Weekly Reflections

CCAS Administrative Assistant 12/23/25 CCAS Administrative Assistant 12/23/25

Feast of the Holy Family

December 28, 2025

What it means to be family.

First Reading: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
For the Lord sets a father in honor over his children and confirms a mother’s authority over her sons. Those who honor their father atone for sins; they store up riches who respect their mother. Those who honor their father will have joy in their own children, and when they pray they are heard. Those who respect their father will live a long life; those who obey the Lord honor their mother. My son, be steadfast in honoring your father; do not grieve him as long as he lives. Even if his mind fails, be considerate of him; do not revile him because you are in your prime. Kindness to a father will not be forgotten; it will serve as a sin offering—it will take lasting root.

Second Reading: Colossians 3: 12-21
My son, be steadfast in honoring your father; do not grieve him as long as he lives. Even if his mind fails, be considerate of him; do not revile him because you are in your prime. Kindness to a father will not be forgotten; it will serve as a sin offering—it will take lasting root. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet d might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazorean.”

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

First Impressions - Feast of the Holy Family by Jude Siciliano, O.P.
Sirach 3:2-7,12-14; Psalm 128: 1-5; Colossians 3: 12-21; Matt 2: 13-15,19-23

In light of today’s Scriptures, I would not use this occasion to speak of the Holy Family as a model of perfection or suggest that we simply imitate them. We must avoid sentimentality. This “holy family” is on the run, its life threatened – particularly the life of the innocent child. While our sanctuary still holds tranquil Christmas mangers, the quiet, romantic image can mislead us. A week after Christmas, the child must be cared for in exile. In Egypt, the family becomes a refugee family. This passage invites reflection on the contemporary reality of family life in our own country: the vulnerable must be protected; many live in exile or under threat, facing powerful forces. In particular, many poor families are under siege. Let us first look at the reading itself and then consider a contemporary reflection. Matthew’s Gospel presents a deliberate echo of the Exodus. The chosen people were once exiles in Egypt, led out by Moses. Matthew portrays Jesus as the New Moses, leading his people out of Egypt – or, metaphorically, out of whatever exile (sin, oppression, alienation) we find ourselves in. From the beginning, Matthew emphasizes that God is actively delivering the people. And it is a “people” whom God delivers – we are saved in community. God enters our human situation, even accompanying us into places where we feel “away from home.” This is a story of a poor, indistinguishable family facing the power of forces beyond their control. In taking this family into exile, God stands in solidarity with all the poor and displaced. As the year ends with a focus on the family, perhaps the new year will help us become more “family conscious” and “family friendly.” Perhaps we will see ourselves as a community, connected to one another through our parent God. This awareness calls us to care especially forthe most vulnerable members of the human family. To mark the tenth anniversary of their pastoral letter, Economic Justice for All, the bishops issued a new message. They acknowledged that we have a remarkably strong and creative economy, yet too little of its growth reaches everyone. They described three “nations” or “families” living side by side: The prospering, who drive the new information economy and are doing well economically. The squeezed, whose real income is declining, leaving them uncertain about providing for their children. The discouraged and despairing, a underclass whose children grow up in deep poverty. The bishops remind us that we are called to be a people of faith, not competing classes; brothers and sisters, not economic statistics. Today’s feast brings this lesson home: the newborn Savior was born away from home and had to flee into exile. This feast sensitizes us to the families among us who live in exile today. The bishops saw the parish as an ideal place to promote the common good and contribute to a more just and compassionate world. They encouraged participation in public life, fostering respect for the dignity of every person. Parishes educate the faithful about Church teaching, their responsibilities, and the need to measure public policy against Gospel values. They call for speaking out with courage, skill, and concern on public issues affecting human rights, social justice, and the life of the Church. One guiding principle underlies all this: the “call to family and community.” Pope Leo has written about migrants, noting that migration is part of the history of God’s people (as in the flight of Mary and Joseph), and that the Church “has always recognized in migrants a living presence of the Lord.” In his apostolic exhortation Dilexi te (“I Have LovedYou”). “The Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking. Where the world sees threats, she sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges. She knows that her proclamation of the Gospel is credible only when it is translated into gestures of closeness and welcome. And she knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

And over all these put-on love, that is, the bond of perfection. —Colossians 3: 14

On this, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I thought I would write about Cathedral being part of the HFH Catholic Coalition consisting of seven area parishes: St. Andrew (Apex), St. Francis, St. Joseph, St. Luke, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Raphael, and HNOJ Cathedral. 2025 marked the 16th project that HFHCC has participated in building in order to help families buy new, safe homes. Our Coalition team is made up of a diverse group of parishioners that are both skilled and unskilled. All are full of the spirit of our carpenter Lord and there is lots of camaraderie on site.n“Family” is much more than just the family who will receive the home. Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope. But without realizing it, Habitat also provides a way for God’s family to come together in love and in the common cause of simple decent housing for our working poor brothers and sisters. Home ownership would be simply out of reach for this economic part of God’s family. And, in truth, home ownership is even more out of reach today than it was when the Coalition started in 2010. There is an introduction to an old book called Leaves of Gold that I would like to share: Civilization had its beginning around an open fire. Here, at its warmth, gathered the family group to find safety, comfort, and companionship. If you trace the origin of the word “fireplace,” you will find it definitely related to the Latin word, ‘focus.’ There is the explanation of what home has always meant; for home is the center of life—no mere residence of the body but the axis of the heart; the place where affections develop themselves, where children love and learn, where a family toils together to make life a blessing.” On this Feast Day of the Holy Family, as we gather around the fires of our families and friends, let us thank God for our shelter and for giving us the opportunity through Habitat for Humanity to help shelter others—to create a home, to be a blessing, to put on love. To join in the ministry of Habitat for Humanity here at HNOJ Cathedral, contact Walt Milowic, our parish coordinator, at socialconcern@hnojnc.org.

Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From Colossians reading: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

Reflection: This passage calls us to live as God’s chosen people, marked by holiness and love. It reminds us that our relationships are a reflection of God’s grace: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are not optional but the way we embody Christ in the world. Forgiveness is at the heart of this calling – just as the Lord has forgiven us, we are invited to forgive others, letting go of grudges and healing wounds.

So, we ask ourselves:
1. In what ways can I show more compassion, kindness, or patience to those around me this week?
2. Are there relationships in my life where forgiveness is needed? How can I take a step toward it?
3. How does remembering that I am “holy and beloved” change the way I treat others?

Reflection on Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Inspiration from 2025-12-28 Daily Prayer

Almost nothing has gone as the Holy Family might have expected. First, having to uproot themselves from Bethlehem, they find themselves forced to travel to Egypt to escape the murderous tactics of King Herod, and even after his death, it seemed safest to travel northwards to the little village of Nazareth. We can visualise their plight and are reminded of it by the many migrants who find themselves in equally hazardous conditions today, with nowhere safe to lay their heads, and in need of the support, care and guidance of those around them to stay afloat. Just after the wonders and signs of the visit of the Magi, Joseph is ready to move on. I pray that I may be able to relish inspiration wherever I find it, hope yet always remain poised to act. Joseph, Mary and Jesus lived the lives of exiles. I pray for all who are away from home at this time because of political conditions and think of the exiles I encounter. When I read this passage where is my mind and heart drawn? Is it to the fragility of the child, the Word of God, under threat of extinction? Is it the solid, reliability of Joseph in the father’s role? God’s inspiration coming in remarkable ways? God has something for me here. What is it?

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, we know so little of your life as a child. Help us to understand that your family had challenges, just like any normal family. Help us to make our own families a place of love, joy, and refuge.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

Commentary on Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Colossians 3:12-21; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

After Christmas, we traditionally celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. In some respects, it was very modern in being just a one-child family. We may be inclined to think that, with three such good people, life must have been very easy for them. But if we are to take the Incarnation seriously, there is no reason to believe that this family—living the lifestyle of a rural village in those times—did not have its share of hardships over the years. In addition, there is the record of the child being lost for three days in a large and strange city. Imagine the anxiety of the parents in such a situation. Later, the mother will see her son become famous and then the object of great hostility. She will see him abused, arrested, tried, sentenced, scourged, crowned with thorns and finally die like a common criminal with two criminals before jeering crowds. Few mothers have to go through anything like that kind of experience.

Families in trouble: Today, in celebrating the Holy Family, we ask God’s blessings on our own families. It is cliché to say that family life today is in trouble. And it is a self-perpetuating problem. Sadly, children from dysfunctional families themselves may be more likely to set up equally dysfunctional families. Never having experienced good family life, how can they themselves establish a good family? And it seems that very few couples go through any real formation process in becoming husband and wife and parents. Yet the skills needed do not come naturally—or easily.

Family and church: Jesus said that: …where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. (Matt 18:20) This should be true of every Christian family. The Catholic family is the basic Christian community, through which Christ is present and reveals himself in this world. It has been called the domestic church. Christian families not only belong to the Church, but their lifestyle is also a living out of the Christian vision: the vision of unconditional love in a truly sharing community. Family life is not meant to be lived in isolation. The world around it is not just there for its benefit. It should be united with, supporting and supported by the other families in the parish community and with the wider Church. The mission of the family is identical to that of the whole Church: to give tangible witness to the vision of Christ for the world.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow:

Reflection Questions:

Has there been a time in my life when I was impatient with my father or mother?

What happends in families when children, as they grow older, disagree with their parents?
How do we do this with respect?

What does Sirach say about dealing with elderly parents?
What does society seem to say about dealing with elderly parents?

How does the letter of Paul echo some of the sentiments in Sirach?

Do you disagree with any of the phrases in the letter to the Colossians?

What line in this letter is the greates challenge for you?

Is my family a conventional one, or does it have a different configuration?
Do I understand that families come in all shapes and sizes?
Have I ever dismissed certain families because they look “different”?

Do we often forget how scary it was for Mary and Joseph to have this baby and almost immediately have to flee for their lives?

Do we see in this flight to Egypt echoes of the Jewish exile in Egypt?

Do I realize that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were undocumented immigrants?

Do you wonder how long they were there andhow they supported themselves while in Egypt?

Does this story seem to say that when the family returned from Egypt they went to a new town where no relatives lived?

Have you ever moved to a new town where you knew no one?
How dfficult and lonely-making was it a first?

Have you ever moved to an entirely different country for a time ot forever?
What were the challenges?

Does this gospel passage remind us of the way our country should be treating those who come to our shores because they are fleeing persecution, poverty, or other issues?
What do I think of our country’s policies on immigration?
What do I think of our country’s handling of undocumented peoples?
Who do I think Jesus would advocate for in this time?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Dear Lord, sometimes we romanticize your little family and forget the challenges and, yes, the disagreements you might have faced. Let us look to your example of resilience and patience as we live together with our own families. Help us to be patient with those we love.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session…Rise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.

