Category Archives: Advent 2023

Related Fact

Advent 2023, Advent Reflections, Hope

The psalm mentions the cherubim, who are the second highest rank within the nine orders or choirs of angels. Double winged and man like in appearance (although in the book of Ezekiel, they are given an even more otherworldly appearance), they are the guardians of God’s glory. The nine angelic choirs ranked, in order, are seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, arch angels, and angels.

This excerpt from One Sunday at a Time: Preparing Your Heart for Weekly Mass (Cycle B) is reprinted with permission of Ave Maria Press.

Beyond Words

Advent 2022, Advent 2023, Hope

We are a culture terrible at waiting. We are a microwave, ATM, movies on demand kind of society. We are a text happy, push notification people with express checkout and overnight delivery. We are a fast food culture, but we sometimes forget that this God we love and serve most often moves at a slow cooker pace. This is painful for us, his impatient children. God doesn’t mind keeping us waiting. One day for God is like a thousand human years (2 Pt 3:8).

With Christmas fast approaching, it gets more and more difficult
to wait on the coming of the Lord. We want the Santa decorations
put out before we’ve even had a chance to put the Halloween decor
away. St. Paul recognized this impatient, human longing; it’s why he
had to remind and encourage the Christians living in Corinth in this
second reading to be patient. “As you wait for the revelation of our
Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul wrote, “he will keep you firm to the end . . .because God is faithful.”

We can trust Isaiah’s words in the first reading, that the Lord will come in glory “for the sake of his servants.” God will send us a redeemer precisely because he loves us! While we wait, we need to be patient and watchful, living our lives in such a way that we are
ready for his return.

God doesn’t tell us the exact time he will come, but that is precisely because he loves us. For if we knew the exact date, how many of us would live sinfully until the last day, only to repent at the last moment? Knowledge of God’s exact plan and timing could breed
even more sin than ignorance of God. In this way, we are reminded to keep watch, to always be ready, and to be patient with the Lord. Despite the habits instilled by our modern culture, the best thing (God) is worth the wait.

This excerpt from One Sunday at a Time: Preparing Your Heart for Weekly Mass (Cycle B) is reprinted with permission of Ave Maria Press.

Challenge for the Week

Advent 2023, Advent Reflections, Hope

Challenge for the Week

This week, when it best works practically, fast from knowing the
time for an hour, an afternoon, or a day. Do not look at your phone
or clock once. Embrace the given moment with complete presence
of heart, mind, body, and spirit. Take the time to journal afterward
about your experience, and reflect on how you can try to make this
practice of being fully present a more common occurrence in your
life.

This excerpt from One Sunday at a Time: Preparing Your Heart for Weekly Mass (Cycle B) is reprinted with permission of Ave Maria Press.

First Sunday of Advent

Advent 2023, Advent Reflections, Hope

God is Faithful

Opening Prayer

Lord, thank you for today. For the mystery, hope, and joy that come
in anticipation of all the good you have yet in store. Please be with
us in all our anxieties. Teach us how to have faith in your will for our future. Amen.

First Reading: Isaiah 63:16b–17, 19b; 64:2–7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 80:2–3, 15–16, 18–19
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3–9
Gospel: Mark 13:33–37

This excerpt from One Sunday at a Time: Preparing Your Heart for Weekly Mass (Cycle B) is reprinted with permission of Ave Maria Press.

Advent Reflections 2023

Advent 2023, Advent Reflections

The season of Advent is upon us. The celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ. Here, you will find Advent Reflections to help you prepare for Christmas. The daily passages this year are shared with you from Mark Hart’s book, One Sunday at a Time, and will begin posting on December 2, 2023. On December 25, the Christmas Season Reflections will start and continue through Baptism of the Lord on January 7. We hope that you will enjoy and share these Reflections with others. From all of us at Diocesan, God’s many blessings to you throughout the Season.

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