Advent Reflections :: 2010

Reflection 26 – Christmas Day

Flickr user: bigoneep

REFLECT

Well, you made it safely through Advent and arrived at Christmas day. Well done

Hopefully your Advent was a useful one. Hopefully you used it to reflect, to pray, to do good things, and to prepare yourself for Christmas and hopefully is changed you in some way.

Our journey of daily reflections has come to an end now. Don’t worry, we’ll be back for Lent, but until then it is over to you…

You see, the Church gives us these special feasts and seasons of the year to give us a bit of a boost, but between these times it’s up to us to keep our faith going.

So the question today is what now?

very soon, you will be back to school (or work, college etc) and you will have to ask yourself whether the things we have thought about over the past few weeks were just random things confined to a particular season, or whether they actually matter all year round.

If Advent and Christmas have had an effect on you, what are you going to do about it? How are you going to let it affect your life?

PRAY

Loving Father,

I thank you for being such a kind and loving god that you sent your Son to live among us and I thank you for the richness of Advent and the joy of Christmas.

Help me to take the good things I have got from Advent and Christmas and to make them real in my life all year round. Help me to enter into the lives of others with love and kindness, just as you entered into ours.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

Well, Advent is over now, so we’re not going to set you a challenge! The challenges were to help you through Advent, but now it’s up to you. Although, I suppose really, the challenge is to answer the question above: what now?

—

Thank you for following our daily reflections this Advent. We hope you’ve found them useful. Look out for our reflections during Lent.

Reflection 25 – Christmas Eve, December 24th

N.B. There will be a reflection tomorrow (Christmas Day) to round things off.

Flickr user: carstenfonsdal

REFLECT

This is the last day of Advent and the day before Christmas. Tomorrow, we arrive at the thing we have been waiting for and preparing for.

At the start of Advent, we said that Advent gave us a chance to prepare for something special, and we hope that Advent has been really useful for you.

As you sit and wait for Christmas day, here are some lines from the Bible all about what we are celebrating tomorrow:

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” [Luke 2: 16-20]

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1: 14]

“Blessed be the Lord, the God is Israel. He has visited his people and set them free!” [Luke 1: 68]

PRAY

Loving Father,

I thank you for the joy and laughter of Christmas time and I thank you for your great gift that made it possible.

You didn’t leave your people alone but took an interest in us, and loved us. You loves us so much that you came down to earth to live among us and to show us what it really meant to love one another.

May I always remember that love and may I have a brilliant Christmas with the people I love.

I pray too today, for anybody in your world who is suffering in any way this Christmas. Bring them confort and peace.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

Your challenge today is simple: Don’t forget God this Christmas.

Good luck

Reflection 24 – Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Advent, December 22nd

Flickr user: Alice Harold

REFLECT

When Christmas comes along, a lot of important ideas and themes can get lost in the middle of everything else. One thing that almost never gets lost though is the idea of gifts.

Even for people who don’t follow the Christian faith, Christmas is a time to give and receive presents. It’s a great way to share love between families and friends, and for a lot of people it’s one of the nicest parts of Christmas.

This year we will all hopefully be giving and receiving presents, but maybe as well as that, there is another way we can look at the whole idea of gifts…

We all give and receive gifts all the time, and we all see the gifts that God gives.

Every single one of us has been given amazing things by God and every single one of us has so many things that we can give to other people.

PRAY

Loving Father,

Help me to realise just how many gifts I have in my life. Help me to see the amazing things you have given me, and help me to realise how much I have that I can give to others.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

You challenge for today is to think of something good that God has done for you lately and to give him thanks. When you have done that, try to do something nice for somebody else.

good luck

Reflection 23 – Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Advent, December 21st

FLickr user: petwel

REFLECT

One of the things we remember in Advent is the Journey Mary and Joseph took from Nazareth to Bethlehem. A census had been declared and everybody had to make their way back to the place they came from in order to be registered. For Joseph, this was Bethlehem, and so along with the heavily pregnant Mary, he made the journey.

Journeys are always a challenge. Often they can be difficult. Conditions can change, obstacles can come along and we can be diverted or slowed down by all sorts of things.

We are all on journeys in life. Not necessarily literal journeys, but maybe things we’re going to try to achieve or work towards, or goals we want to achieve.

Journeys are often difficult, but they are nearly aways worth it. If we stick with it, we will see the fruits.

PRAY

Loving Father,

Keep us safe and faithful as we journey through life and help us to work for what really matters.

Help all of those who struggle in life with your comfort and your love.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

Have a think about one of the journeys you are on in life and think about how you travel. Are you always as focused as you might be? Are you always aware God is with you?

Good luck

Reflection 22 – Monday of the Fourth Week in Advent, December 20th

Flickr user: Enigma Photos

REFLECT

Let’s take another look at yesterday’s Gospel reading. This was the last Sunday Gospel before Christmas, and it shows us something interesting about Joseph, the man who was betrothed to Mary.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.” [Mt 1: 18-25]

Joseph is one of the most important and underrated people we focus on during Advent. He was a humble carpenter who stood by Mary. In this reading, he is unsure about what’s going on but an angel visits him and reassures him. He responded to God and trusted in his call.

PRAY

Loving Father,

When I feel nervous or scared about something, I ask you to send me your peace and your guidance. Let me know why things happen and let me know I can get through.

I pray especially for parents this Christmas and for those who are going through difficult things.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

Take a quiet moment and read through the gospel reading again. See if anything strikes you about it.

Good luck

Reflection 21 – Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 19th

REFLECT

Below is a short video to watch, but first of all a bit of background.

Rick & Dick Hoyt are a Father and Son team from America. Rick is quite severely disabled. He can’t walk or talk, or do that much without a great deal of help.