Meditations:

A Meditation in he Domnican Style/Asking Questions: I re-read this gospel, and reflect on what this family must have been like. How, for example, did Joseph feel about bringing up a child who was not really his? How did Mary feel about sharing her life with a man who was not the father of her child? What do I consider a “normal “ family? Do I tend to romanticize my own family dynamic and denigrate the families of others as being imperfect, or “not a real family”? Do I have opinions about the relationships of others? Are they negative opinions? Do I freely share them? I pray to be free of negative jugements about other families and how they treat one another or how they interact with society. On the other hand, do I often wish I were not a member of the family (or certain members of same) that I am stuck with? I pray for wisdom to see my family as it is, imperfect, but still a family. I pray for patience with the most annoying family member, and for energy to deal with the most needy family member. And finally I pray to be a better member of the family I find myself part of.

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action: Here are some family activites (pinched from an unknown website) which might serve to create more awareness of the sacredness of family:

Prayer & Reflection:
- Family Prayer: Say prayers like the Rosary or the Litany to the Holy Family.
- Renew Vows: Parents can renew their marriage vows privately.
- Scripture: Read about the Holy Family or Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical on marriage.

Family bonding and Service:
- Storytelling: Share family stories that are part of the family “culture”.
- Recall a favorite family experience growing up.
- Share family history. With each parent describing his/her father, mother, siblings, and any challenges the family had.
- Share how each family celebrated Christmas, any ethnic traditions your family celebrated.
- Special Meal: Cook favorite dishes that y our family shared while you were young. Create your current favorite family dish.
- Game Night: Play cooperative board games.
- Acts of Service: Visit the elderly, volunteer at a food pantry, or do a local service project.

POETIC REFLECTIONS

Because this is our last set of reflections until the new year, I have decided to share with you two Christmas poems based on the Gospel of Matthew, which is the only infancy narrative which includes Herod and the Wise Men. The poets are Ranier Marie Rilke and Wiliam Everson (a Dominican lay brother also known as Brother Atnoninus).

Legend by Ranier Marie Rilke
Once long ago when at the desert’s edge
a Lord’s hand spread open –
as if a fruit should deep in summer
proclaim its seed –
there was a miracle: across
vast distances a constellation formed
out of three kings and a star.
Three kings from On-the-Way
and the star Everywhere,
who all pushed on (just think !))
to the right a Rex and the left a Rex
toward a silent stall.
What was there that they didn’t bring
to the stall of Bethlehem!
Each step clanked out ahead of them,
as the one who rode the sable horse
sat plush and velvet-snug.
And the one who walked upon his right
was like some man of gold,
and the one who sauntered on his left
with sling and swing
and jang and jing
from a round silver thing
that hung swaying inside rings,
began to smoke deep blue.
Then the star Everywhere laughed so strangely over them,
and ran ahead and found the stall and said to Mary:
I am bringing here an errantry
made up of many strangers.
Three kings with ancient might
heavy with gold and topaz
and dark, dim, and heathenish, -
but don’t you be afraid.
They have all three at home
twelve daughters, not one son,
so they’ll ask for the use of yours
as sunshine for their heaven’s blue
and comfort for their throne.
Yet don’t straightaway believe: merely
some sparkle-prince and heathen-sheik
is to be your young son’s lot.
Consider: the road is long.
They’ve wandered far, like herdsmen,
and meanwhile their ripe empire falls
into the lap of Lord knows whom.
and while here, warmly like westwind,
the ox snorts into their ear,
they are perhaps already destitute
and headless, for all they know.
So with your smile cast light
on that confusion which they are,
and turn your countenance
toward dawning with your child:
there in blue lines lies
what each one left for you:
Emeralda and Rubinien
and the Valley of Turquoise.

The Wise - a Christmas Poem by William Everson (aka Brother Antoninus, O.P.)
Miles across the turbulent kingdoms
They came for it, but that was nothing,
That was the least. Drunk with vision,
Rain stringing in the ragged beards,
When a beast lamed, they caught up another
And goaded west.
For the time was on them.

Once, as it may, in the life of a man,
Once, as it was, in the life of mankind,
All is corrected. And their years of pursuit,
Raw-eyed reading the wrong texts,
Charting the doubtful calculations,
Those nights knotted with thought,
When dawn held off, and the rooster
Rattled the leaves with his blind assertion---
All that, they regarded, under the Sign,

No longer as search but as preparation.
For when the mark was made, they saw it.
Nor stopped to reckon the fallible years,
But rejoiced and followed,
And are called “wise”, who learned that Truth,
When sought and at last seen,
Is never found. It is given.

And they brought their camels
Breakneck into that village,
And flung themselves down in the dung and dirt of that place,
And kissed that ground, and the tears
Ran on their faces, where the rain had.

CCAS Administrative Assistant 12/15/25 CCAS Administrative Assistant 12/15/25

Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 21, 2025

Do not be afraid, God has a plan for each of us.

Matthew 1:18-24

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means “God is with us”. When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

First Impressions - 4th Sunday of Advent by Jude Sicilano, O.P.
Isaiah 7: 10-14; Psalm 24; Romans 1: 1-7; Matthew 1: 18-24

“The virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel.” This well-known verse from Isaiah captures the heart of our Advent hope. It was first spoken in a time of political fear and instability – circumstances not unlike our own. King Ahaz faced powerful enemies and the threat of invasion. The prophet Isaiah urged him to trust in God’s protection rather than in military alliances. But Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, unwilling to rely on God. Still, God gave one: “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son.” The child was to be a sign of God’s enduring faithfulness – a reminder that God is with us even in distress. Over time, this promise took on a deeper meaning. As Matthew’s Gospel tells us today, its ultimate fulfillment came in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary: God-with-us in the flesh. As we draw close to Christmas, Isaiah’s prophecy calls us to the same trust. Like Ahaz, we may be tempted to rely on our own strength or worldly solutions. Yet God invites us to lean instead on divine presence, even when we cannot fully understand. In Jesus, our Emmanuel, God comes quietly and humbly through Mary’s faith and the Spirit’s power. Advent is a season of turning – a time to receive “Emmanuel, God-with-us,” here and now. We may not see this presence in grand displays, but in quiet assurances: in prayer, in community, and especially in the Eucharist. As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, we also welcome him into the ordinary moments of our lives. Isaiah’s challenge to Ahaz was to trust that God would not abandon the people. Centuries later, Joseph faced his own moment of fear and uncertainty when he learned that Mary was with child. Like Ahaz, he could have chosen self-protection. But unlike Ahaz, Joseph trusted. He listened to the angel’s message that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would save his people from their sins. Through Joseph’s obedience, the Word became flesh – Emmanuel truly entered our world. The readings from Isaiah and Matthew reveal the contrast between hesitation and trust. Ahaz refuses the sign; Joseph receives it. Advent invites us to open our hearts in faith, trusting that God is with us – not only in the warmth and lights of Christmas, but also in times of uncertainty and hardship. In this final week of Advent, let us make room – in our hearts, homes, and plans – for Emmanuel’s quiet coming. The same God who entered the world through Mary’s “yes” and Joseph’s obedience still desires to be born anew in us. When we say “yes” to God’s will, we too become signs of divine presence, living witnesses that God is truly with us. Isaiah’s message to Ahaz came in an age of fear and division. Our world too is filled with anxiety – wars that displace millions, violence in our cities, political and social strife, families under strain, and a planet in distress. Like Ahaz, we are tempted to seek security in power, wealth, or control. Yet God offers us another sign – not one of strength, but of vulnerability: a child, born of a woman whose very name means “God is with us.” Emmanuel is born anew whenever we choose compassion over cynicism, forgiveness over resentment, peace over division. He is with us when we sit beside the sick, welcome the displaced, stand up for justice, and offer kindness in a world that often forgets it.

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. —Romans 1:7

Has the noise of the consumer bandwagon, endless Christmas music, and merrymaking overwhelmed these last few days of Advent? There were times when my children were small that I thought I could never get a moment’s silence in the midst of so much Christmas activity and, I have to say, I found wonder in those precious days. Yet, I realized that if I was to prepare my own heart for the presence of the Lord, silence, solitude and self-gift were necessary ingredients to a richer understanding of the coming of the Lord. Our late Pope Francis once said, “The most beautiful gift we can receive is our encounter with Jesus… We meet Jesus in the sacraments, but we also meet Him when we do good deeds, when we visit the sick, when we help the poor, when we think of others, when we are not selfish…” (Vatican Radio via Missio app 12/1/13) The Church’s tradition of encouraging everyone to create time for waiting, watching, wondering, and welcome in these four weeks of Advent make this period one of the most spiritual. As you light your fourth Advent candle, invite others into the stillness. Breathe in the peace and calm. Let go of all distractions. Picture a world where even the impoverished person has their needs and hopes met and they can be who they were created to be. Imagine yourself as God’s instrument to help someone less fortunate in this Jubilee Year of Hope. Then, say this prayer:

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for sustaining me on my Advent journey as I go forth to welcome the One who is to come within me.
When the discouraged cry for hope, it makes me hope.
When the hungry cry for bread, it makes me bread.
When the thirsty cry for water, make me water.
When the suffering cry for help, it makes me help.
When the sick cry for healing, it makes me healing.
When the bound cry for freedom, it makes me freedom.
When the outcasts cry for love, they make me love.
This Advent transform me anew,
and so keep me close to you,
as you transform the world. Amen.
(adapted from Our Current Prayer | CRS)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Have a blessed Christmas and may you receive the most beautiful gift of encountering Jesus.

From today’s Isaiah reading: “Therefore, the Lord will give you this sign; the virgin shall conceive and bear a son.”

Reflection: As we draw close to Christmas, Isaiah’s prophecy calls us trust. Like Ahaz, we may be tempted to rely on our own strength. or worldly solutions. Yet God invites us to lean instead on divine presence, even when we cannot fully understand. In Jesus, our Emmanuel, God comes quietly and humbly through Mary’s faith and the Spirit’s power.

So, we ask ourselves:
1. What fears, or uncertainties, make it difficult for me to trust God’s promise?
2. How do I recognize the signs of “Emanuel’ – God-with-us,” in my daily life?
3. How can I, like Mary, offer my own “yes” to God’s will as Christmas approaches?

