Advent

 Christmas is now very close and we start to notice that we can become lost in the preparations. Not least are the proximate preparations of buying presents, attending parties, and finding a car park in trips to the shops. Yet this is also set against the backdrop of the restrictions which disrupted Christmas past that we become wary of what Christmas present might look like let alone Christmas future. It is easy to notice the places where this Christmas may look somewhat different. The need to be aware of health restrictions when crossing state borders or even venturing further afield. The relief of being able to associate more freely when hearing in the background the concerns that we may be plunged back into lockdowns. There can be a feeling of our beliefs being shaken by events that seem out of our control.

Jesus warns his disciples that it is easy to become caught up in a diet of confusion about natural and human disasters. How we can live a lifestyle that throws caution to the wind and says we only live once! The ability to focus just on ourselves and discover ways to numb the pain by shutting this bad news out. Yet we are called to be people who do not ignore reality or succumb to our own fears. We need to find a person who will guide us and whom we can trust.

As Paul encourages the Thessalonians so he encourages us by witnessing to that person by living lives that embody love and generosity. The call to integrity and generosity proclaims to the world that each person is called to wholeness and holiness. This Christmas we can start by looking at how our giving can bring joy not only to ourselves but to the world. How do we live in a way which is kind to others and helps us to become stewards of God's creation? What words of encouragement need to be heard at this time? What is the greatest gift that we can give to God by the way we live our lives?

May the Kingdom come!

 Telling the truth to power is at the heart of the Gospel. This is not a way of condemning those called to leadership but rather a way of helping them to discover what is at the heart of obedience, a true listening to the heart of God. As we face elections we often look at the person who is to fill the office and our opinion about whether they are suitable to govern. Yet at the heart of our concern is how they govern for the good of all. This is often the difficulty of elections is that leadership is often seen through the lens of political preference rather than a concern for the common good.

The heart of the gospel then challenges us to discover how we truly listen to the truth which proclaims the voice of Jesus to our age. This desire for synodality is not just an openness to hear all the voices but rather a considered discernment to what most easily allows this truth to be heard. This discernment seeks to discover what brings life and what trips us up in becoming living witnesses of Jesus Christ. What steps can we take day by day to allow us to become more transparent in listening to the Word of God spoken to us?

I believe that we are called to be witnesses to the Gospel. We are a people of pray, study, and action which lives for our time that as we grow in a living relationship with Jesus Christ we discover a deeper sense of unity for the common good. We seek to befriend each other and discover ways to reach those who doubt that the Gospel can be lived in our modern age. The reality is that we are all citizens of heaven who seek to live that truth here on earth. To be people who trust that the prayer taught to us by Jesus is a way of life, not just pious words.

The end is nigh?

 Over many years we have the prophets of doom who predict that the end of time is upon us. This can look at the signs of the times as harbingers of destruction which proclaim flood, war, plague, and pestilence. There is something about the current climate which seeks to predict the future rather than live in the present. The result can result in fear, anxiety, anger, and paralysis where we just have to wait for the end to arrive. Yet this can result in a certain sense of fatalism which leaves us powerless to live in the present.

The Gospel for this weekend does not seek to notice these markers that appear outside our control. Rather they seek perfection which comes from within and makes us available to this present age to do what we can rather than what we cannot. What can sustain us in uncertain times with hope and courage? This comes from being people who pray, study, and act in our current environment. We are called to be people who are present with wisdom and grace.

This calls for a heartfelt response that engages us with thoughtful reflection. What will sustain us as people who care for the planet and for each other? The pandemic has taught us that a common mind and a common heart can confront problems that seem to overwhelm us. They help us to notice that what binds us together is more than what will drive us apart. In an age that looks for conspiracy, scandal, and violence we can become bearers of the good news who seek Christ in the everyday. Our lives make a difference that enables others to bear witness to how God calls us to be present to this time with faith, hope, and charity.

What do I have to give?

 The enormity of the tasks which we seem to encounter in life can seem to beg the question why me and why now? There can be a feeling that we are overwhelmed by a tsunami of events that can flood over us which threaten to submerge us with their urgency. In the midst of this reality, we can look at what we have to offer and feel that we are unprepared and under-resourced by what is to hand. Our prayer can be focussed on the externals which seem to attract our attention rather than reflecting on who we are called to be and become.

The Our Father often contains the important request that we receive our daily bread. That which is enough for us to live on for this day. As we reflect on Elijah's conversation with the poor widow this is not just a generosity of physical resources but a generosity of heart to give the best of yourself for the moment. Similarly, Jesus' observation of the widow putting her money into the treasury is not an abandonment of responsibility but a profound trust that God will provide what is needed for the good of others.

I believe this is what challenges us on a daily basis which is to give the best of ourselves to the matters at hand. This is not just to give the impression of being generous but to allow our lives to become one of thanksgiving in whatever situation we find ourselves. Our prayer is not just about looking good but about becoming good.

So our prayer for this week reflects on who we are and what we have to offer for the good of our world. It is a profound shift that recognizes that all good things come from God and that we are called to live a life of thanksgiving. Just as we receive communion through our celebration of Eucharist we are called to share that communion with each other by the lives we live. We bear witness to how God is present this day and invites us to respond with faith, hope, and love.