To help readers deepen their experience of the Advent season, The Catholic Spirit is reprinting a series of reflections from Matthew Kelly’s book “Rediscover Advent,” published by Franciscan Media, www.franciscanmedia.org. The following reflection is for the fourth Sunday of Advent.
Scripture
- Isaiah 7:10–14
- Romans 1:1–7
- Matthew 1:18–24
“Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith — to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.”
Romans 16:25–27
Reflection
The authentic life begins with the simple desire to be who God created us to be and cooperate with God by playing the part he has designed for us in human history.
The adventure of salvation begins when we stop asking, “What’s in it for me?” and turn humbly to God in our hearts and ask, “How may I serve? What work do you wish for me to do with my life? What is your will for my life?”
Every generation turns its back on God in its own way. Our modern era has revolted violently against the idea of “God’s will.” Desperate to maintain the illusion of being in control of their lives, many modern Christians have either turned their backs on God or created a new spiritual rhetoric that allows them to determine selectively God’s will for their lives.
And, yet, it is the very surrendering of our own will to God’s designs that characterizes the whole Christian struggle. The spiritual life is primarily concerned with this single dynamic of turning our individual will over to God.
God doesn’t call you to live an authentic life in order to stifle or control you. He invites you to live an authentic life so that, from an infinite number of possibilities, you can become the best version of yourself. By calling you to live an authentic life, God is saying, “Be all I create you to be.”
— Matthew Kelly
Meditation
What is God’s will for me? What implications does this have for my life right now, and on my efforts to live an authentic life?
Prayer
The prayer for this week is based on Luke 1:34–35, 37–38: “The angel said to Mary, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.”
The birth of Jesus is near, and as we enter this final week of Advent, we reflect on the love of Christ through the experience of Mary, his mother.
Pray: “God of love, as I come to the end of this Advent season, my heart is ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I join with Mary in saying, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Nothing is impossible with you, O God.”
“Rediscover Advent” features reflections and meditations for every day of the Advent season and can be used by individuals as well as groups. To order the book, visit www.franciscanmedia.org, click on “online catalog” and type “Rediscover Advent” in the search box.
