Reflection

As we journey through this season of Advent we hear the words from both the Old Testament and the New Testament  ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’.  The question for us is how are we preparing our hearts?  Are we creating time and space to prepare?  Are we making time to contemplate God becoming man out of love for each and every one of us?  Or are we being caught up totally in the business of the end of the year? 

It is a very busy time of the year and it seems everyone wants to catch up or wants this job done before the end of the year.  We cannot avoid this in some way, but need to create pockets of time and space to be with Our Lord, to pray, to read the scriptures, to go to an extra Mass, or go to the Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation to prepare room in our hearts.

As Christians we are called not to go the way of everyone else (running mad, shopping, stressed etc)  but to live this season and indeed the Christmas season in a Christ centred way.  We are called to be witnesses that there is another way and that indeed we are recalling God’s incredible love for us, made manifest in the Incarnation, God becoming man out of love for us.  We are called to be people of joy, peace, love, mercy and forgiveness. This joy, peace, love, mercy and forgiveness comes not from us, but from the Our Lord Himself.  Hence we receive this from Him when we take time to be with Him, in order to be able to give it to others.

Let us come before Him each day as we journey towards Christmas, asking Him to come more deeply into our hearts to transform them to be like His, on fire with love for all people.

Finally, we pray that all families have a Blessed and Holy Christmas, filled with the love, peace and joy that Our Lord came to bring to us.  May He fill our hearts and families with His love and peace this Christmas.  We pray also for a safe Christmas for all the Nazareth Family.

Holy Family of Nazareth – Be our inspiration and our guide

Jesus of Nazareth – Help us to grow in faith, wisdom and knowledge