Fr. Antonio Giraldo shares with us how we can enter more fully into the mystery of Christ during the last week of Advent. You can listen here.

Photo by Tarsem Saini

Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Savior. (Isaiah 45:8)

Entrance Antiphon for the 4th Sunday of Advent

It has been raining quite a bit here in East Tennessee this past week. Perhaps God is trying to remind us that even while the rush of the secular celebration of Christmas continues, we are called as Christians to wait in stillness for the coming of the Lord. Just as the people of Israel waited expectantly for the birth of Jesus, we await his birth within our hearts.

The new version of the Second Eucharistic Prayer begins,

“You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

During the liturgy we don’t just pray for the Holy Spirit to descend upon the bread and wine placed upon the altar, but also that He will fall upon each of us, allowing our hearts to be watered with His grace. We pray that Christ the savior will be welcomed, unworthy as we are, to enter under our roof and find a home with us.

I’m praying for more rain this weekend.

Fr. Bob Barron explains the revolutionary character of the seasons of Advent and Christmas.

How will we join Jesus in announcing a year of favor? Listen here.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.” (Mark 5: 25-34)

There are times in my life when I feel like the woman in this parable, times when my ability to deal with my sin and weakness are past what I can bear alone. My soul seems to cry out, “If only I could just touch the hem of Christ’s garment! If only I could throw myself at his feet and receive the healing that I know only he can give!”

During the season of Advent we are encouraged to approach the Lord in the sacrament of reconciliation in order to hand over our heavy burdens of sin. One might see it as a Christmas gift, so to speak. And why not, it’s really the whole point of Christmas that we celebrate the coming of the messiah who has made it possible for God and sinners to be reconciled.

There is a price for Christ’s healing, however, and we see it on display in the passage from Mark’s Gospel above. The story tells not only of a woman who was desperate to be healed, a woman who was healed, but also the fact that power went out from Jesus. In other words, Jesus is weakened by this act of restoring the woman to health. Eventually we will see this fully played out in his willingness to accept the cross. Jesus will choose to pour himself out completely in order to heal the world.

Paul describes Jesus’ self emptying in his Letter to the Philippians,

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2: 5-8)

As I have traveled to various parishes in our diocese to assist in penance services this Advent, it has struck me that perhaps one of the reasons I tend to be tired as I leave the confessional is that healing involves a loss of power. The forgiveness that one receives in the sacrament of reconciliation certainly comes from God, but the priest who hears confessions and proclaims the words of absolution is the conduit of that forgiveness, so to speak. It makes sense to me that there is still a cost that goes along with receiving forgiveness, even though Christ has already paid in full through his cross.

Christ urges his disciples to take up their cross and follow him. One concrete way to do this is by seeking the healing of others, especially when that healing will require some self sacrifice on our part.

Deacon Sean Smith challenges us to hope for a Brown Christmas instead of a white one. You can listen here.

O Come, O Come Immanuel, And Ransom Captive Israel.

O people of Sion, behold, the Lord will come to save the nations, and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard in the joy of your heart.

–Entrance Antiphon for the Second Sunday of Advent

What is it that has you imprisoned? Whatever it is, you are in luck. We are in the season of Advent. Advent is the season of hope. It is the season when we cry out to God for freedom from our enslavements. “Ransom us, Lord,” we shout, “we want to be free.” It is a season to remember that the people of Israel waited more than a thousand years for a savior, for one who would free them from the slavery of sin. God heard their cries. Jesus entered the world under cover of darkness and brought light to us. His light is still available to those who seek him. He still has the power to save the nations and to bring joy to our hearts. Ask him for what you need. You will not be disappointed.