Advent’s Journey Towards Christmas
Advent is a journey filled with longing, suffering and hope. The Word Among Us tells the story of a mother whose five-year-old daughter didn’t like to pray. She wouldn’t participate in prayers at home or at church. Finally, the mother cried out in desperation, “Jesus, have mercy!”
Months later the mother suffered severe burns on her arms as a result of a cooking accident. The pain was so intense that even noise seemed to disturb her. One evening her little girl asked, “Mommy, would you like me to pray over your arms?” Placing her hand gently on her mother’s right arm she prayed, “Dear Jesus, please heal Mommy’s arm and take away the pain.”
The mother realizing the pain was gone only from her right arm, asked her to pray over the other arm as well. It too was healed, and amazingly, no scars showed after the healing was complete.
The message this mother is sharing with us is that we need to cry out, “Jesus, have mercy!” This can be our Advent preparation prayer. We can move into that state the little girl finally realized where she could pray and be open to God working through her. This will be Christmas in our lives.
In 1917 A Red Army interdict declared, Anyone found worshipping God in any church can be shot on sight or arrested. Every morning people would slink furtively to daily Mass.
“Stand still!” The priest froze. The soldier slowly lifted his rifle and took aim. One shot rang out. The priest quivered, swayed and fell sideways. The consecrated host rolled down, coming to rest on the floor in two pieces.
“There is no God! We have crushed Him,” said the soldier. Silence hung until an old man spoke, “Father, forgive them, even if they know what they do.”
The Red Army soldier shivered a little and slowly slunk away. The old man reverently gathered the sacred host and bade all to come forward and receive their last communion.
“We buried the priest secretly. He was the last priest in town. There would be no more Mass, no sacraments. It was a Christmas without Christ in the tabernacle – without the Mass – without confession – without communion.” (from Donkey Bells, Catherine Doherty)
From the victims of the Russian Revolution we get the message: “Oh my friends, go to Mass every day – while you can! Yes, we would have crawled on our knees that Christmas – through the strange and fearsome streets, filled with dangers and death – if only we could have participated in just one more Mass.”
Christmas frees us from the sadness and despair of living in a spiritual darkness. Hope replaces doubt. Thanks be to Jesus Christ we can live with the blessings of the Resurrection.
Advent songs can reflect our hungry hearts. “”O come, O come Emanuel; ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lowly exile here, until the Son of God appear.” Then we will rejoice!
“Oh come Divine Messiah! The world in silence waits the day. / When hope shall sing its triumph, and sadness flee away.” “Come Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free. / From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.”
May the wonders of Christmas Past, Present and Future always live in our hearts. “I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach” (Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol).
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