“Getting Ready”
Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC
“Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand” Psalm 25
As we come to the end of the Advent season, let us lift up our heads, our hearts and see the beauty of life and the coming of our Savior. Blessings to you all as you travel, prepare, cook, wrap and wait for your family, your guests and the unexpected moment of grace.
Dina Marie from Mater Dei Radio interviewed me about yesterday’s gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Click here for the ten minute interview.
Listen to “On the Margins”. This broadcast comes from Mater Dei Radio 88.3. ( THIS EDITION DOES NOT HAVE THE USUAL OPENING AND CLOSING) . There is a great antipiation for our place within the Incarnation. God is here among us and we are called to humble ourselves to discover Jesus. Pray for peace. The Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 20, 2015.
Stream live On The Margins on KBVM 88.3FM on Saturdays at 3:45pm and Sundays at 8am.
Dina Marie, from 88.3 in Portland, OR interviewed me this morning for about ten minutes on the Third Sunday of Advent.
Listen to “On the Margins”. This broadcast comes from Mater Dei Radio 88.3. “Gaudete Sunday”, a moment of rejoicing, half way to Christmas. We listen to Luke describe our right relationships, to prepare a way for Christ Jesus. We have begun a “Year of Mercy”. How do we learn to live with one another? Third Sunday of Advent, December13, 2015.
LISTEN NOW: CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK”S EDITION
Stream live On The Margins on KBVM 88.3FM on Saturdays at 3:45pm and Sundays at 8am.
“The Door of Mercy”
Pope Francis, December 8, 2015
Click here for an article about Pope Francis opening “The Door of Mercy” today.
Click here for an audio version of the prayer that I composed for the Year of Mercy.
“Mother of Mercy”
Sketch: Ronald Raab, CSC
This simple sketch tells the story of the tender work of a mother. Notice the exaggerated, strong shoulder that holds the baby. The strength of the mother is persistent and enduring. Her hand also suggests that she will do anything to hold on to her child, to care for the infant at her breast. Her featureless face opens us to find ourselves and our loved ones in need of such tender care, to place our own version of “mother” into this simple scene. She is the Church. She is Mary, a model of faith and Mother of Mercy. She is every mother. She is every person who lives the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
“Longing for Mercy” by: Ronald Patrick Raab, CSC
O God and Father of Mercy,
You invite us closer into the life of your Son, Jesus the Christ.
Jesus, The Bread of Life, shared food and wisdom with hungry crowds.
Jesus, The Good Shepherd ran after the lost, the leper and the lonely.
Jesus, The Healer, touched the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf.
Jesus, The Master, washed the filth from the feet of his disciples.
Jesus, The Prince of Peace, forgave the repentant thief on the cross.
Father of Love, do not abandon us.
For our lives are tender from our mistakes and misfortunes.
For our hearts are broken from fragile relationships.
For our questions are many about violence and war.
O God of Mercy,
Give us courage to offer compassion.
Show us how to listen patiently to people dissatisfied by sin.
Offer us consolation when we are discouraged by our mortality.
Help us offer water to the thirsty stranger and bread to the homeless family.
Help us hasten to the bedside of the ill child or the aging parent afraid of death.
Loving God,
In this Jubilee Year of Mercy,
Allow your Church to reveal the face of Jesus in our uncertain world.
Give us the joy of serving people in need.
Help us live in hope.
Melt away despair, mend our broken lives and give us peace.
And show us the way to our heavenly home.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Christ who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen
“Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you.” Mother of Mercy, pray for us
Dina Marie from Mater Dei Radio in Portland and I discussed the Second Sunday of Advent on the phone. This ten-minute interview aired this morning in Portland.
“The Door of Mercy”
Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC 2015
(From this Sunday’s bulletin)
Dear People of God,
On this Second Sunday of Advent, we hear in Luke’s gospel (3:1-6) the challenge from John the Baptist to prepare for the Kingdom of God. Ready your hearts, release your grasp on your possessions, open your eyes, stir up your desire, walk the straight and narrow, and unveil your passion for God. The Kingdom is breaking through our narrow ways, our selfish inclinations, and our unsteady approach to love. The Advent season is a profound treasure inviting us into the core of our faith, and to let go of all that does not belong within our hearts, our passions, and our relationships.
On December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we will begin The Year of Mercy. To help us enter into this year, there are cards with Pope Francis’ prayer available in the niches at Sacred Heart, as well as a booklet published by World Library that contains one of my litanies. I hope that you will sit up and take notice of this notion of God’s love and mercy in your own life.
As I reflect on the beginning of The Year of Mercy, there is one important aspect of our lives as believers that I want to reflect upon. I have been a priest for over 32 years, and if there is one thing that I have learned and would like to change, it is this: most people do not feel worthy of God’s love or mercy.
It is never easy to live in the world today, no matter how much money we earn or what we possess. Our lives are complicated by marriages that do not work, or children who may make decisions we do not like. We face the complexities of trauma from our childhoods, and insecurities about our talents and gifts in the world. We face the demands of corporate life, the intense pull of consumerism, and our struggles with how we look to other people. Our lives are often emotionally insecure as we work to make ends meet. We worry during sleepless nights. Our family lives are often conflicted by histories of emotional trauma and past abuse, especially alcohol, that change our family systems.
In the midst of this, I want to invite you into the mercy, forgiveness and love that Jesus has for you. You are worth it, your life matters. God loves you. We listen to John the Baptist to wake up to the love of Jesus’ presence. We listen to our heart’s desire for mercy, for compassion and for love.
We are stretched thin by our commitments in these days before Christmas. It is easy to settle into believing that mercy is for everyone except yourself. Some questions for reflection:
Have you considered sitting down with a confessor during this Advent season?
How do you view God’s mercy for your life?
How do you respond to John the Baptist’s challenge to direct our lives to Jesus? … What does this cost you? What do you need to let go of? And what do you need to embrace?
What are you looking for in this Advent season?
Have you considered carving out more prayer time in this busy season?
What have you considered for a closer walk with Jesus?
With prayer and remembrance, Fr. Ron
Listen to “On the Margins”. This broadcast comes from Mater Dei Radio 88.3. John the Baptist calls us to a baptism of repentance. We are to prepare a life, a path, a home for Christ in our world. John prepares us for the second coming of Christ. The Second Sunday of Advent, December 6, 2015.
Stream live On The Margins on KBVM 88.3FM on Saturdays at 3:45pm and Sundays at 8am.
