Matt 9:7 God is Near
As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near”
Reflection
God is Near
Advent means God is close, God is near, God is on the way. People and places are environments in which we find God. There can be a density of the divine in some holy places and in some holy people, of all nations and all faiths. Christmas is a season of the density and closeness of God. God is on his journey to us in Mary and the son she is carrying. Is our journey too fast, too complicated, too rushed so that we miss God on God’s journey?
We can pass like planes in the night sky, commuters on a bus, people on a traffic island. Something new can happen for each of us each Christmas, because God makes the journey anew in the simplest way we know – a mother and her child. If only we take the time.
Prayer
May I bring forth the kingdom of justice,
may I bring forth the kingdom of peace,
may I bring forth the kingdom of God.
A prayer today for those who work for peace
Source: Praying in Advent by Donal Neary SJ
Showing posts with label Praying in Advent by Donal Neary SJ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Praying in Advent by Donal Neary SJ. Show all posts
Monday, December 28, 2009
Matt 8:11 Not Us and Them
Matt 8:11 Not Us and Them
Many will eat from the east and the west, and will eat with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
Reflection
Inclusiveness with God
The heart of God is big, and the table of God is wide. All are included in the love of God: there are neither insiders nor outsiders. Some religion likes to narrow down who is included and who is excluded. There are people who feel their only place is in the back corner of the church, and feel excluded from the front seats, maybe because of lifestyle, sin or just feeling ashamed of who they are. Religion can encourage an ‘us and them’ mentality. Jesus offers an open door to his house and a chair a t the top of his table to everyone – and an honoured chair to men and women others may look down on. That encourages us to offer and open our hearts to all.
Prayer
Christ of the welcomes, have mercy on us.
Christ, open to all in love, have compassion for us.
Christ of the compassionate heart, make our hearts like yours.
A prayer today for refuges and asylum seekers.
Source: Praying in Advent by Donal Neary SJ
Advent begins this year on Sunday 3rd December (my next turn is on Monday 25th Dec )
This book my family will be reading for Advent contains a prayer a day.
Extract from Introduction
It is a way of ensuring that the mystery of Christmas doesn’t get lost in the bustle of Christmas preparations, and freshens our way of thinking of Christmas for another year. It ensures also that we don’t cease to be amazed anew at the great event, now and then, in Bethlehem and in our own village, of the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.
Many will eat from the east and the west, and will eat with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
Reflection
Inclusiveness with God
The heart of God is big, and the table of God is wide. All are included in the love of God: there are neither insiders nor outsiders. Some religion likes to narrow down who is included and who is excluded. There are people who feel their only place is in the back corner of the church, and feel excluded from the front seats, maybe because of lifestyle, sin or just feeling ashamed of who they are. Religion can encourage an ‘us and them’ mentality. Jesus offers an open door to his house and a chair a t the top of his table to everyone – and an honoured chair to men and women others may look down on. That encourages us to offer and open our hearts to all.
Prayer
Christ of the welcomes, have mercy on us.
Christ, open to all in love, have compassion for us.
Christ of the compassionate heart, make our hearts like yours.
A prayer today for refuges and asylum seekers.
Source: Praying in Advent by Donal Neary SJ
Advent begins this year on Sunday 3rd December (my next turn is on Monday 25th Dec )
This book my family will be reading for Advent contains a prayer a day.
Extract from Introduction
It is a way of ensuring that the mystery of Christmas doesn’t get lost in the bustle of Christmas preparations, and freshens our way of thinking of Christmas for another year. It ensures also that we don’t cease to be amazed anew at the great event, now and then, in Bethlehem and in our own village, of the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.
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