Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 21, 2025
Busy—this word keeps appearing all over. "I’m too busy." "I’ll
get back to you when I have downtime." "My schedule is really full."
Really? Too full for Christ?
The late Dutch priest Fr. Henri J.M. Nouwen wrote about this
“busy-ness” and worldly distraction saying that we often seek refuge in quiet
time, in rest. But, he writes, “As soon as we are alone, ... inner chaos opens
up in us. This chaos can be so disturbing and so confusing that we can
hardly wait to get busy again.”
We end up thinking about rest in terms of entering back
into our “busy-ness” as soon as we can. It’s a false lull. Jesus wants us to
take a full break—full stop. He is the reason for this season of Advent—patient
waiting.
In today’s Gospel, we get to hear about the manner in which God
entered the world through His beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He entered
into the world so that He could save us from our sins.
The story of Joseph is important; how dismayed he must have
been to hear that his soon-to-be-wife was pregnant…what fear for her, given the
culture and issues that surrounded this type of situation. But Joseph paid attention
and listened when the angel approached him—and as they often do—provide us
reassurance: “Do not be afraid.”
How many times do we hear Jesus himself say “Do not be
afraid, for I am with you”? And yet, how often are we still overcome with that
fear? Fear closes doors, retreats into our inner sanctum of safety—of the inner
chaos that Fr. Nouwen describes. Of the desire to become busy so that we are
not distracted by the fear.
Our responsorial Psalm gets to the heart of the matter: “let
the Lord enter.” Without fear, without reservation, without barriers. Lord,
enter into my heart.
This is a great prayer we can pray every day. Enter means to
come into existence. Jesus entered the world in this way. As a helpless little child,
born into a poor family, in a poor village, in a forgotten corner of a stable.
Jesus reminds us that “this is how I came into the world,”
The holy family is the example. While we won’t celebrate that feast until after
three days after Christmas, it is important to think about them in today’s
Gospel.
Let’s listen like Joseph, say Yes like Mary, and carry our
cross like Jesus.
As we prepare ourselves for the entry into the world of
Jesus, we also prepare our hearts in this Eucharistic celebration for Jesus to
enter into us through the precious Body and Blood of our savior.
Let us challenge ourselves to consider these questions:
1.
Are we truly ready to let Him enter into our
hearts?
2.
Have we prepared adequately for Him to come?
3.
Do we truly believe in His heavenly Kingship?
The late Pope Benedict spoke in 2007 of how we are to help
prepare and allow the Lord to enter us: “let us seek in these days, therefore,
to turn our minds and hearts to the eternal Word, to the Logos, to
the Word that was made flesh, from whose fullness we have received grace upon
grace.” General
Audience of 19 December 2007: Christ’s Birth
And again, the Holy Father reminded us of our obligation as
Catholics: “as believers we strongly reaffirm, with our lives, the mystery of
salvation that brings with it the celebration of Christ's Birth! In Bethlehem,
the Light which brightens our lives was manifested to the world; the way that
leads us to the fullness of our humanity was revealed to us.”
In these next few days leading up to our celebration of the Solemnity
of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, remember to not be afraid, to allow
Jesus to enter into our hearts.
We have been waiting, watching, hoping for these days of
Advent. Now let us be ready for the entrance of the King of Kings—in a lowly
manger stable.
In the words of Isaiah: “Let the Earth be opened and enter a
savior.” Let’s listen like Joseph, say Yes like Mary, and carry our cross like
Jesus.
May God continue to enter and dwell in our hearts.
Amen.
A most beautiful and refreshing reflection for the final days of Advent. Listen, Say Yes, and Carry our Cross as we seek His Way. That is a great Mission Statement for all Disciples.
ReplyDelete