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

OPENING PRAYER

God of surprises, keep us open to your plans for us, keep us remembering that you hold us close to your heart. Teach us resilience and patience as we live out the lives you have planned for us.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

By Fr. Paul Gallagher, from “First Impressions” 2004

The understanding of marriage in Mathew’s community is much different than that of most people of western cultures. In the Mediterranean culture of Jesus’ day, marriages were arranged in an effort to strengthen the bonds between families. Both sets of parents hoped that the marriage would enhance the political and economic situation of the family. They understood marriage as a bringing together of families, not individuals. Also, betrothal was not like engagement. It was the first step in the families’ accepting the marriage contract. The contract was completed when the man took the woman into his house. Even though a couple was betrothed they had very little contact with each other. To terminate the relationship required a formal decree of divorce. This gospel text relates the events of Mary’s pregnancy from Joseph’s view. He is portrayed as a man of great compassion who desires to do the right thing. In the first verse Matthew tells his audience that Mary is pregnant through the work of the Holy Spirit, a fact that Joseph learns through a dream. Because Mary is pregnant, and Joseph is not the father, Joseph and his family are publicly embarrassed. Mary is presumed to have committed adultery and should be stoned to death. Even if Joseph would want to avoid public embarrassment for his and Mary’s family, and proceed with the proposed marriage, he cannot. A child is considered the property of the father. He cannot, in good conscience, receive/take the property of another and make it his own. The law required Joseph to return Mary to her father and expose her to death. By divorcing her quietly, he creates the possibility of the father of the child to come forward, accept the child, and marry Mary. It may help to remember that Joseph would have very little personal relationship with Mary at this point and is likely making his decisions void of the opportunity of significant communication with Mary. His decisions are extraordinary expressions of both compassion for Mary and trust in God.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

Reflection Questions:

The following are also from Father Paul Gallagher, following his commentary on the readings for 4 Advent A, 2004.

Can you recall times in your life when you have been seriously disappointed in another person?
Can you remember how you were feeling toward that other person?
How did the situation affect your relationship with that person?

Have you known people who seem to be aware of God “calling” or “giving direction” to their life?
Do you have a sense of how God seemed to be speaking to that person?
How would you describe the quality of their life?

Joseph seems to have been asked to act in a way that was outside of what was expected of him as a faithful follower of his tradition. What kind of person would Joseph have been to be open to the course of action that God was asking of him?

Do you think that this story reveals a “one-time experience” of how God chose to come into our world or a “pattern” of how God chooses to break into our world?

Have you ever thought God was calling you to respond to a situation in ways that stretched you beyond what you thought were reasonable?
How did you become conscious of God’s call to you?

Do you think that your response to God’s call in your life is as important to God as Joseph’s?

What leap of faith are youfaced with thwt actually causes you some fear? (new job, new school, new relationship, new career, actually staying in any other the above situations)

Is it wrong the feel afraid?

What events/situations in our contemporary culture or my personal situation are a cause of legitimate fear?

Was Jesus ever afraid, do you think?
What does Jesus’ life/death tell us about courage in the face of fear?

Am I afraid of God? Why or why not?

What does Jesus’ birth tell us about God’s concern for humanity?

The name Emmanu-el is Hebrew for “God-with-us.” How did Jesus demonstrate this truth of his “name”?

Harking back to this bible passage, which is told from Joseph’s point of view, what do you think about Joseph’s fears concerning this whole enterprise?
Were they legitimate?
Did Joseph know something we wouldn’t in the same circumstances, and if not, what does that tell you about his quiet courage?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Dear Lord, during this Christmas season, especially, be with those who are lonely, sad, ill, or who are dealing with circumstances beyond their control. Give them the comfort inspired by a little baby, born so long ago, who brought the love of God into this world and hope for all who face uncertainty.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid.

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination: The references to Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, in the Gospels, is to say the least, underwhelming. In the gospel of Matthew, he shows up in chapter one, and is gone in chapter 2, never to appear by name in this gospel again. However, the bulk of today’s story focuses on Joseph, and the story of Jesus’ conception from his point of view. Using our imagination, let us put ourselves in Joseph’s shoes as this dramatic story is playing out: What is your profession; is it a lucrative one? Do you already have a home? How old are you? How religiously observant are you? Are you quiet or somewhat dynamic as a person? Are you a local person and did you know Mary and her family before this betrothal? What did you think of her? Is she mature for her age? Beautiful? Quiet or lively? Assertive or meek? What made you decide to marry her—or was it a family decision? Where and how will you live as a family? Do you want children? How did you find out that Mary was already pregnant and you knew the baby was definitely not yours? Did she tell you? Did her father? Her mother? Town gossip? Were you angry? Sad? Confused? All of the above? Did you decide not to stay betrothed to her? Why? What did you think would be the best solution for all concerned? Why, in fact, were you concerned about her in the first place? What would her fate be if you repudiated her and her baby? Then imagine the dream… How real did you think the angel was, or was it merely an overactive and anxious brain? Construct the dialogue between yourself and this “dream messenger.” In any event, what convinced you that God’s will was for you to take Mary into your home and treat her as your wife permanently? Did you think there will be repercussions? (This is a very traditional and strict society, and people can count, can’t they?) Now imagine the very awkward conversation with Mary as you let her know what you decided to do. (Obviously, Mary did not get a vote in the final decision.) Were you afraid of the consequences of this decision? How does your trust in God’s plan keep you strong, or does it? What we learn is that “God is with us,” is no guarantee of easy sailing, even for the saints. Their faith/trust wavered at times, just like ours does. Think of a situation in which you have been called upon to risk your reputation, your security or your happiness because God might be calling you to take a leap of faith. Pray for courage in the face of fear, wisdom in the face of anxiety, and trust in the face of uncertainty…

POETIC REFLECTIONS

Advent  (On A Theme by Dietrich Bonhoeffer) by Pamela Cranston

Look how long
the weary world waited,
 locked in its lonely cell,
guilty as a prisoner.
As you can imagine,
it sang and whistled in the dark.
 It hoped. It paced and puttered about,
tidying its little piles of inconsequence.
It wept from the weight of ennui, 
draped like shackles on its wrists.
It raged and wailed against the walls
of its own plight.
But there was nothing
 the world could do
to find its own freedom.
 The door was shut tight.
It could only be opened
from the outside.
Who could believe the latch
would be turned by a pink flower
— the tiny hand
of a newborn baby?

On the Mystery of the Incarnation by Denise Levertov

It’s when we face for a moment
the worst our kind can do,
and shudder to know the taint in our own selves, that awe
cracks the mind’s shell and enters the heart: 
not to a flower, not to a dolphin,
to no innocent form
but to this creature vainly sure
it and no other is god-like, God
(out of compassion for our ugly
failure to evolve) entrusts,
as guest, as brother,
the Word.

Adult Advent Announcement by David A. Redding

O Lord,
Let Advent begin again
In us,
Not merely in commercials;
For that first Christmas was not
Simply for children,
But for the
Wise and the strong.
It was
Crowded around that cradle,
With kings kneeling.
Speak to us
Who seek an adult seat this year.
Help us to realize,
As we fill stockings,
Christmas is mainly
For the old folks —
Bent backs
And tired eyes
Need relief and light
A little more.
No wonder
It was grown-ups
Who were the first
To notice
Such a star.

CCAS Administrative Assistant 12/8/25 CCAS Administrative Assistant 12/8/25

Third Sunday of Advent

December 14, 2025

What kind of Messiah are you waiting for?

Matthew 11:2-11

Now John had heard in prison what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” Jesus answered, “Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, those suffering from virulent skin-diseases are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the good news is proclaimed to the poor; and blessed is anyone who does not find me a cause of falling.” As the men were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John, “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says: Look, I am going to send my messenger in front of you to prepare your way before you. “In truth I tell you, of all the children born to women, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.”

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

First Impressions - 3rd Sunday of Advent by Jude Siciliano, OP
Isaiah 35: 1-6a, 10; Psalm 146; James 5: 7-10; Matthew 11: 2-11

The opening line of James’ letter today certainly sets an Advent tone. “Be patient brothers and sisters until the coming of the Lord.” We often speak of Advent as a time that requires patience and waiting. But it is not a passive waiting, merely putting up with the trials life presents to us in our society. James gives us the image of a farmer who waits for the “precious fruit of the earth,” trusting that time, patience and God’s providence will bring growth. He reminds us at this Advent time to live in faith in what is unseen, “not yet.” He is inviting us to trust that time and God’s providence will bring growth. Patience is not easy during testing times. Testing might be as we struggle with personal issues in our families, local community and diminished health. The bad news in our world of national and international strife can also test our patience. Advent patience is active as we, in James’ imagery, tend the soil of our hearts through prayer, repentance and compassion. We are like the farmer and must do as much as we can to prepare. But we are reminded that we are not in control and must surrender the outcome to God’s timing. The good news, James tells us is, that “the Lord is near.” That nearness gives us strength as we wait in a “not-yet world.” We are tempted and can grow discouraged. Indeed, James reminds us, God is with us as we wait and already at work in the hidden places: in quiet conversations, small acts of mercy, the early signs of light present even before sunrise. Have we noticed? He also cautions us not to grumble against one another. In our waiting we might grow impatient with God which can spill over to impatience with one another. Advent invites us to be gentle to see others who are like us, pilgrims on the road to redemption. In today’s gospel we meet John the Baptist in prison, sending his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” This is a poignant moment in the gospel. John was the fiery prophet who had proclaimed the coming of the Messiah. Jesus had come, but he doesn’t seem to be what John expected. John sounds like he is wrestling uncertainty; might even be wondering if he had gotten God’s message right. He lives in a state we know as well: between promise and fulfillment; between what has begun in Christ and what we still await and hope. John voices our own questions in Advent when we ask, “Lord, where are you? Are you really present at this time in our world?” The world is in deep pain, spiritual and as well as physical. The delay in God’s promises being fulfilled can cause us to wonder if God and the kingdom are really near. That is our Advent question and besides raising the question we are also invited to listen to Jesus’ gentle reply. Here is the answer Jesus gives to John’s disciples about himself. “The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” Jesus does not argue or explain. He points to what’s happening: healing mercy and transformation. Aren’t those signs of God’s kingdom? Advent faith invites us to look for those same signs. They may be small and hidden, or right before our eyes, hard to miss. These signs announce to us to God’s saving power is still at work among us. Do we not see? How can we participate in them? We note the beatitude in today’s gospel, “Blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” This is an Advent challenge because God’s ways can surprise or unsettle us. We can’t stumble when Christ comes to us in a form we do not expect in the poor, and suffering, in the slow process of grace. Faith means trusting that even when we do not see everything clearly, God’s promises being fulfilled. John the Baptist is a reminder to us that even the prophet of fiery conviction struggles to understand how God is working. Like him, we too may wonder: where is God’s kingdom? Why does it seem delayed when the world needs it to come in its fullness?Today is the third Sunday of Advent, also called “Gaudete Sunday.” It is customary to light the third candle in our Advent wreath, the “Rose candle.” With its lighting we are reminded that joy grows in patient faith, the kind of trust that even when the world seems dark, God’s light is already dawning.”

