Week 3 Advent Reading Plan

Our reading from the Advent Reading plan today is Matthew 2:9-12.  It reads as follows:

''Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.  But they were given a warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.''

READ:  Words that struck me when I read this scripture include
1. having listened to what the king had to say...

2. sight of the star filled them with delight.

3. falling to their knees they did him homage.

4.Then opening their treasures...

5.given a warning in a dream not to...

PONDER

My ponderings on these phases include:

1.The wise men gave them the King respect even though they probably realised that he did not want to do Christ homage at all but felt threatened.

2. Knowing or sensing the signs of God filled them with delight. How often am I filled with delight with the signs of God in my life?

3.When they entered the stable, the wise men fell on their knees to do homage. That was their first action when they arrived there. They understood that it was Christ- someone in higher authority than they were. They were prepared to be humble before someone greater than they and they were not afraid of Him as they knew their own worth.

4. After doing homage they then offered their gifts. How often do I offer my worries, concerns of the day to God before actually giving Him homage- the homage that is due to Him.

5. The wise men listened and when they were given a warning, followed through on it.  How many times in my life have I had a warning in some way and ignored it or at my own peril gone and done what I wanted? They listened and then acted and despite the longer route knew that they were on the right path.

ACT

We may wish to think of people in our lives who have some authority over us  eg boss or someone who has a special role at work, a parish priest or a parent.  We may not always agree with their position on a topic, but we can decide to act like the wise men and give them respect. It can be difficult to remain silent and give respect to someone who has authority over you and who you do not respect.  I have found myself over the years that giving the person respect despite my own opinions is far more valuable in building the relationship. Then once there is a sense of mutual respect, then there is the opportunity to share ideas respectfully.

Do the signs of God in our lives fill me with delight? Do I miss the signs?  What are the signs of God in my life- is Jesus my shining star which guides me? We may need to identify these signs from the past so that we might be aware of them for the future.We might also want to consider how we can act on these signs- like the wise men with delight.

How often do we not listen to the signs- maybe we do have a dream or maybe we have a gut feeling that something is not right or if we take a particular course of action that it does not sit well with us. These are signs- our body is sending us a red flag.
When we listen to our body, mind and spirit in these matters, we are in a better position to follow up on it. Often we do not give time to listen to the warning signs.

As we lead up to Christmas and head into Christmastide, may the ponderings and actions you decide for your life be blessed.

Week 3 Advent Reading Plan

Our Read, Ponder and Act Series from our Advent Reading Plan  continues today with our reading from Matthew 2:1-8.  I have combined a couple of days reading into the one post.

 After Jesus had been born at  Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, suddenly some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east.  asking, 'Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.' When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, 'At Bethlehem in Judaea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for from you will come a leader who  will shepherd my people Israel.'

 Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared  and sent them on to Bethlehem with the words, 'Go and find out all about the child, and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.'

READ:  words/phrases that struck me during my first reading were suddenly some wise men came, asking... perturbed.. he called together all the chief priests and the scribes.. summoned the wise men to see him privately... the exact date..

PONDER

there are many aspects to this reading and I have previously written a post on it. called

Gospel of Matthew Series: Chapter 2: Placing God first and facing the challenges it brings.

So I pondered just on the phrases mentioned.
It is interesting to note that the wise men appeared suddenly- they were not expected either by Herod or by chief priests and scribes or the people themselves. It is interesting to ponder how we react to sudden event.

Perturbed: Obviously Herod felt his authority was going to be challenged. He probably panicked initially but his desire for power also kicked in. He made sure that the chief priests, scribes and people heard this news- it is as though he was wanting to get as many on his side as he could. Definitely a sign of someone in authority rattled.  

However, he did not stop there- he summoned them for a private meeting. Not asked like the wise men themselves, but he summoned them and asked for exact date. Now he may have wanted to do him homage but more likely he would have been planning a defence to ensure his authority was not undermined.

