Advent is a time dedicated to preparation. Preparation for reliving Christmas, and preparation for Christ’s second coming at the end of the world. But most importantly, preparation for the coming of Jesus into our hearts. And most practically, it’s an opportunity to get out ahead of the busyness of life and get the most out of Christmas.
If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing, what would it be? This question has made for some fascinating reflection and prayer times for me over the years.
When faced with a decision, Fr. Mike recommends we ask four questions: is it a good door? It is an open door? Is it a wise door? Do I want it?
I think we can all agree that relationships are both necessary and risky. As painful as my shoulder injury was, it pales in comparison to the emotional pain I’ve experienced from being hurt by other people. If I had a choice between reliving my shoulder injury or reliving the worst time someone hurt me, I’d go back up the wall, and this time I’d aim for style points.
I used to tell everyone I was bad at violin. For a long time I genuinely believed it. I first felt this in high school. I still remember an instructor telling me after an underwhelming assessment: ‘John, you’ve plateaued.’ Those words stuck with me as I prepared for my second attempt at auditioning for the top level orchestra at our school.
It’s so easy to get so caught up in viewing things from the perspective of our financial limitations that we can forget what we truly want. Even worse, we can close our ears to what God wants for our lives. I’ve seen time and time again that when money is the only good reason against doing something, it’s worth taking a second look at our options from a posture of prayer. When I asked myself in prayer what I would do if I had an infinite amount of money, the matter was instantly clarified: “of course I would go learn Spanish, and of course I’d go support my brother seminarian at his ordination.” As I realized this, the following words rang in my heart: “God is generous.”