[Here is a short prayer to accompany the reflection on Matthew 11:2–11 for the 3 rd Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)]

Advent Prayer

Lord Jesus,
you are the One who was promised,
the light that dawns in our darkness,
the joy that quiets our fears.
When we grow weary or impatient in waiting,
help us to see the signs of your presence all around us —
in kindness shared, in mercy given, in hope renewed.
Give us the faith of John the Baptist,
who sought you even in his uncertainty,
and the courage to point others toward your coming.
As we rejoice this Advent,
strengthen our hearts with your peace,
and make us ready to welcome you —
now and when you come in glory.
Amen.

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom.— Isaiah 35:1

“Rejoice!” I say, “Rejoice!” The third Sunday of Advent, so called from the first word of the Introit at Mass (Gaudete, i.e. Rejoice), calls upon the faithful to worship with joy, “The Lord who is now nigh and close at hand.” While our attitude during Advent is one of anticipation and preparation, this Sunday’s liturgy symbolizes that joy and gladness in the promised redemption /salvation should never be absent from the heart of the faithful. Many Christians have reduced “salvation” to assurance of a blessed afterlife with God. However, if we look at biblical words translated as “salvation,” we find that they convey meanings of healing, wholeness, and right relationships. The human person can act on these three meanings of salvation. As Isaiah points out, salvation begins on this earth. One of the best ways we can make a difference and bring about a bit of salvation is to advocate on behalf of the poor and the earth against unjust situations. Here are some avenues:

1. Justice for Immigrants: JFI’s primary objectives are to educate the public, especially the Catholic community, about Church teaching on migration and immigrants; to work for positive immigration reform articulated by the bishops; and to organize Catholic networks to assist qualified immigrants obtain the benefits of the reforms. Contact Luisa Martin-Price.

2. The Reflecting Pool: A contemplative group that studies and reflects on the subject of racial justice with the hope of action toward a more equitable world. We meet once a month remotely by Teams. Lauren Green, Master Catechist, is the facilitator.

3. Laudato Si’ Circle: A group that meets monthly by Zoom to pray, reflect, and act on how to live out being stewards of God’s creation. Parishioner Monica Kleimeyer, a Laudato Si’ Animator, facilitates the group.

4. NC Catholics Caring for our Common Home: (N4CH) is building a network of Catholics across our diocese that want to unite in hearing and responding to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth through an integral ecological lens. Come join any of the above at socialconcern@hnojnc.org

As you light the third Advent candle, reflect on what you can do to heal, to bring to wholeness, and to create right relationships. Then, rejoice in the God who is coming to be with us and who saves us by showing us how to live.

From today’s Letter of St. James: “You must be patient. Make your hearts firm because the coming of the Lord is near”.

Reflection: James gives us the image of a farmer who waits for the “precious fruit of the earth,” trusting that time, patience and God’s providence will bring growth. He reminds us at this Advent time to live in faith in what is unseen, “not yet.” He is inviting us to trust that time and God’s providence will bring growth.

So, we ask ourselves:
Where in my life am I being called to wait with faith rather than anxiety?
How can I “make my heart firm” through prayer, or service, during this Advent season?
In what way can I practice gentleness and patience with others as I prepare for the Lord’s coming.

Commentary on Isaiah 35:1-6; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11 From Living Space, A service of the Irish Jesuits

Today used to be called “Gaudete Sunday” from the first word of the Entrance Song in Latin. Gaudete means “Rejoice!” Formerly, Advent was a much stricter penitential season. At this earlier time in the Church, there was fast and abstinence for three days of this week. This was known as “Quarter Tense” because it occurred four times in the year. However, this Sunday was intended to be a relaxing break reminding us of the celebrations soon to come. As a symbol of this, the penitential violet of the vestments are softened to a kind of pink or rose colour. There is a similar Sunday in the middle of Lent. On the one hand, a penitential mood is an appropriate way to prepare ourselves to welcome the coming of the Lord. And, though we may not have fasting, many parishes will organise Penitential Services with the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the days leading up to Christmas. At the same time, it is difficult not to feel some excitement as we anticipate the celebration of Jesus’ coming among us.

Full of joy — So, the Mass text and readings today are full of joy, especially the Entrance Song, the Opening Prayer and the First Reading from Isaiah. The cry of the Entrance Antiphon is: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Phil 4:4) And why? Because: The Lord is near! (Phil 4:5) The Opening Prayer asks that we: …who look forward to the birthday of Christ, experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. In the First Reading, the prophet goes overboard with excitement and enthusiasm: The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom…and rejoice with joy and shouting. And the reason for all this? They shall see the glory of the Lord,the majesty of our God. And is it just a matter of being able to see him? No, because: …your God….He will come and save you. Salvation means bringing healing, wholeness and holiness as we become closely united to him. This healing, wholeness and holiness is depicted graphically: …the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. These words, as we will see below, will be applied explicitly to Jesus, who brought this healing and wholeness into so many people’s lives. However, we should not confine this healing only to the physical. It will also include healing on the emotional, social and spiritual levels. We are not made whole until harmony and well-being flows through our whole self.

The One who is to come — All this is closely linked to today’s Gospel. We find ourselves, in Matthew’s Gospel, at the mid-point in Jesus’ ministry. John the Baptist had already been arrested. He had accused King Herod of doing something immoral, i.e. marrying his brother’s wife while his brother was still living. While in prison, John hears about Jesus and sends some of his disciples with a question: Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another? Whether John really wanted to know, or whether it was really for the benefit of his disciples is not clear. After all, John had already proclaimed Jesus at the River Jordan, and said he was not worthy to unloose the thongs of Jesus’ sandals. “The one who is to come” is, of course, the long-expected Messiah. How does Jesus answer? As so often happens, he does not respond directly to the question, but quotes the prophet Isaiah using the passage which is our First Reading for today: Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news [gospel] brought to them. This exactly describes what Jesus has been doing. It also exactly conforms to what Isaiah said about the time of the Messiah. Jesus in effect is saying “Yes, I am the one who is to come. I am the Messiah, the Christ, the Saviour King of Israel.”

Still waiting — While the Gospel speaks of the Messiah already here, we at this very time are, in a sense, still waiting in anticipation. Jesus, of course, is already present and working through his Body, the Christian community: the Church. But he still has to come more fully into our own lives. As the Opening Prayer suggests, we need to “experience the joy of salvation,” that power of healing and wholeness which Jesus can bring into our lives. This is something each one of us has to do, and what we as a community also have to do. I feel that there are still many, including Christians, who have not yet experienced the deep joy of becoming whole in Christ. For most of us, the transformation into becoming “another Christ” takes time. We need the advice of James in the Second Reading: Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. And James says: The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.

One of the greatest — John the Baptist is presented by Jesus as one of the greatest persons ever born. Yet, he missed the privilege of being born into the age of Christ, a privilege that has been made available to us. We could do well to emulate John in preparing ourselves for Jesus to become really part of our lives. John was strong, he was a man of integrity. He was not one of the rich and famous, he was no pop star, all sound and no substance. He would never have been a glamorous public icon. Yet many people went out to hear him, to be challenged by him, to have their lives radically changed by his words. Actually, our Christian vocation is similar to his. We are called to prepare the way for Jesus to come into our own hearts, and also to prepare other people’s hearts so that they, too, may “experience the joy of salvation,” that healing, wholeness and holiness we all long for, and which alone gives real meaning to our lives. Christmas is a time of gifts, both giving and receiving. Let us make sure that among the gifts we offer to others is some of the Christian joy which we ourselves have received.

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

OPENING PRAYER

Jesus, we talk of your coming, of your coming again. But you have never really gone away. You have been with humanity since the beginning of time, have been with us throughout history, and are with us now and forever. Help us to remember that and live in the “now” of your presence, and help us to live truly in your presence, modeling our very lives after the humility and selflessness, the forgiveness and compassion which was your true self.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From “ First Impressions” a preaching service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Boy, a lot has changed in the life of John the Baptist since last Sunday’s gospel! He has been center stage for us these two middle weeks of Advent. Last week he was out in the desert, the fiery preacher and precursor for Jesus. Remember his warning about “the one who is coming” after him, the one who would have a winnowing fan in his hand to clear out all the chaff from the threshing floor and burn it in unquenchable fire? Well, that was then, in chapter 3 — this is now — in chapter 11. A lot has happened since John’s earlier preaching. Jesus has taken up his ministry of preaching and healing and John has been arrested for speaking out against Herod’s marrying Herodias, the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother. Now John is in prison and he sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” What happened to that sure-fired preacher we met earlier? He seemed pretty sure he knew what God had in mind and what the one to come would be like. Initially John was quite taken by Jesus and when Jesus came to him to be baptized in the Jordan, John demurred, “I should be baptized by you, yet you come to me!” (Mt. 3: 14) We sense, in the question John sends through his disciples to Jesus, that John is disappointed or confused in how his successor Jesus is following the game plan John initiated. Why was it taking Jesus so long to purge the world? Where was the judgement on the world and the fire for the chaff John promised in last Sunday’s gospel? Why didn’t the religious leaders embrace Jesus? Others would have been disappointed as well. Jesus wasn’t pulling the country together along nationalistic lines, wasn’t organizing the people to fight for their freedom from the Romans. Sometimes when people go through a life-changing religious experience and they come to a deeper and more personal experience of Jesus in their lives, the initial moments are quite rosy. (Many people, when they recall their childhood faith, also have similar memories of a time when they felt they had stronger faith because they questioned less.) After a major faith awakening there is a sense of illumination, daily life takes on new meaning and having a sense of Jesus ready and present to their prayers gives a great feeling of companionship. But as life goes on, that sense of immediacy often fades, especially in the harsh light of the daily grind or at moments when we are jarred out of our routine by the harsh realities of life. Where, we ask, is Jesus now that we need him? Why isn’t he helping us solve our current problem? Isn’t our faith in him supposed to protect us from the difficulties we are now facing? Were we wrong to have put so much trust in him at the start? Faith doesn’t take the shape we think it should—or rather, if today’s gospel is any indication–Jesus doesn’t always fit our preconceptions. Besides the personal issues Christians face there are larger ones we face as a community of believers. Where is Jesus’ power in the world these days when we are experiencing so many manifestations of darker powers? What difference are we making to bring about a world of peace? Do our individual and communal efforts at reconciliation make any difference? So, we may find ourselves asking at worship today the question John raises, “Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?” Are we being asked to trust this Advent that God is really at work in our lives, though in often less obvious or “impressive” ways? “Lead us not into temptation...” we will pray today before we receive the eucharist. Is our temptation to be disappointed in God’s pace, timing and manner of response to our urgent prayers? What answer will Jesus send back to allay John’s doubts and reinforce his faith in prison? Jesus doesn’t impatiently dismiss the emissaries from John--- and that was good news for John and comforting to us as well. We are not ignored in our faith struggles to understand who Jesus is for us at this stage of our journey. Jesus does respond to the question John sends, though at first, it seems indirect. Wouldn’t a simple “yes” or “no” have been appropriate to such an urgent question? Instead Jesus refers to Isaiah 35: 5-6 (“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing.”) and 61: 1 (“God has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken hearted.”) John would certainly be familiar with the prophet Isaiah’s description of the one God would send. Guided by the Jesus’ Isaiah reference, John would also have learned that Jesus was going to put aside the more militaristic messianic anticipations some of the people had and was going to be the kind of gentle messiah the prophet Isaiah had anticipated. However, Jesus did not give a thundering response to John’s question, did not draw down lighting or cause the Jordan to stop flowing to reassure John’s doubts. That would have coerced faith. Instead, John like us, was invited to draw his own conclusions and then decide whether to put faith in Jesus. John was urged to see God at work in Jesus’ reaching out to those in most need, bringing healing to the sick, forgiveness to sinners and preaching good news to all who had come to hear him. Jesus was God’s sure sign that God had heard the cry of the people and had come to address them definitively! Let’s not overly spiritualize Jesus’ statements to John’s disciples about the blind, lame, lepers, deaf and poor. They are very real among us, their numbers grow daily in the economic downturn our world is experiencing and the loss of jobs due to the terrorists’ attacks. (“Food for Survival,” one of New York City’s major food pantries just made a report that one million people, one out of eight New Yorkers rely on the city’s food pantries to help them fight hunger. NY Times, December 2, 2001) Jesus really did help the forgotten and those in need. His actions on their behalf were a proof to John that God was working through him, for they were the ones God has always shown concern for and considered precious. Though forgotten by a world distracted by war, possessions, fashion, glamor and high tech, the poor are noticed by God. Jesus is the undeniable proof.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

