“According to Your Word” by Jim Bayne

“According to Your Word” by Jim Bayne

Fourth Sunday of Advent

I will assign a place for my people Israel and I will plant them in it to dwell there; they will never again be disturbed, nor shall the wicked ever again oppress them, as they did at the beginning, and from the day when I appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. (2 SAM 7:10-11)

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

I will sing of your mercy forever, LORD, proclaim your faithfulness through all ages.

(Ps 89:2)

Piety

Prayer of Gratitude to God

Father, dear Father,

I am so grateful for everything that you have given me.

Thank you so much for the loved ones in my life,

For the many ways in which I am cared for and supported.

Thank you for the many ways I can serve and give to others.

Thank you for the rich tapestry of colors in creation,

For the beauty which is all around me,

For the skies and the ever-changing cloud formations,

For the breathtaking sunsets and early morning mists.

My heart is so grateful and brimming with thanks.

I could write a thousand books about your great goodness,

And still, have many stories to tell.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I thank you with everything I am.

All my being cries thank you Lord! Amen.

(A short prayer of gratitude to God from www.lords-prayer-words.com)

Study

Here we are at the end of Advent, ready to celebrate the arrival of the Christ child into our lives this very evening.  Are we prepared?

Since the Friday after Thanksgiving and perhaps even before, many of us have been frantically preparing for this day; our days and nights spent looking for just the right gift, gathering decorations for our homes, filling out Christmas cards, baking all kinds of Christmas goodies, and on and on it goes.  By now we’re exhausted.

All during this time, the Church has been calling on us to stop, wait, and watch.  Have we done that?  Anecdotal stories say probably not. Instead, our frantic activity has increased our stress level in an already stressful world.

Here are a few of the reasons for Christmas stress and depression:

1. Absence of a beloved person
2. Family misunderstandings
3. Economic difficulties            
4. Physical tiredness
5. Loneliness                         
6. Seasonal Emotional Disturbance

In the first reading today from Samuel, we see David stressed out because he hasn’t built a house of cedar for God who is still living in a tent.  Have you been stressed out this Advent because you haven’t been able to find just the right gift for your mother-in-law?  Are you anxious because you’re not sure what to get her and are even less certain that she’ll like what you get, and what will be her reaction if she doesn’t like it?  Oh dear, so many things to worry about!!

God immediately responds to David’s anxiety by reminding him “I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.”  He goes on from there to tell him all the other things he’s going to do for him.

In the Gospel, God sends an angel to continue his message of love and caring. He tells Mary – and us – that he is sending his Son to “rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there will be no end.” 

Taking time to reflect on how much God loves each one of us and how he is – and always has been – right here with us should help to put things in perspective and take the edge off our Christmas anxieties; help us see the big picture.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised to be with us until the end of time.  He is present and alive in our world today in the Body of Christ.  We are the Body of Christ! As we celebrate his birth, let us also celebrate his ongoing life in each one of us. 

We are the ones who have the power to make Christ present by healing the Christmas stress in ourselves and in those around us.  We have the power to bring Joy to the World!!!  May it be done to me according to your word.

Action

Our salvation is not determined by how we hold our hands when we receive Christ in the Eucharist. Our salvation is determined by how we use our hands to be Christ in our world. See Matthew 25:34-36 for details.  Christ has no hands but ours.  Use them.