The Lord be with you… and with you [Now] and with your spirit.
You notice this weekend that we have begun using the New Translation of the Roman Missal. The Church found that what we were using here in the United States was a little off so an adjustment is needed.
The prophet Isaiah proclaims in today’s first reading: “Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?”
Life is a journey and sometimes we need to make adjustments along the way. For some reason in God’s plan of freedom he does allow us to “Wander”.
There is a movie that I’m very excited to see called “The Way” If you haven’t heard of it yet it is a movie directed by Emilio Estevez and his real life father Martin Sheen (Who by the way is a Devout Catholic and took his screen name after Fulton Sheen).
The movie opens with a scene of father, Tom, and son, Daniel, driving to the airport. The son is begging his father: “You should fly with me… Come on a father son trip it will be fun.”
“When you coming back?” His father asks.
“I don’t know.”
“So you don’t have a plan?… You know most people don’t have the luxury of just picking up and leaving it all behind.”
“Well I’m not most people.”
“My life here might not seem like much to you, but it’s the life I choose.”
“You don’t choose a life dad, you live one.”
Sometime later the father receives a phone call that his son was dead. He was killed in an accident during a freak storm in the Pyrenees while making the Camino de Santiago de Campostela, the centuries-old pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago, Spain. The father goes to France to reclaim his son’s body. When he learns that his son was making “the Way” – the traditional name for the pilgrimage – Tom impulsively decides to take his son’s backpack and gear and to complete the pilgrimage in Daniel’s memory.
Though he prefers to keep to himself, Tom finds himself journeying with three other pilgrims – all very different personalities, all with their own reasons for undertaking the 800-kilometer trek: A bitter Canadian divorcee treks to St. James to quit smoking, but finds forgiveness and acceptance along the way; a gregarious Dutchman wants to shed his excess weight, but discovers the kindness and joy within him; an Irish writer is looking for a story for a novel but rediscovers his lost faith; and Tom goes to spread Daniel’s ashes but comes to a new understanding and loving respect for his son.
Their journey is quietly transforming. Tom along with the others find that their hardened hearts begin to break and soften. During their trek, Tom and his fellow travelers help one another discover the difference between “the life we live and the life we choose.”
We can’t always choose the life that we are living, but we can choose to live it differently. Advent is a time to make some adjustments along the journey. Just as the Church realized that we needed to make adjustments to the way that we pray the mass, we too need to look at our own lives and make adjustments along the way.
As we enter into this Season of Advent are there any adjustments that you need to make in your life?
Are there any adjustments that you need to make in the way that you pray?
Are there any adjustments that you need to make as you continue the journey and prepare for the Second Coming?
Allow this time of Advent to be a retreat for you, a preparation for Christmas. Commit to some time to pray or learn a new way of praying.
Go to a presentation at your parish. St. Joseph is having their annual Advent Day:
Advent Day 2011 – Sunday, Nov. 27th
Join us in the Social Hall for these activities!
Begin with LUNCH following Noon Mass (about 1:00 PM).
We’ll have salad, soup, sandwiches, & goodies for dessert!
Reservation can made at the parish office – 988-2848
At 1:45 PM, our own Fr. Michael will present:
“Enter the Manger: Contemplating Advent”
Do an online Advent Retreat:
Fr. Larry Gillick is an amazing priest that I met years ago and hosts one online: http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/AudioRetreat/Gillick-Advent/gillick-advent.html
Make a retreat:
The Jesuit Retreat House in Parma http://www.jrh-cleveland.org/
Loyola of the Lakes Retreat House http://www.loyolaretreathouse.com/loyola/default.shtml
Go on your own pilgrimage to one of our shrines in Ohio and spend the day in prayer
Begin reading a good Spiritual Book:
Here are my favorites: http://fathermichaeldenk.blogspot.com/p/fr-michaels-favorite-spiritual-reading.html
Also Check out all of the links as you scroll down the right side of my blog.
Read the latest edition of our newsletter with an article beautifully written by Diane Peabody about “The Journey”.
Make some adjustments to get back on the right path!
Isaiah asks “Why do you let us wander Lord.” Have you wandered from the path?
Isaiah asks “Why do you let us harden our hearts?” Have your heart been hardened?This Advent can be a time for you to make the adjustments you need to continue the journey.
Isaiah asks “Why do you let us harden our hearts?” Have your heart been hardened?This Advent can be a time for you to make the adjustments you need to continue the journey.