Reflection Questions:

What do you think is meant by the coming of Jesus into our lives?
What changes will happen?
Will you like those changes, or are you happy with the world as it is for you personally right now?

By my words and actions do people around me experience Jesus in their lives?

When have I recognized Jesus in someone who needed my help?

Am I proclaiming “good news” to the poor?
Do I encounter the poor in my life?
Do I even see the poor in my life?

In this gospel passage, John’s plans have changed and his life has taken a turn for the worse; still he has hope… For what do I hope, right here, right now?

Am I waiting for Jesus to make the blind see, the lame walk, those suffering from diseases cured, the deaf hear, the dead raised to life, and to bring good news to the poor?
Just who are the blind, the deaf, the lame, the suffering in my life?
What help or even comfort am I bringing to them?

John expected a “fire and brimstone” Jesus; instead he got a Jesus of compassion and forgiveness.
What kind of Jesus is our culture looking for?
What kind of Jesus am I looking for?

Advent is really not about waiting for the Baby Jesus to be born; the historical Jesus has come and gone. So what are we waiting for?
Are we sitting back and waiting for God to fix the messy world we inhabit?
If not God, who?

Advent clashes with the Christmas shopping season; how can we be more true to Advent with a better use of our resources, both personal and environmental?

Do we really believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan?
Does this give us hope or cause a shiver of apprehension?

The world of John the Baptist and of Jesus was a mess, especially for the Jewish people. The rich were few but powerful, and exploited the poor. Poverty was rife, as were disease and problems caused by that poverty. The Romans were constantly rattling their sabers at the Jewish people, threatening their sovereignty and their very existence as a people. What messes are we facing as a people or individually in our own lives at this time?
Where do we find hope?

Jesus tells his disciples to go and see John in prison and tell him what they have heard and seen about Him (Jesus).
Are there peoples whom we need to tell about Jesus?
What are some of their particular prisons?
What do we say about Jesus to these peoples?

What brings the presence of Christ to us today?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for. From Karl Rahner: Behold, you come. And your coming is neither past nor future, but the present, which has only to reach its fulfillment. Now it is the one single hour of your Advent, at the end of which we too shall have found out that you have really come. O God who is to come, grant me the grace to live, now, in the hour of your Advent, in such a way that I may merit to live in you forever, in the blissful hour of your eternity.

WEEKLY MEMORIZATION

Taken from the gospel for today’s session: What did you go out to the desert to see?

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:
Imagine that you are John the Baptist, the prophet who convinced people to change their hearts in advance of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. Now you are in prison, put there by Herod who feared your popularity among the Jewish people, (After all HE is king, and any popular figure is seen as a threat) Look around you: what is this prison like? Is it hot and stuffy or cold and damp? Is it clean or filthy? What do they feed you? How do the guards treat you? Sitting in your cell, you look back on your life, trying to piece together how you got here in the first place. So you reminisce: What was your childhood like? When did you realize that you had a special calling from God? Why did you go out into the desert and live as you did? What was with the clothes and the locusts and wild honey? Remember what it was like at the river Jordan when people came in droves to hear you preach and to be baptized. Try to imagine the arrival of the Pharisees and Sadducees on the scene. How did they react when you called them out for assuming they were special because they were descended from Abraham? Do you remember when you called them a brood of vipers? Did you seek out confrontation, or did confrontation seek you out? Jesus was all grown up and just beginning His ministry when he approached you that day by the River Jordan. When you hesitated to baptize Jesus, and when He insisted that you do so because it was what “uprightness” demanded, were you still a little reluctant to do so? Did you hear the voice from heaven calling Jesus God’s beloved, or was it only Jesus who heard? If you heard the voice of God, why, now that you are in prison, do you have such concern about what people told you that Jesus was doing and saying that you send some of you own disciples to talk to Jesus himself? Was it frustrating to be locked up and away from any ability to interact with Jesus directly? Specifically, does His message seem a little too “soft” on repentance and a little long on compassion for your taste? Do you ever hear back from your disciples? If so, what do you think about what they told you upon their return? Do you agree with what Jesus said about you? Just how DO you view Jesus? Now project yourself into our time and place where we can only know about Jesus from what others have told us. Does what I have heard give me hope? In what way am I called to advance the message of Jesus as John did? What sacrifices might Ï be called upon to make to advance the coming of the Kingdom of God?

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:
Jesus had a mission, but He is gone. Now it is our turn. Our mission, particularly this week, is to carry on the mission of Jesus. And while we cannot, perhaps, bring sight to the blind, help the lame walk, cure any lepers, restore hearing to the deaf, or raise the dead, we CAN in some way, by some concrete action, proclaim good news to those poor among us. How? We can donate money, food or clothing to a homeless shelter, we can give to Catholic Relief services, we can visit someone who is ill, or, or….

POETIC REFLECTIONS

Sparks
he late Stanford poet Denise Levertov ponders two approaches to the coming of the kingdom. Which do you prefer?

In today’s mail a poem
quotes from Ecclesiastes:
Whatsoever thy hand
findeth to do, do it with thy might:
for there is no work,
nor device,
nor knowledge,
nor wisdom,
in the grave, whither thou goest.
A letter with it
discloses, in its words and between them,
a life opening, fearful, fearless,
thousand-eyed, a field
of sparks that move swiftly
in darkness, to and from
a center. He is beginning
to live.
The threat
of world’s end is the old threat.
“Prepare
for the world to come as thou shouldst
die tomorrow” says
the Book of Delight,
and:
“Prepare for this world as thou
shouldst live forever.”

Advent Calendar by Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury
Is the poet speaking of the first coming or the second coming?

He will come like last leaf’s fall.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.
He will come like the frost.
One morning when the shrinking earth
opens on mist, to find itself
arrested in the net
of alien, sword-set beauty.
He will come like dark.
One evening when the bursting red
December sun draws up the sheet
and penny-masks its eye to yield
the star-snowed fields of sky.
He will come, will come
will come like crying in the night,
like blood, like breaking,
as the earth writhes to toss him free.
He will come like child.

By Judy Chicago
What is my part in creating “a new Eden?”

And then all that has divided us will merge 
And then compassion will be wedded to power 
And then softness will come to a world that is harsh and unkind
And then both men and women will be gentle 
And then no person will be subject to another’s will 
And then all will be rich and free and varied 
And then the greed of some will give way to the needs of many
And then all will share equally in the Earth’s abundance 
And then all will care for the sick and the weak and the old
And then all will nourish the young 
And then all will cherish life’s creatures 
And then all will live in harmony with each other and the Earth
And then everywhere will be called Eden once again.

Gaudete by Brad Reynolds, S.J.
This is called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means rejoice. Here is a wonderful poem for the season.

Gaudete
Because some people love you
Because of chocolate
Because pain does not last forever
Because Santa Claus is coming.
Gaudete
Because of laughter
Because there really are angels
Because your fingers fit your hands
Because forgiveness is yours for the asking
Because of children
Because of parents.
Gaudete
Because the blind see.
And the lame walk.
Gaudete
Because lepers are clean
And the deaf hear.
Gaudete
Because the dead will live again
And there is good news for the poor.
Gaudete
Because of Christmas
Because of Jesus
You rejoice.

CCAS Administrative Assistant 12/1/25 CCAS Administrative Assistant 12/1/25

Second Sunday of Advent

December 7, 2025

How do we prepare our hearts for Christ?

Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea *[and] saying, “Repent, * for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: “A voice of one crying out in the desert,‘ Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees * coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

First Impressions - 2nd Sunday of Advent by Jude Siciliano, OP
Isaiah 11: 1-10; Psalm 72; Romans 15: 4-9; Matthew 3: 1-12

Our passage from Isaiah today is one of the most beloved readings of Advent. It is rich in hope and promise, portraying the coming of a new king from David’s line: “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse.” Isaiah’s image of a stump might well describe the condition of our world today. The news this morning reported that 30,000 women and children have been killed in Gaza, and 1.2 million Gazans have become refugees. The “stump” could also describe some part of our own lives – the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, declining health, a broken relationship. A stump is something cut down, lifeless, and seemingly beyond renewal. Israel must have appeared like such a stump to the prophet. Her monarchy had failed, and her people were in exile. Yet Isaiah speaks of a new shoot springing forth, symbolizing God’s power to bring life out of ruin. Could God really do that for Israel? It did not seem possible. Can God bring forth a new shoot from the “stump” of our lives? That is the Advent hope. We wait for God to bring new life into a weary world – and into our own hearts – even in situations that seem hopeless. God has made a promise, and God is a Promise Keeper. The prophet reminds us that the new ruler will not judge by appearances – the usual measure of the world – but with righteousness, defending the poor and striking down oppression. Ours is not a passive waiting, but a longing for the day when all will live in God’s truth and love. In Advent, the Church becomes both a sign and an instrument of that hope. Advent is a season of waiting – but not idle waiting. Isaiah’s vision of the shoot springing from the stump of Jesse reminds us that God is always at work, even when life feels barren. Isaiah sees new life pushing through hard, dry ground. He promises that from Israel’s failed kingship, God will raise a new kind of king – one filled with the Spirit, ruling with justice, compassion, and peace. In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist cries out in the wilderness, calling people to prepare the way of the Lord: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He demands an immediate response. We must change to make room for God’s justice. John is like a gardener turning the soil so that the new shoot Isaiah saw can grow. The shoot of Jesse grows quietly, but it transforms everything. God’s reign begins in small acts of repentance, mercy, and reconciliation – in the places where we allow the Spirit, who dwells within us, to soften the hardened ground of our hearts. “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love.” Advent is a season of hope – not the shallow kind that merely wishes things would get better, but a deep and quiet trust that God is working even when we cannot see how. We live in a world, both large and personal, that often feels like a field of stumps – war, animosity, moral confusion, and personal loss. These can leave us disheartened. Picture an Advent banner in the sanctuary reading: “God has not finished with us yet.” From what looks barren, God can raise new life. Can you hear the familiar voice calling to us this Second Sunday of Advent? It is John the Baptist: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight God’s paths.” His cry is urgent and hopeful, reminding us that God’s coming is not far off or abstract. It is near – very near. But for God’s new life to take root, something must change within us. Advent is not merely a time for decorations and shopping. As good as those things may be, they can also distract us from what truly matters. We must clear away the clutter of our hearts, focus, and make room for Christ to enter. Notice where we find John today – in the wilderness. In Scripture, the wilderness is the place where God speaks to a wandering people: freed from slavery, yet unsure where they are going. It is there that they learn to depend on God day by day. The wilderness strips away false securities and distractions, teaching the heart to listen.