ACT:

So how do we act when a situation comes upon us unexpectedly.? Are we thrown off course or do we feel possibly even threatened. Many people cannot cope with change- some take more time than others but adjust. Some remain fixed. How would we have felt if we were Herod?
 We are told that Herod was perturbed- meaning that he was confused, worried and anxious.  How do we act when we are confused, anxious and worried?  How does that compare to when we are free from worry or anxiety?  What are motives as we try to establish an even keel? Are we like Herod and become demanding when we are under stress.

Notice too the contrast of Herod's anxiety with the wise men's calmness. It is as though they were not surprised by Herod's reaction.

Week 3 Advent Reading Plan Luke 2:19-20

Our reading for today on our Advent Reading Plan  is Luke 2:19-20.

READ:

"As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.  And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising  God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told."

 What are the words or phrases that stood out for you when you read these 2 verses?

Keywords for me were  '' she treasured all these things''',  pondered them in her heart, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.

PONDER

treasured all these things means to retain carefully in the mind or if we thing of the definition of treasure it includes to store up for the future.  Why did Mary treasure all these things? She was a young mum and she knew from the moment of annunciation that her child was not any child, but Son of God. The angel had told her.  She must have wondered what the child was to be during pregnancy but now, she has given birth in difficult circumstances- she had to give her child a manger's crib as there was no room in the inn. When the shepherds arrived and told her all that they had experienced with the angel and how they had hurried to find the child with Mary and Joseph, Mary would have treasured all these things- it was a start of a very big undertaking for her to be Mother of God- she probably needed fuel for her faith too. Not that she did not believe the angel but now she had given birth to this child. It would have been very real and possibly frightening for her as a young mum. She definitely needed to retain carefully in the mind and store up for the future.

The shepherds glorified and praised God for all that they had heard and seen.  Interesting that it is written in this order- heard and seen. Usually the phase is seen and heard.  So the shepherds glorified  and praised God for what they heard ( not only with their physical ears) but with their heart too and then their praise flowed over to what they had seen. Remember they heard the message first and then back it up by seeing.

I find this gratifying myself as I am an aural learner- I naturally learn by hearing rather than by seeing.  When I am at a lecture, I am not really focusing on what is on the screen/blackboard at first- it comes as a second to me.  I focus on the voice of the lecturer and the messages he/she is giving or not giving as is often the case.
Perhaps the shepherds were aural learners too.!!  

Just as they had been told: again in this verse we are reminded that what is recorded in scripture is not their account of what they heard and saw but what the angel told them and what they heard and what they saw.  This means then for us that we can rely on their account. It is telling us that their account is trustworthy- the message came from the angel- they repeated to Mary and Joseph what they had been told. They are repeating to us what they heard and saw. 

ACT:

In this lead up to Christmas, we need to take some time to ponder the message of Christmas- to think about Mary and Joseph and the shepherds and what they are telling us for our lives in 2018.
One simple way we can spread the true message of Christmas is to remind people politely that Jesus is the reason for the season.  You often hear people say'' Christmas is only one day'' . This happens of course when we are shopping or it may even be with relatives who no longer practice their faith regularly.

I always take the opportunity to inform, to educate and to correct. I am not ashamed to be a Catholic.  So I say when I hear this said to me " Actually Christmas is a season which lasts 50 days until February 2, so we have the opportunity to share the joy for this time or else I say '' Christmas is a season in the Catholic church so we celebrate it for 50 days-  why not start a tradition in your family and join in the celebration of this great feast with us.  It certainly gets them thinking.

I have to say I have had some interesting responses to these conversations over the years.

We have the opportunity to be like the shepherds who relayed the message they heard and saw exactly as they had it told to them.  We can share the message of Christmas  too and relay its truth for our lives with those we meet. If we have pondered what Christmas means to me personally then we need to share it with others. Be a shepherd this Christmastide and share the message of Christmas.

When we hear the comment that Christmas is for children, we can agree with it and let them know that Christ was a baby/child. Usually this comment relates to children receiving presents.  So we can go on to ask what present will they be giving the Christ child this year? After all it is the birthday of Christ.  

There are many ways we can spread the truth and be a shepherd this Christmas. Hear and see your opportunities and act upon them wisely.

