#adventreflection

Maranatha! Our Lord, come!

As we enter the quiet of Advent, we return to the ancient promise and the long road of expectation.

The prophets spoke of a light not yet seen. Generations kept watch in faith—carrying hope through silence, exile, and longing.

In this new work, we follow that path again: Old Testament prophecy, psalms, prayer, and the winter stillness of medieval Silesia, woven together in silent anticipation of the coming Light.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” —Isaiah 9:2 (RSVCE)

Advent begins in stillness. Advent begins in promise.

If you feel drawn to walk this path with us, we invite you to watch the full reflection:

May this Advent bring stillness, clarity, and the first glimmer of the promised Light.

...left by my local sign angel...

12/2020

by Laura A. Cassell, CEO

Not long ago, I wrote about a “Stop Littering” sign planted by someone on a busy street near my home. Well, my Sign Angel is at it again – this time with the simple message, “Don’t Give Up.”  For starters, it warms my heart that there are average people who care enough to share messages of hope with total strangers.  And boy, do we need hope after a year with COVID and so much other upheaval!

It also got me thinking about Advent and about the ultimate message of hope that we just celebrated – the Birth of Christ.  For more than 2,000 years people’s distressed spirits have been buoyed by the humble birth of an infant in a stable. Through all types of hardship, many worse than the recent pandemic – whether it be famine, depression, pestilence, disease, world wars – at year’s end, people have found their hope renewed by simply recounting what happened on that cold, quiet  night in Bethlehem so long ago.  This same birth is here for us now if only we can find a way to ease our restlessness and open our hearts to His power.

It’s telling that our Lord was NOT born into a situation of grandeur, or ease or even remote normalcy; as if to assure us – 2,000 years into the future – that when things look their bleakest we should turn our eyes to heaven and look for His star.  Indeed, our Savior was born into despair. His mother and father were traveling as strangers in a land that held no relations, gave them nowhere to rest, and promised only danger for their newborn child.  Yet the Holy family found solace that first holy night in the angels and the poor shepherds who came in from the fields. And lucky for us and for humanity, they did not lose hope.

While we tend to visualize Christ as the young carpenter who literally carried the cross to His own crucifixion, Advent reminds us that He first revealed Himself as a vulnerable baby with a powerful message of hope:  With God, there is always room for new beginnings and for that second chance. This belief is central to the mission of Catholic Charities.  For more than 60 years we’ve served neighbors who turn to our Church in their struggles – frail seniors, pregnant women, young mothers, veterans, immigrants, people with addictions and mental illness, developmental disabilities and many other challenges.  This past year, COVID brought many more to our doorstep with sickness, loss of loved ones, loss of jobs and even dreams.  And just like the innkeeper of Bethlehem, we opened our doors and made room, keeping hope alive and well in their hearts.  

This year that message is one we all ought to fervently cling to, individually and collectively, as a community of believers.  It’s been a year of trial on so many levels that it would be easy for us to throw up our hands and surrender but the infant Jesus won’t let us.  He promises us a new beginning and the opportunity to keep striving in His footsteps.  Advent is His personal invitation to renew our covenant with Him and not even COVID can limit us when we unite our hearts to unleash His HOPE on the world!

I am so grateful to my stealth, “Sign Angel” for the well-timed, covert inspiration. That little, road-side sign reminds each of us to use the power of the Holy season to ignite hope in the hearts of all people of goodwill throughout our country and the world.  

1 John 2:15

An Advent reflection for 12/30/2020: The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas - by Laura A. Cassell, CEO

                Do not love the world or the things of the world…

In a year dominated by the COVID pandemic, John’s caution not to love “the things of this world” carries particular weight, especially as we’re forced to contemplate the reality of those words in our day-to-day lives. To be sure, the virus has changed virtually every facet of how we behave and with whom we interact. For many of us, it has uncomfortably exposed the all too significant degree of attachment we have for the things of this world. Not only have we forgone communal events like concerts, movies, and shows of every kind, we’ve also had to sacrifice large weddings, baptisms and virtually all the personal gatherings we once took for granted. Simple things like a lunch with coworkers or a day at the beach have become carefully-executed and exceedingly rare projects if they even happen at all.  

Meanwhile, the practices of social distancing and mask wearing have had even more profound impacts. These necessary but heartbreaking restrictions have reduced our personal contact with each other while also leaving us with a tangible, emotional disconnect. We avoid all but the most necessary visits and our masks block the beauty of facial expressions which are so vital to true communication. All the Zoom meetings and Skype calls in the world could never match the authenticity of the human face.  

So while it’s clear that most of us have spent this year unhappily relinquishing “the things of this world,” I can’t help but wonder if we’ve used the time wisely. Have we spent these months lamenting these burdensome circumstances? Or, have we used this time to grow closer to God? This forced intermission in our ever-more busy lives might be considered an opportunity to re-evaluate what really matters. Clearly, our dependence on a loving and merciful God is on the minds of many. Will we simply forget this profound truth when this is all over?  

12/2019

by Laura A. Cassell, CEO 

A few months ago, one of the cellular phone carriers aired a television commercial that touched my heart. It featured a grandmother who was transformed by a smart phone that was imposed upon her by family. While Grandma was initially reluctant to even fiddle with this new-fangled gadget, she quickly progressed to texting, taking selfies, playing games and communicating with her grandchildren more than ever before. Eventually one of her granddaughters even helped Grandma post photos from her youth. They revealed to the entire younger generation the remarkable beauty, joy, heartache, trials and countless memorable experiences of their grandmother’s amazing life. The message was punctuated by the statement, “everyone realized they had been so worried about HOW grandma was, they had never stopped to ask WHO she was.”  

What a remarkable observation! We are once again reminded that in today’s fast paced world that it’s way too easy to reduce life to a checklist of tasks rather than to live and love in each precious moment.  This is an especially significant realization as Christmas and all its hustle and bustle fast approaches.  Perhaps you’re already wondering how you’ll finish all the shopping and dreaded gift-wrapping. Maybe it’s how you’ll find time to write cards, bake or cook. Or you might be geared up for the day after Thanksgiving and are already planning how to decorate your home. It’s natural to be a bit overwhelmed, but that’s what robs us of the season’s meaning and joy.  

Advent is our time to anticipate the gift of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Everything else is just a distraction from that one singular, most important to-do. So this year I respectfully suggest we heed the message of that wireless commercial and stay focused on the WHO of this Holy season. But HOW can that be done?

Well, we can begin by focusing on those words.  Just move the W and suddenly HOW becomes WHO. Then gradually go through your Christmas to-do list and replace the HOW with WHO.  WHO is the recipient of this greeting, this gift, these treats?  WHO will be around my Christmas table? WHO will be missing but be in our hearts? WHO will delight in the lights and décor? You’ll find that as we pen each card, wrap each package and bake each batch of cookies, the season will become a time of true appreciation for our loved ones. And gratitude flows from appreciation.        

This simple exercise will also help us see the reflection of Jesus in their familiar faces. Every kindness we share, each thoughtful message we write, every embrace will be a celebration of His love for us.  By keeping those we love in the bull’s eye of our preparations and celebrations, we keep Jesus at the center as well.  And that’s really the whole point of this holy season.