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. — Matthew 3: 10
There is no doubt that the prophets could be harsh in their proclamations. In his words above, the prophet John the Baptist leaves no room for gray areas. So, while it is understood that salvation always comes from God, God does expect and await human cooperation. As we see in today’s readings, Matthew underscores the human role in bringing about a world ruled by divine values. One of the documents of the Second Vatican Council is the “Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People.” This document calls for the laity to exercise their cooperation as agents of God’s saving grace and help create a new human community of justice based on right relationships with God, with other humans, and with the material world. The document states: Lay people, sharing in the priestly, prophetical and kingly office of Christ, play their part in the mission of the whole people of God in the church and in the world. In the concrete, their apostolate is exercised when they work to evangelize people and make them holy; it is exercised, too, when they endeavor to have the Gospel spirit permeate and improve the temporal order, going about it in a way that bears clear witness to Christ and helps forward the salvation of humanity (2). Echoing the words of John of the Baptist in a kinder fashion, the document states. . .members who fail to do their best to promote the growth of the body must be considered unhelpful both to the church and to themselves (2). As you light the second Advent candle, reflect a moment on what the world would look like if we all participated in bringing about God’s vision of a just world. In the broad strokes of an artist’s brush, people would work together to meet the needs of all, the physical world would function as a peaceful unity, and all kinds of artificially created boundaries would dissolve. On the lines below, write down one brush stroke that you could do as a visible act to help in the creation of a just world. Producing a work of art takes many brush strokes. Producing a good crop of fruit takes a community working together. Producing a better world takes living our faith to a whole new level. Prepare this Advent to give the gift of yourself.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE SESSION
Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, the world is such a mess, as it was when you first entered it. Help us to see beyond the chaos and despair of a broken world, a fractured political climate in our country, a sometimes divided church and our frequently divided hearts. Help us to find your presence, ever faithful, steering the barque of humanity into a safe harbor. Help us to pick up an oar and row with you towards the shores of eternal life.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

Spoiler alert: John the Baptist was not heralding the coming of Jesus into the world; he was heralding the coming of Jesus into His public ministry. Advent is less about anticipating the birth of Jesus and more about anticipating the birth of the Kingdom on earth through Jesus.

Adapted from “First Impressions”, a service of the southern Dominican Province, 2013: Why would anyone want to go through the trouble of going out into the desert to hear a preacher tell them to “Shape up” The desert is uncomfortable in itself, but John the Baptist adds a “squirm factor” to the venture. Instead of welcoming his admirers and inviting them to sit and make themselves comfortable, his first words are, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!” Aren’t the days leading up to Christmas supposed to be a time for lights, cheery music, buying for loved ones and parties? What we forget is that Advent is not necessarily about awaiting the birth of the baby Jesus; in fact, when John is preaching, Jesus is about 30 years old, and the early Church picked this reading to remind people to pare down their lives and make way for the coming reign of God. But John’s voice rings out to us now as then. John calls us to examine our lives, rethink our priorities, reorient our dreams and longings. With that visitation about to happen “one is coming after me” we will want to put our house in order. The material things we worry about buying or receiving will not focus our eyes and ears to see and hear the promised One when he enters our lives anew this time. John isn’t preaching in a big city, or at the seat of power in Jerusalem. He’s out on the fringe. Those in the center, Jerusalem (and the people under its sway in Judea) are leaving homes, jobs and their communities to come out to hear him. They are leaving their comfort zones to move out to the edges to hear the Word of God. Advent is our chance to make space in our lives; to leave our center of comfort and scheduled routines and search out a listening place to hear what God has to say to us. In a recent document, “Evangelii Gaudium” (the “Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis wrote, “I do not want a church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures.” Advent encourages us to simplify, calm down and listen. What we will hear is the “old story” of the prophets’ promise of restoration. John is another prophet who has gone out to the wilderness to encourage us to stand on tip toes of expectation, anticipating a deep-down renewal by the One, John says, who will wash us with the Holy Spirit and fire. It’s not just about what God began to do a long time ago out in the Judean desert. John’s messages is for now; it is in the present tense. He is preparing the way for our God. If we are stuck in a present condition of apathy or routine, then we experience our need for a savior. That’s what John is promising us, one who can fire us up and renew our spirits by baptizing us anew with the Holy Spirit. Advent is not about purifying and making ourselves worthy. It’s about a trust that Christ is coming to make a dwelling place in us. What encourages us and helps us is our recalling Isaiah’s promise and its coming to fulfillment in Christ. During a season of revelry and toasting let’s mention the unmentionable -- fasting and prayer; waiting and keeping an interior silence so we can be nourished by the Advent scriptures. The cheer and fasting will come at Christmas. For a while, at least, put the TV on mute when the pitches for Christmas shopping pop up. Look away from the screen and voice a silent prayer of longing and trust, “Come Jesus, come.” Advent calls us to repentance --- that’s step one. Then, we examine our lives to see if we are producing the good fruits of the kingdom Jesus came to proclaim. Paul spells out just some of the good fruit required of Jesus’ new community: “harmony with one another” and glorifying God “with one accord.” That’s Paul’s wish for the Christian community in Rome. He hopes such a community will bear witness to Christ among the Gentiles. We hope that the witness of our Church community will draw others, as John the Baptist did, away from their centers of comfort to join us as we hear the Word of God and are nourished at the table of life.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

Reflection Questions:

What is the meaning the term “repent” if it is not only to seek forgiveness for your sins? (hint: the root meaning of the word is “re-think”) How can you re-pent in Advent?

What is the difference between the actual coming of Christ two thousand years ago and the coming of the cosmic Christ?

Is there a disconnect between our run-up to Christmas and the message of Advent?
How do we bridge that gap?
In what ways does John the Baptist speak to our situation today?

What do we think is a baptism of spirit and fire?
Has it ever occurred in our history?

Have you known anyone who has come to a place in their life where they experienced a need to make a significant change in the way they were living their life?
Was there an event that signaled/marked that person’s decision?

How is public expression of repentance different from a private acknowledgment of personal sinfulness? What do you think would happen in your church community if every year even a few people would take on the role of sincerely publicly acknowledging their repentance for the past and publicly commit to changing the way they lived their life?

Have you ever felt the love of another so deeply that you wanted to change your life?

What part of our lives needs a renewing and warming gift of divine fire?

Am I praying to the Holy Spirit to come into my life this Advent?

Do I believe God wants to make a home in me?

Can you remember a time when you felt a deep desire to have God come into your life?
Would a public act of penance have been authentic?

What do you think it would feel like to be that caught up in God’s love for you that you want to change the way you lived your life?

Has there ever been in a time in your life when you felt that you were unworthy of God’s love and trust for you?

At this time in history, most people looked upon the Pharisees and Sadducees with great respect. Why would they be coming to John?
What do you think John saw in them that caused him to treat them with such disdain?

How does this text ask you to think about your preparation for Christmas?

In what ways do you want to reform your life? What in your life needs to be improved to prepare for the coming of Christ?

Have there been any “desert places” in the landscape of your memory?
How were you affected by them?
What did you learn?

CLOSING PRAYER

Repent! Is John’s message. I must sort my priorities and change my life; I must change my life. Am I ready to do this? Lord, help me to change what I need to change to prepare for your coming. Jesus, I have many faults. I can’t see my way to getting rid of them all. But at least let me become more tolerant of the faults of others!

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session….Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:
While advent leads up to the Christmas season, it is not about waiting for Christ to be born; it is about making a place for Jesus in our own hearts here and now. It is about being open to the coming of the cosmic Christ, and preparing ourselves to account for the way we are living our lives. What do I have to do in order to be open to this message from God?

Let go of my personal notions of religious propriety by which I judge others
Let go of past hurts and bad memories
Let go of bad habits or actions of mine
Keep my eyes open to unusual people and places through which God chooses to break into my life
Find a place apart from daily life to quiet down and listen

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Prayer of Consideration:
Read Psalm 51, then make the following “examen of conscience”:
Thank God for all the Lord has done in and for you and all humankind.
Ask God to enlighten your mind to see your sins and help you to live without them.
Ask yourself what you have said or left unsaid; what you have done or left undone.
Examine your day perhaps with a little system, by time periods, or places, or some other method.
Identify anything you do not approve of according to your own conscience, and turn to God, asking forgiveness.
Look forward and decide how you will act tomorrow, provided God gives you that gift.
End with the Our Father
-Adapted from Tetlow: Choosing Christ in the World.

Poetic Reflection: How does the poet Mary Oliver capture our need to get ready for the coming of Christ? What is the role of compassion, of hope and joy in all of this preparation?

Making the House Ready for the Lord

Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but
still nothing is as shining as it should be
for you. Under the sink, for example, is an
uproar of mice—it is the season of their
many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves
and through the walls the squirrels
have gnawed their ragged entrances—but it is the season
when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And
the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard
while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;
what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling
in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly
up the path, to the door. And still I believe you will
come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox,
the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know
that really I am speaking to you whenever I say,
as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in.

Poetic Reflection: This is another way of looking at our time on earth and the need to reassessing our priorities.

Blessèd sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain, spirit
of the garden,
Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Even among these rocks,
Our peace in His will
And even among these rocks
Sister, mother
And spirit of the river, spirit of the sea,
Suffer me not to be separated
And let my cry come unto Thee.
-T.S. Eliot. (1927)

CCAS Administrative Assistant 11/24/25 CCAS Administrative Assistant 11/24/25

First Sunday of Advent

November 30, 2025

We do not know the time of Jesus’ return, we must be prepared, and we must continue to HOPE.

