A Bud Shall Blossom

December 4, 2007

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. Isaiah 11:1-4

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” Luke 10:22-24

Piety

God, as we prepare for our first snow of the season,

Help us to remember and imagine the warmth that you promise to send

A warmth that will thaw the ice of winter and the coldness in our hearts

A warmth that will soften the soil and allow a shoot from the stump of Jesse

To enter into our broken hearts, broken relationships and broken lives

Let us see the beauty that you unlock

Let us revel in the Word that you reveal

Let us respond in gratitude and love to your loving warmth and warming love. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/120407.shtml

Do you find it hard to think of a bud blossoming at this time of year? With night time temperatures hovering in the 30 degree F range and chilly rain knocking the last brown leaves off of the beechnut, oak and dogwood trees in my backyard, flowers are the last thing that comes to mind right now. However, now is the time that gardeners make ready the ground and the seeds which will spring forth in March and April, breaking our long winter’s nap. Now is the time to plant trees that will blossom in spring.

Advent is the time to make ready our holy ground for the coming of a shoot sprouting from our branches. Isaiah makes ready our holy ground by introducing us to what we will come to know as the gifts of the Holy Spirit eons before the Holy Spirit appeared at that first Pentecost. It is doubtful that any in Judah eight centuries before the birth of Christ knew the seed that he was planting in these “Immanuel Prophecies.”

Jesus cultivates similar ground – planting in the minds and hearts of his disciples the revelation that the Father has revealed to them what they know about the Son fulfilling the prophecies of the Hebrew Bible with visions that many who have come before – including powerful kings and princes – were unable to see.

Action

We were not there to hear Jesus. However, the Holy Spirit works to reveal Christ to us this Advent season. What is the Spirit planting in your life that will sprout, what bud will blossom in your ministry?

What has God handed over to you? What will you plant during this Advent season? Hopefully you will not dig yourself into credit card debt with stores that promise that is you shop there you will live better (no thank you Wal*Mart) or products that also promise you better living (no thank you Circuit City). Instead, wouldn’t it be nice to see this ad on TV:

“This Holiday Season, we have just what you need for true happiness and everlasting life. Come to St. Mary’s (or fill in your parish name) to live better in this world and the next. We have everything you need to eat and drink. We have gifts that as far as your eyes can see.”

PS: Passed this sign on the way to work – church was on Braddock Road near Little River Turnpike. Missed the name but got the message:

“The greatest gift of all was wrapped in a manger.”