O Root of Jesse!

O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid. ~O Antiphon for December 19

Do You not give fecundity to the root hidden underground, and can You not, if You so will, make this darkness in which You are pleased to keep me, fruitful? Live then, little root of my heart, in the deep, invisible heart of God; and by its power, send forth branches, leaves, flowers and fruits, which, although invisible to yourself, are a pure joy and nourishment to others. Without consulting your own taste, give of your shade, flowers, and fruit to others. May all that is grafted on you receive that indeterminate sap which will be known only by the growth and appearance of those same grafts. Become all to all, but as to yourself remain abandoned and indifferent. Remain in the dark and narrow prison of your miserable cocoon, little worm, until the warmth of grace forms you, and sets you free. ~Rev. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J., in Abandonment to Divine Providence

O Mary, Virgin of Advent, blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!

A Season and a Time

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven," begins our first reading at Mass today (Eccl 3:1-11). I never tire of hearing this. Every season and time is valid and meaningful for me because every moment is God's gift to me. Indeed, as Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade writes in his timeless classic Abandonment to Divine Providence, "every moment reveals God to us," and that is enough for me. "There is never a moment when God does not come forward in the guise of some suffering or some duty," de Caussade goes on to say, "and all that takes place within us, around us and through us both includes and hides his activity." The time to be born reveals the Lord in His nativity; the time to die, His passion and death. The time to mourn draws us to Golgotha; the time to laugh, the empty tomb. The time to be silent leads us on the way of the Cross; the time to speak, on the road to Emmaus. "What God arranges for us to experience at each moment is the best and holiest thing that could happen to us," de Caussade explains, adding that "At every moment we should exclaim: 'It is the Lord!'" (Jn 21:7)

Dear Lord, thank you for putting the timeless into my heart so that I may long for You alone, the Eternal God. Whatever the seasons and times of this day, let me rejoice and be glad for You will be there, making everything beautiful as only You can. Amen.

Shadows

The angel told Mary: "The power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow" (Luke 1:35). Now this shadow is whatever duty, temptation, or trial that every moment presents to us. It is exactly like those natural shadows which veil and hide objects from our sight. These ever-present duties conceal the fact that they are expressions of the divine will. That is how Mary always saw them; so, far from being deceived by them, she had her faith strengthened in him who never changes. The archangel departs, for he is one of these shadows. He has had his moment. Mary has gone ahead of him and henceforth a great distance will separate them, but the Holy Spirit, who came upon her under the shadow of the archangel, will never leave her. ~from Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade

Dear Mary, my life is like yours, full of shadows. Help me to see them as hiding-places of our Father's adorable will. Teach me to do His will happily and serenely, faithfully and confidently, magnifying the Lord as you did with every heartbeat, every breath. Dearest Mary, Handmaid of the Lord, pray for me! Amen.

Photography Credit: "Fogged Farm" by Ann L. Krumrein