Matthew 24:37-44

As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept them all away. This is what it will be like when the Son of man comes. Then of two men in the fields, one is taken, one left; of two women grinding at the mill, one is taken, one left. So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

First Impressions — 1st Sunday of Advent, Year A by Jude Siciliano

Isaiah 2: 1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13: 11-14; Matthew 24: 37-44

The passage from Isaiah today is beautiful – filled with love and hope. It sets the right tone for us as we enter the Advent season. In these days of struggle and division, Isaiah presents a vision that lifts our hearts in hope, despite our personal and worldly challenges. In his prophetic vision, Isaiah invites us to look beyond conflict to a world where peace and unity reign: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another.” This is what happens when God’s word takes root in our hearts – we turn from fear, anger, and prejudice toward compassion, reconciliation, and service. Though the fullness of God’s kingdom is not yet realized, Isaiah urges us to begin walking that path now: “Let us climb the Lord’s mountain to the house of the God of Jacob.” He invites us to live today in the light of the peace God promises. Each small act of understanding, each gesture of forgiveness, is already a step into that divine light: “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” Isaiah’s words are fitting for this first Sunday of Advent. He reminds us that Advent is a time of waiting and expectation – not a passive waiting, but an active and hopeful one. God desires that our lives be united, peaceful, and rooted in divine wisdom. Hearing Isaiah’s message, we long for – and begin even now to live – his vision. “In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.” Isaiah points to the coming of God’s kingdom – a kingdom that began with Christ’s first coming and will be fulfilled when he returns. During Advent, we renew our commitment to live the kingdom life Jesus taught us and to wait for his peace to reign fully. The prophet calls us to “beat swords into plowshares.” Advent challenges us to prepare for Christ’s coming not merely through external observances, but through inner conversion – transforming whatever is harmful or divisive into something that nurtures life. Christ came to bring long-promised peace and calls us to become signs of that peace now. Each week we will light another candle on our Advent wreath – a small sign of Christ’s light growing stronger as his coming draws near. Though we wait in darkness, we are not without light. We can name the darkness in our world and in our hearts, but we also recognize the light of Christ already guiding us—step by step, Sunday by Sunday – until his light fills the world and no shadows remain. Isaiah’s grand vision may seem at odds with Jesus’ words in Matthew, where he warns that the coming of the Son of Man will be sudden, as in the days of Noah, when people were unaware of what was coming. Isaiah’s message is full of serene hope; Matthew gives a sharp warning. Yet, they complement each other. Isaiah shows us what we are waiting for – God’s reign of peace and justice when hearts are converted and creation is healed. Matthew shows us how to wait – with alertness, readiness, and faithfulness in our ordinary lives. Jesus says that in Noah’s day people missed God’s signs because they were absorbed in daily life – eating, drinking, marrying. There is nothing wrong with those things, but amid the humdrum, we must keep our hearts awake to God. Advent calls us to do just that – to live ordinary lives with extraordinary awareness. Advent is not a season of anxious waiting, but of awakened living. If we want Isaiah’s vision of a world transformed by God’s peace, that transformation must begin within us. We prepare for Christ’s coming not by wistful gazing at the heavens, but by living each day with love, mercy, and attentiveness – walking in the light God provides, especially in our Advent Eucharists, in Scripture, and in our conversations with one another. Here is a prayer for Advent. I’m sorry I do not know the source.

Loving God, you call us in this holy season to wake from our sleep and walk in your light. You promised peace for our world and hope for our hearts. As we begin our Advent journey turn our eyes toward your coming and make us ready to welcome you in every moment of grace.

Blessing: May the God of hope fill us with peace as we await God’s coming. May God’s light guide our steps and God’s love make us one in faith and service.

Quotable

Let in the cold,
Let in the wet,
Let in the loneliness,
Let in the quick,
Let in the dead,
Let in the unpeopled skies...
Fearful is my virgin heart
And frail my virgin form,
And must I then take pity on the raging of the storm
That rose up from the great abyss
Before the earth was made,
That pours the stars in cataracts
And shakes this violent world?
Let in the fire,
Let in the power,
Let in the invading might...
Let in the wound,
Let in the pain,
Let in your child tonight.

—Kathleen Raine, “Northumbrian Sequence” COLLECTED POEMS, 1935-1980 (London: Allen and Unwin, 1981, 36-37)

Justice Bulletin Board

You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. —Romans 13:11

Advent brings with it the spirit of watchfulness, a time of observing God’s in-breaking salvation. Are you preparing a place for God in your life in a more visible and tangible way? Are you ready to wake up and join in? If you listen to the nightly news, the world seems hopeless. Yet, we are called to be a people of hope and Advent is a time of preparation. We prepare because we have hope in God’s love and grace at work quietly in the world. At our Door Ministry, we strive to give the people who come to see us a sense of hope. One parishioner said to me that our pledge of $200 doesn’t seem like much to help a person behind on rents that average between $1200-2200. I always think to myself, God hasn’t abandoned this person, why should our parish? We are a parish that offers hope. I have deep gratitude for all of you that contribute to the Door Ministry. You make a difference in many lives. It is like that with all our social justice ministries here at Cathedral. If you aren’t participating in an outreach ministry, maybe this Advent would be a good time to explore where you could use your God-given talents and love to help the less fortunate. Prepare now to give the gift of yourself. As you light the first Advent candle, reflect on your need to wake up to God’s hopes for you, to be the one God created you to be, to be hope to others. Lord, sustain us on our Advent journey as we go forth to welcome the One who is to come.
Cathedral Ministries Acts & Words of Hope:
— Angel Share Tree—provide joy at Christmas
— Catholic Parish Outreach—food, clothing for infants to toddlers, assistance in warehouse
— Crafters for Christ—share your talent for making items
— Door Ministry—financial donations, light-colored hoodies in L and XL
— Habitat for Humanity—build with us on Saturdays
— Helen Wright Center, Oak City Cares & Women’s Center—more cooks or bring supplies
— Justice for Immigrants—help with legal papers, advocacy
— Laudato Si Circle—come care for our common home
— Refugee Resettlement—help families already here in USA
— Share the Blessings & Farm of the Child—ministries that help outside the USA — Walking with Moms in Need—diapers, formula, baby equipment, more parishioners to accompany pregnant women

Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS — Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

From today’s Isaiah reading:
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks,
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.

Reflection: Peace is our prayer for ourselves, our families and our world. Isaiah calls us to a change of heart and a commitment to a new way of living. We pray with Isaiah today, asking God to fashion our hearts to the prophet’s words, so that we can put down whatever swords and spears we are carrying.

We want peace and so we ask ourselves:
What “swords and spears” do I carry into my daily life?
How can I refashion my words and actions to bring about the peace Isaiah envisions in my world?

Commentary on Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44

A new year in the Church’s calendar begins today. Happy new year to all! This period is appropriately called ‘Advent’. It comes from the Latin word adventus which simply means ‘coming’. But whose coming are we talking about? Obviously we are beginning to prepare to remember God’s coming to be a human being among us, with us and like us. And yet, although the Scripture for today does speak of the coming of God, it makes no mention of the coming of Christ as Christmas. Actually, at this time we can speak of three comings of God. The first is when Jesus, the Son of God came to be born in the stable at Bethlehem. But today’s Mass also speaks of the final coming of Jesus at the end of the world. And, there is still a third kind of coming we need to be aware of, namely, when God enters our lives every day. Every single experience can be an opportunity to make contact with God. And we are reminded of that ongoing contact with God especially in the celebration of the sacraments, including the Eucharist.

Preparing for the end: Today’s Mass actually says very little about the first coming of Jesus, i.e. his birth in Bethlehem. Rather, the Scripture readings emphasise our need to prepare for the final coming of Jesus, whether that means the end of the world as we know it, or the end of our own individual lives. The First Reading invites us to go with God. It says: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob…Of course, we know that for us, Jesus himself is the real “house [or temple] of God”. And because of that, the body of the Christian community united with Christ as its Head is also God’s Temple. And we go to him and with him:…that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. He will show us the way for us to follow on our pilgrimage through life, the way that will lead us to meet him on that last day on earth.

A Final Coming: The Second Reading and the Gospel emphasise that we must prepare for that final coming of Jesus, whatever form it is going to take. The first coming of Jesus in Bethlehem is to help us prepare for this final coming. We really need this warning. On the one hand, we do not like to think too much about how or when we will leave this world, but it is a fact. It is the one future fact of our lives of which we can be absolutely certain. There are people who are very afraid to die and who do not even want the subject raised. Today’s Scripture wants to remind us of the final purpose of our lives. Many of us are like the people mentioned in today’s Gospel: …in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away…These people were doing very ordinary things—exactly the same things that we do. But they were so busy doing them that they failed to give any thought to where their lives were ultimately leading, and what was the goal of those lives. They were very busy, just like us. Maybe they were very successful, maybe they made a lot of money, maybe they made wonderful marriages and had lots of exciting experiences. But in the end, they were not ready for the most important appointment of their lives. The question is: How ready am I right now? Maybe you think: “I don’t have to worry. I had my medical check-up the other day and the doctor said I have the heart of a teenager.” But how many end up as statistics on the death toll of our roads every year? For them, death is something which happens to other people, to old and sick people. We sometimes think that the busier we are, the better. We even like to say, “The devil finds work for idle hands to do.” We work for today, for tomorrow, for next month, for next year, for our future, for our children’s future. But what about our real future—our future with God? What preparations are we making for that future?

One taken, one left: So the Gospel today says: Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken, and one will be left. This could mean that one is taken away by a natural or personal disaster (an earthquake or a heart attack) and the other left untouched. Or it could mean that God takes one away to himself and is left abandoned the other. In either event, the basic meaning is the same. Two men and two women, on the outside apparently the same, doing the same work. And yet there is an important difference between them. One is prepared and one is not. Of course, in our daily lives we have to work, cook food, earn our living and take care of our families. But we must also prepare for the final call. That is the most basic reality of our lives. If we forget that, all our other success is actually failure. Let us remember the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was so busy about good things and concerned about taking care of others, but it was Mary who had “chosen the better part”, in touch with the centre of meaning, the Word made flesh. We do not know when the Lord will come: …if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. And in many ways, it is a blessing that we do not know the day nor the hour. On the one hand, if we did know, we could be filled with a terrible anxiety knowing what the final blow was going to be or, on the other hand, we would let our lives go completely to pot knowing that we could straighten everything out at the last minute. In either case, our world would become a terrible place in which to live. So it is a question of being ready for any eventuality: …for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

How to prepare: The obvious question to ask is, How are we to prepare? St. Paul today in the Second Reading has some advice: Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. There are dark areas in all of our lives—things we do, things we say, things we think, the indulging of our lower and self-centred appetites. There are things which we would not like other people to know about because they are quite wrongful. They do no good to me or to others. Instead, we need to develop our relations with God and with our brothers and sisters based on a caring and unconditional love for all. We need to learn how to find God, to find Jesus in every person, in every experience. We need to respect every person as the image of God. We are to love our neighbours as ourselves, to love everyone just as Jesus loves us. If in our words and actions, our daily lives are full of the spirit of Jesus, then we have prepared. We do not need to be anxious about the future or what will happen to us. Concentrate on today, on the present hour, the present situation and respond to it in truth and love and the future will take care of itself. Then we do not have to fear, no matter when Jesus makes his final call. Because we know he is going to say: “Come, my friend. I want to call you now; I want to share with you my life that never ends.” And we will respond: “Yes, Lord, I am ready. I have been waiting for you all this time.” It will be an encounter, not of strangers, but of two old friends.