One day, Rick was watching a Triathlon on TV – a gruelling event of running, swimming and cycling – and told his family that it was something he wished he could take part in. Given his disabilities, this didn’t seem very likely, but his Father loved him and wanted him to achieve his dreams. And so, his Father, Dick, trained himself up so that he could compete in triathlons and take Rick along with him as he did. He would swim and tow Rick in a small dingy, he would run and push Rick in a wheelchair, and when he rode, he would sit rick in a special seat on the front of the bike.

It’s a fantastic story, but it also shows us how God sees us. He doesn’t see our weaknesses and what we can’t do. He sees goodness and potential in us and he loves to help us make it grow.

PRAY

Loving Father,

You love me and you see what’s good in me. You don’t look at my faults and failings, but you see me as somebody who can do so much.

May I always believe in myself and believe in others in the way you do.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

Your challenge for today is to ask yourself what gifts and talents God has given you. When God looks at you what are the things that make him smile?

Reflection 20 – Saturday of the Third Week of Advent, December 18th

Flickr user: Jeff Bauche._.·´¯)

REFLECT

One thing that is talked about a lot in the Church is peace. Jesus talked about it, Jesus left us peace, the Church talks about it, we talk about it to each other, nations talk about it and there are huge organisations – in the Church and elsewhere – devoted to trying to build it.

The idea of peace asks a few questions of us…

Do we make space for peace in our own lives so that we can pray and think?

Do we try to build peace with our friends and families?

Do we lead lives that heal and love? Or do our lives make thing less peaceful.

Advent is a great time to think about this sort of thing.

PRAY

Loving Father,

I thank you for the peace you bring me and for the peace you bring to our world.

Be with all those people who need peace and be with me as I go through my life. May I always be an instrument of your peace, wherever I go.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

Your challenge today is to watch this video, and have a think about what it would mean if Jesus was born in our world today. What difference would it make?

Reflection 19 – Friday of the Third Week of Advent, December 17th

Flickr user: andreasmarx

REFLECT

For most people reading this in the UK, today will be the last day of school before the Christmas/ New Year holidays. Even if that’s not the case for you, then this will still have some relevance.

Whenever we come to the end of something like a term it is a good chance to look back and reflect. It is a good chance to ask ourselves what has gone well, what we are proud of and what we would change if we had it all to do over again.

After all, there’s not much point in doing things if we don’t grow and learn from them.

So maybe today is a good chance to look back over the last term and over our recent lives and ask ourselves what we are pleased with and what we’re maybe not so pleased with.

What has gone well that needs to continue?

Have we messed anything up that we need to fix?

Have we got into any bad habits that we need to break?

What have we learned?

PRAY

Loving Father,

I thank you for the last few months of my life. I thank you for staying by my side and I thank you for all of the good things that have come my way.

Help me to treasure the joys of the past, to learn from the mistakes of the past and to look to the future with joy and love.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

Your challenge today is to spend a little bit of time thinking. How has the last term gone for you?

Good luck

Reflection 18 – Thursday of the Third Week of Advent, December 16th

Flickr user: Michelle Brey (away)

REFLECT

In the Gospel Jesus told his disciples that those who loved their lives would lose them and that those who lost their lives for his sake would find them. [Mt 10:39]

Jesus wasn’t being literal here, don’t worry! He didn’t actually mean that we’re not allowed to enjoy life and that we have to actually die for him!

Jesus is often recorded as taking points to an extreme in order that they will stick in the heads of his listeners. In this case, what he meant was that we can’t always have things our own way.

In other words, he was telling us not to be selfish. He was telling us that we can’t always have things our own way.

We all have those times in life when we get tired, frustrated and over worked; when we just want to do the easy, quick thing.

What Jesus is trying to tell us though is that if we don’t think about our faith and think about other people then our lives will be a lot less fulfilling and we will be a lot less use to those around us.

Maybe one of the things we can think about in Advent is how much we do for others. Do we always put others first? Or are we too quick to think of ourselves?

PRAY

Loving Father,

I thank you for my faith in you and I thank you for putting me in a world of others. May I always love them as I should and may I always chose what is right over what is easy.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

Your challenge today is to go the extra mile for somebody.

Good luck

Reflection 17 – Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent, December 15th

Fickr user: Bisayan Lady

REFLECT

We come back today to the topic of prayer – something which is hugely important to Christian life and something which we can use Advent as a great chance to boost in our lives.

It’s nice to think of prayer as quality time. This is a phrase you hear a lot these days. People like to spend quality time with their families, with their friends, with their partners. A lot of the time, the phrase is used by people complaining that there simply isn’t enough of it!

We all need to take time to reflect and think by ourselves, and we all need to spend time with those we love. We need to talk to them, we need to listen to them, and we need to be open to growing and learning from the encounter. This is at the heart of friendship and love.

It can be helpful to see prayer in the same way. Prayer is quality time with God. Prayer is our chance to be with somebody who knows us better and loves us more than anybody else ever can. Prayer is our chance to listen to God and to share whatever we want with him in whatever way we want.

There are a lot of different ways to pray. One of the most effective though, is just simply to talk to God in our own language.

But how often do we really take the time to pray? How often do we make a priority of setting aside time, shutting out distractions and talking to God?

PRAY

Loving Father,

I know you are always there for me and I know you are always listening, always caring, always loving, and always encouraging.

May I always turn to you in prayer and share with you where I am in life and what’s on my mind. May I always be prepared to listen to your response and to let the experience change me.

Amen.

CHALLENGE

Your challenge for today is to set aside ten minutes for God. Go somewhere by yourself, shut out any noise, any distractions, and work you have to do, and just talk to God in your heart. Use your own words and be as honest as you can. Then spent a bit of time in silence and listen to God – in other words, see if anything occurs to you.

Good luck