by grace. Jesus came to show us the way and He comes again and again in the face and heart of each person created in the image of the Father, just as he was when born as a defenseless baby in Bethlehem.  Advent gives us the time to prepare ourselves and renew ourselves to DO, not just mouth, the will of the Father.  Within Advent and within our very lives God gives us those who will also show us the way: the needy, the poor, and the holy and yes, even sinners who try but fail to do His will.  Francis Xavier gave his life showing people the way as a missionary.  Cursillo helps us remember and Advent gives us the season to be missionaries right at home, in the metro, on the sidewalks, at our borders, in our restaurants and hotels.

Action

Joan Osborne sings One of Us.  As you read the lyrics or listen on YouTube, consider just how much your life is one of DOING God’s will.  How can you use this Advent to draw closer to Jesus, riding the bus, trying to make his way home?

“If God had a name, what would it be?
And would you call it to his face,
If you were faced with Him in all His glory?
What would you ask if you had just one question?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?

If God had a face, what would it look like?
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like Heaven and in Jesus and the saints
And all the prophets? And...

Yeah, yeah, God is great…(Refrain)

What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?

(Just?) tryin' to make His way home
Back up to Heaven all alone
Nobody callin' on the phone
'Cept for the Pope, maybe, in Rome

Yeah, yeah, God is great…(Refrain)
(One of Us by Eric Bazilian) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn7rIarpQBk