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

OPENING PRAYER

Lord make me available to your daily appearances in my life. Help me to see that you are there in the people I meet, the situations I face. Help me to live fully in the present, with an eye to the future that comes to all of us. Help me to live in the eternal now. Help me to trust in you completely.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From “First Impressions” 2014, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

The Israelites in exile had no hope for their recovery and return to Israel. The Babylonian captivity lasted for about 50 years and, judging from their present situation, the exiles had no concrete reason to hope. Despite their sins “our guilt carries us away like the wind,” Israel’s prayer recalls that God created the people “You, Lord, are our father, our redeemer who are named forever” and how once God deemed them from slavery. The prayer articulates that neither the enslaved people, nor we, can save ourselves from our present situation. The present is a period of suffering for large populations around the globe. The world can’t get better on its own. We need divine intervention: we need Advent hope, we need the coming of Christ. We can’t merely “prepare for Christmas” without that help. We need and pray for an intervention by God. We need a Messiah. The gospel is sober and leaves little doubt that the master is returning to the house to assert his authority. This passage is part of a section called “the Little Apocalypse” i.e. a miniature “revealing.” The text sets up Advent for us. We are not yet expecting the birth of the little baby Jesus, but the coming of Jesus, the master, who unexpectedly breaks into our routine in the middle of the night when we may be dozing off, or fully asleep. Our usual routine is shattered when God enters our world. In our lives we may have placed too much security on what was close at hand and seemed secure. But our accustomed world can easily collapse, like the dollar in recession. Advent asks how secure is the ground we stand on? When God enters our lives our self-sufficiency will not be enough for us. Don’t we sense that our weary and battered world is not what God has in mind for us? God has plans to bring about another world through Jesus Christ. Those who are ready and awake will know when God comes and how to respond to God’s presence. Advent awakens us to realize we have invested our treasure in the wrong places and that world must end. The master, whom we serve, is coming to help us awaken from sleep so we can put aside our false world and rebuild our house on rock. “God is faithful.” Paul’s words will accompany us through any change or adjustment we must make in our lives. This is the God Isaiah evokes as he imagines us as clay to be formed by our God, “the potter,” and reminds us, “we are all the work of your hands.” Today’s selection from Mark is a gospel for hard times. This was certainly true for the community for whom Mark wrote. To name just a few problems the early Christian community faced: Jerusalem was destroyed in the year 70; Christians were persecuted by both religious and political authorities; the new faith had torn families apart; false prophets were predicting Christ’s imminent return. Who could blame these early Christians for asking, “Where is Jesus now that we need him? Has he forgotten us? When is he going to return?” These questions we modern believers might ask when the foundations of our world are shaken by death, divorce, catastrophic illness, a child on drugs, extended unemployment etc. Hearing today’s gospel would have strengthened the faithful undergoing hard times. As difficult as their days might have been the parable would have assured them that Jesus was going to return, and would put an end to their suffering. The admonition “Be watchful! Be alert!” would influence them each day. “Perhaps this is the day Jesus is returning.” That expectation and hope would strengthen them “in the meanwhile.” What about us, all these years later? In the developed world we may not be going through what the early Christian community did in Mark’s time. But some communities in the world and individuals among us, certainly are. So many Christians and people of goodwill are experiencing uprooting with the consequent confusion and pain. We pray with the many distressed of the world today. We cling to Advent hope and trust that God holds all people in loving hands. Nothing is outside God’s concern and God can come at any moment to help us. We have a lot that distracts us in daily life and can numb us to the pain of others. Following Jesus’ mandate to “Be watchful! Be alert!” helps us stay in touch with our faith in God’s love and alert to God’s intervention in our daily lives. Staying alert helps us grow spiritually. We grow in sensitivity to the pain of others when we begin to notice what grieves them. Our staying awake and attentive to the world around us can alert us to the already-arrived and still-coming of Christ. This season has us keep watchful for Christ’s future return. Still, Advent is very much a season of the present moment because God is already in our midst and continues to stay with us. When Advent has ended we will celebrate Christ’s taking flesh among us. In the meanwhile this Eucharist helps us prepare for Christ and, with the Word, can open our eyes and ears to his presence already among us.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

Reflection Questions:
Have you ever found yourself suddenly unprepared for something?
How did it feel?
How did it work out?
What did you learn?

Have you had an experience which made you stop and reflect on the priorities you have in your life?
Have you spent more time shaping your resume than shaping your soul?

How many of us, like the rich farmer in the gospel, live in denial and live as if our lives were forever on this earth?
Without getting lugubrious, how can we be sure that we are prepared to meet Jesus?

The world is crazy and depressing, as it was in the time of the early Church. What gives me hope?
How do I share that hope with others?

How can we “stay awake” in the present?
How can we avoid “sleepwalking” through life?
What is the role of prayer in helping us notice what is really important and frequently overlooked or ignored?

Christ has already come! how does that fact make Advent confusing for Christians?

Adapted from Walter Burghardt, S.J.: Advent is a time to remember, repent, and rehearse.
Remember: Do we remember God’s pivotal care for a people who walked in darkness? How is the world of today like the world Jesus entered 2025 years ago? How is it different?

Repent: Which actually means “change your mind --change your behavior—to rethink”. What do we in our current American society need to re-think and what changes must we make?

Rehearse: what are we as individuals and as a society going to look like when Jesus comes for us (singularly or as a group)? What preparations do we need to make and what behaviors must we mirror in order to be ready? How are you working now to make the world look like a place Jesus would want to be when He comes again?

From Father Paul Gallagher OFM:

All of creation seems to suggest that change and cycles of nature are at work all around us. Where are you most aware of those changes taking place? How do you feel about the changes that you are experiencing at this point in your life and in creation?

The historical, political and social events of the world were affecting how Matthew’s community understood their relationship to God. What are some of the events in your life, in the community, and the world that are affecting your understanding of your relationship to God and or the Church?

This gospel will be proclaimed all around the world next Sunday. How do you think people in different parts of the world will hear and react to this text? Can you think of places where they may hear this text very differently than you are hearing it?

How do you hear this gospel text? What do you think God is saying to you? How will you respond?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

From Sacred Space, 2017:

Dear Jesus, I can open my heart to you. I can tell you everything that troubles me. I know you care about all the concerns in my life. Teach me to live in the knowledge that you who care for me today will care for me tomorrow and all the days of my life.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session….You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

I read Luke 12:13-21 (The Foolish Rich Man), and set the scene of the story. What is the rich man’s house like? Does he have a family? How do they live? I picture the rich man storing up his grain and goods, and imagine the effort and length of time it takes. What does he say to himself when his tasks are completed? I imagine how he feels when he learns he is going to die that night. To what people or things am I attached? What have I done to hang on to those things? How would I feel if they were taken from me by fire, earthquake, or death? What does this tell me about attachments? Both the Dali Lama and Tony DeMello, S.J. say that our attachments bring no happiness; in fact, they are a source of unhappiness. Do I agree? Why or why not?

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

“The way I live should be the way I look when Christ comes for me” ( Walter Burghardt)

How Christ-like am I in where I am right now and in what I do; with people whose lives I touch?
How do I handle money, power, fame?
Whom do I need to forgive?
From whom do I need forgiveness?
How do I relate to Christ who is found in the 14% of US children who live in poverty?
How do I relate to Christ who is found in those seeking refuge and asylum in my wealthy country?
How do I relate to Christ who is found in the 50% of all elderly who love on $450 a week or less, and that includes medical expenses?
Do I really believe Christ has come?

A Meditation in the Franciscan style/Action:

From Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director, Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh,NC

“You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.” Romans 13:11

Advent brings with it the spirit of watchfulness, a time of observing God’s in-breaking salvation. Do you see God acting in quiet ways in the world? Are you preparing a place for God in your life in a more visible and tangible way? Are you ready to wake up and join in? If you listen to the nightly news, the world seems hopeless. Yet, we are called to be a people of hope and Advent is a time of preparation. We prepare because we have hope in God’s love and grace. At our Door Ministry, we strive to give the people who come to us a sense of hope. One parishioner said to me that our pledge of $100 doesn’t seem like much to help a person behind on today’s rents that are climbing. I always think to myself, God hasn’t abandoned this person, why should our parish? We are a parish that offers hope. I have deep gratitude for all of you that contribute to the Door Fund/Ministry. You make a difference in many lives. It is like that with all of our justice ministries here at Cathedral. If you aren’t participating in an outreach ministry, maybe this Advent would be a good time to explore where you could use your God-given talents and give the gift of yourself. As you light the first Advent candle, reflect on your need to wake up to God’s hopes for you; to be God’s hope to others. I ask myself what I am doing for those around me who are poor and struggling . I resolve this week to do at least one thing to bring God’s hope to someone else.

POETIC REFLECTIONS

While we all know that the world will end for us at some time or another, we often live as though this were not the case, until we can no longer do so. This cycle has been dubbed “denial, denial, denial, despair.” How does Wendell Berry capture our wish to deny our own demise?

Voices Late at Night

Until I have appeased the itch
To be a millionaire,
spare us, O Lord, and spare;
Don’t end the world until it has made me rich.

it ends in poverty

O Lord, until I come to fame,I
pray thee keep the peace;
Allay all strife, let rancor cease
Until my book may earn its due acclaim.

it ends in strife, unknown.

Since I have promised wealth to all
Bless our economy;
Preserve our incivility
and greed until votes are cast this fall.

Unknown, it ends in ruin.

Favor the world, Lord, with Thy love;
Spare us for what we’re not.
I fear They wrath, and Hell is hot;
Don’t blow Thy trumpet until I improve.

Words blaze; the trumpet sounds.

O Lord, despite our right and wrong,
let Thy daylight come down
Again on woods and field and town,
to be our daily bread and daily song.

It lives in bread and song.

—from Entries