Week 3 Advent Reading Plan Luke 2: 15-18

Today in our Advent Reading Plan, let us read, ponder and act upon  Luke2:15-18.

Now it happened that when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us.'   So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.  When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him,  and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them.

When you read this passage what words, phrases or images occur to you as you read it for the first time?  When you re-read it, do the same words, phrases or images emerge again?

I was struck by the phrases '' when the angels had gone from them into heaven''  and '' the shepherds said to one another'' let us go to Bethlehem...     hurried away,   the baby,   when they saw the child, they repeated what they had been told about him.

PONDER:

When I ponder on the phrase '' when the angels had gone from them into heaven'', it speaks to me that the shepherds were mindful of the moment- they relished it and did not act until the moment had been fully unpacked.

When I ponder on the phrase '' the shepherds said to one another''-  I ponder what a conversation that must have been.  Having visited the shepherds field and had Mass there when I was on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2000, I still treasure that visit there especially at Christmas.  I can imagine the conversation.  The fact that they said to one another indicates that they were all in agreement to go to Bethlehem to see this event...  the other part of the sentence indicates that although they were not educated, God chose these humble shepherds.  Obviously they had a faith/spirituality as they recognised this coming from the Lord.

In the expression ''hurried away'',   Luke tells us of the urgency that the shepherds went to seek clarification on what they already knew was from the Lord.  They sought  not proof because in their hearts, they already believed, but they hurried away to see- to see with their own eyes.
I find the phases ''when they saw the child'' very telling as it indicates that the shepherds had their focus on the Lord in the child.  It does not say ''when they saw Mary and Joseph'', which could have been more natural since the child was a baby. It indicates that when they saw the child it clarified what had occurred to them previously with the angels appearing in the fields.  Remember they were humble shepherds.  Yet they experienced the angels appearing to them, followed through with seeking to know more and then shared what they had been told.

I also pondered on the phrase '' they repeated what they had been told''.  The shepherds relayed the message of Heaven to Mary and Joseph. The text says '' repeated what they had been told''. We do not hear what Mary or Joseph said.. but we are told in the next verse that Mary pondered all these things and treasured them in her heart''.
Do we ponder what we have been told by Christ in the scriptures, in our conversations with God in prayer and what we are told about Christ in the homilies at Mass?

ACT

It seems to me that this scripture gives a very good clue- live fully in the moment of revelation, test it ( see for ourselves) and then share what we have been told.  In other words, in sharing what we have been told, we will be sharing the truth not our own impressions or perhaps misguided version of what we believe. No, the truth will be what is shared and being faithful to the truth of our experience, we will be also be believed by others. Truth carries weight in words.

Now you might be thinking.. this is fine but I do not have a moment of revelation to share. God speaks to us regularly when we are listening.  What does He tell us?  He provides for all our needs. When we are down, He uplifts us; when we are happy, He shares our joy; when our finances are low and we are stressed, He provides for our temporal needs.  I am sure that you can find many examples of what God has done in your life.  Have you shared this with others and given God the glory for the graces you have received?  I know that I am particularly grateful for what God has done in my life this year.  My health has had a huge turnaround- a real 180 degrees and I feel so grateful, so pleased that at last, I feel so much better. I am also so grateful that I have been able to get my website up and running finally.  I have had enormous problems with getting it to this point. I wont bore you with all the details. I assure you finally publishing my site was a great moment- a blessed moment for me. These are 2 huge areas of my life that have been blessed by God this year.  Yet there have been 365 days of blessings really with a 24 hour span,  As one hymn says''every moment of every day...''

What do you read, ponder and act on when you read this passage of scripture?

How will it affect your preparation for Christmas?

Week 3 Advent Reading Plan.

THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT:  ADVENT READING PLAN

Luke 2:13-14

"And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words:   Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favours."

Imagine the scene for the shepherds. They were out in the fields just like every other night doing their work and yet, this particular night was different. Imagine what they must have felt when all at once the angels appeared along with as Luke says"' a great throng of the hosts of heaven''. 

