Scripture Scribbles: December 1, 2024
the Gospel
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
the scribble
First Day of Advent!
Happy New Year!! Our new liturgical calendar year has begun!
This is the time for expectant waiting and preparation. I love it! Most people do! But it does often come with some difficulties.
This year, I’m thinking about how I am preparing. Am I preparing for calm over chaos? Peace over panic? Love over angst?
It was so fun being a kid and having that Christmas Eve anticipation! I sometimes use that description to explain to my kids (and myself) that's how we should feel about what God has prepared for our lives. Hopeful anticipation…..”For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
There is a plan.
He has a plan for us.
We need to Trust Him.
This is hard, even impossible, if we don’t know Him.
And I didn’t, until I did!
I once read this description of faith, “Faith is what you find when you are all alone and find you are not alone.” Something to ponder. Since diving into this faith of ours, my faith has certainly grown, and so has my trust, but I still have all those ugly human traits of being impatient, anxious, frazzled, annoyed. When I’m able to recognize these feelings and that they are not from God, his plan for me is not to be in a state of worry. How can I control these very human emotions?
How can I, in the midst of chaos, begin again?
There is a phrase that my youngest son learned at his wonderful Catholic middle school, Nunc Coepi, which means “begin again” . The students learned about this phrase and received rubber bracelets to wear that said, Nunc Coepi, Begin Again. Encouraging the kids, that no matter the moment, a new year, a new week, a new day, they all have the chance to begin again. I’m going to hold this thought close this Advent Season. A time when our Church is starting its new year, if I start getting ahead of myself and worry starts to creep in, the panic that ALL the things won't get done, and I start losing sight of those in front of me, and forgetting why we are preparing and Who we are preparing for, I will remember, Nunc Coepi, and I will, begin again! Remembering that people don't really care how perfectly you pulled off the dinner, or how clean your floor is, (at least I hope not!) but we remember how people made us feel.
Sadly, my best friend since childhood lost her dad this past month. I know her Advent and her Christmas will be hard. I know she probably feels she has lost a bit of herself along with him, and that can be really agonizing, especially this time of year. I would love to share with you a beautiful line from her father’s obituary. These words struck me, “A life worth living can be measured by the love and joy you inspire.” My friend's dad lived with joy and love and it was unmistakable. Isn’t this THE most important thing? To Love! (1 Cor. 13:13) ‘So faith, hope, love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love.’ LOVE. This is what we need most this Adent, more love. More love for those in our own homes, more love for those we have that brief encounter with on the street, and all those in between.
So on this, our first day of Advent, let’s ask ourselves how will it look different this year? As we light our first candle on our Advent wreath, or maybe this is the year you start this tradition? Light the first purple candle, it’s the candle for “Hope.” Let’s all have hopeful anticipation for what HE has prepared for us, for you, me, our children, our parents, our friends and our neighbors.
Wishing you all a beautiful season of Hope and Expectation!
And wishing my son Kevin a very happy birthday today! xo
Today’s devotion was written by Beth Brennan
