A reading from the Gospel according to Luke:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.”
Yesterday marked the start of the second week of Advent. Advent means waiting. Waiting can be boring, waiting can make us impatient, or waiting can be the cause of great anticipation. Either way, waiting requires stillness.
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Yet, when you look around you, do you see stillness, or do people seem busier than normal? Do you feel busier than normal? Sometimes, excessive busyness can result in not thinking about others. And yet, during Advent and the Christmas season following, more people experience hurt and loneliness than anytime of the year. For some, the Christmas season can be a reminder of losing loved ones. For example, tomorrow we will remember the women who lost their lives in a targeted shooting at the Polytechnique Montreal on December 6, 1989. For the families of these women, Christmas may not necessarily be a celebratory season. For others, Christmas can be a time of loneliness and isolation, especially those who are in need, in addition to carrying the burden of mental illness.
This Advent, whether you consider yourself Christian or not, we can all place greater effort on slowing down and noticing people around us and asking ourselves, how we can respond to them? How can we live just a little more for others during this time of the year?
Let us pray,
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Lord Jesus, I long to do your will. Give me the grace to see and respond to the needs around me and be with me always as I pray for the needs of all who suffer. Amen.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