Then there is the message for us at Christmas in Verse 14. The questions to ponder and to act upon in these 2 verses is to consider 

1. what happens to me when I am visited by the realms of Heaven in my life?
2. How do I praise God?
3. How will I provide peace on earth this Christmas?

ACT:

How do I praise God:  Here the challenge can be to remember to praise God and pray either now as we prepare for Christmas. We can get caught up in the practicalities

Peace starts with me.  Perhaps this hymn from As One Voice  may assist.

Visiting relatives at Christmas can be challenging for many families. With the best of intentions, little niggles can become more full blown when in the company of some family members.  So visiting relatives is not a peaceful time for many people. It is a chore and a huge spiritual challenge.

If you do not have this challenge, then pray for those families that do. Also count your blessings.

If you do need to visit relatives who are challenging to your values, your own peace of mind  or you have nothing in common, then the key is to prepare spiritually first and then devise some strategies for coping.  Does God favour you?  He gives you His peace.  Relatives, even if it is unintentional, can rob your peace if you are not careful.  Being physically, emotionally and spiritually prepared for what lies ahead when you visit these relatives is key.

God gives YOU His peace.  Be at peace within myself  in that peace that God gives and treasure it.

Peace begins with me.

Advent Reading Series Read, Ponder and Act. Day 1

 Advent Reading Series Read, Ponder and Act. Day 1 Welcome to my Advent Reading Series.  

I am already a day late in starting this series.  My apologies.  I will aim to share a post each day in Advent.

The aim of this series is to encourage you to spend some time with the Scriptures each day in Advent.  Advent is a busy time with the preparations we have for Christmas, and even with the best of intentions, our spiritual preparation can be overlooked or not even attempted.  It is all too hard, too busy, too difficult.

My aim for myself and hopefully for you too is to read a small scripture passage each day. read it slowly, ponder it and then act upon it for that day.  The reflection questions emerge as part of my pondering. If you do not like the scripture for the day, choose another one or work out your own advent reading plan.  Whatever you choose, read, ponder and act

Let us begin

READ: Day 1: Isaiah 11:10

PONDER:

I was initially struck by vs 1 with the hope of newness and the positively that the shoot would spring from the Stock of Jesse. Straightaway  I was attracted to this hope, this promise of newness and positivism. I breathed it in as I read.

Verse 2 offers us traits and spiritual characteristics which we may wish for or wish for in more abundance this advent.  How often have you had to discern a big decision and wished more for clarity in making.  I know I do.  A spirit of wisdom, counsel, and knowledge are gifts i certainly would like to receive in fuller abundance.

How freeing it is to know that God in vs 3 does not judge according to appearance.  He knows us each by name and every detail of our lives and wants the best for us.  Are we humble enough to receive from Him?  What appearance do we give to others?  What appearance do we give to God?  What appearance will we shed in hope this advent?

Vs 5 talks about the constancy of God.  No, God does not just assists us once and say you have had your turn.  No, He is there always until the end of the world.  So we need to believe in the constancy of God's goodness in all the circumstances of our lives.

Later we are also reminded that following in God's way is the way to forward. Why, because we will, when we are working and cooperating with God's grace to choose accordingly a life that is peace filled. It does not mean that we will not seek any problems but through those problems that we encounter, we can count on the constancy of God.  Are we constant or luke warm when it comes to our spiritual life?

Which verses struck you for your life today?

ACT

1.Having read and pondered this reading what will I do? For example, I am giving an organ lesson today, catching up with a friend for lunch and also trying to learn new skills .I will allow the thoughts from this reading permeate my day with hope, enthusiasm and joy

 2. How will it make a difference in my life today?  I am feeling very stressed right now.  Knowing and calling upon the constancy of God as a friend beside me during my day is priceless.  Easy to forget and yet priceless to remember and say thank you.  I will remember the constancy of God in my life.  I will sing Strong and Constant as a reminder.

3.I will also commit to regular prayer time during Advent and in this coming year. I will aim to work with God's grace and follow His call for my life.  I will make sure today that I recharge my spiritual batteries and take a stock take of where I am it. 

 

Check out the Advent Reading Plan here.

How will you Read, Ponder and Act in Day 1 of Advent Series