Advent Blog

One of Us

Written by Fr. Ben Hawley, SJ on the Nativity of the Lord

It was 72 degrees in New York City yesterday morning, December 24. How do we celebrate Christmas Day? These are surprisingly real questions. Christmas Day honors the birth of the Savior of the World, and yet the image of a White Christmas can be vivid in our imaginations. But 72 degrees? What do I do with this reality?

The discomfort and amazement that many of us feel about 72 degree weather on Christmas Day remind us how strong the cultural associations of Christmas are in our spirits. This discomfort and amazement ask us to reconsider what we actually believe about this special day. What do I believe? How can I best observe that day?

Our fundamental belief as Catholic Christians is that God, the Divine Creator, the Ultimate Other became one of us today, became one united with us in a way that lifts us up into union with the Divinity – each of us and all of us. The person of Jesus of Nazareth is rightly the focal point of the holiday and the reality that makes my life and your life worth living, because without him- we discover- we can do nothing.

A recent meme on Facebook urged us not only to keep Christ in Christmas but also to keep Christ in Christians. What a great reminder! The baby born today is born inside each one of us. Our fundamental task in life is to see him there in me, to see him there in you and in all everywhere, and be reverent and joyful to one and all. May this Divine reality and peace be manifest in us all!

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Fr. Benjamin Hawley, SJ
Fr. Ben, as Jesuit priest, has served as Pastor and Director of Catholic Campus Ministry since August 2010. As pastor his ministry focus is helping the parish be “the field hospital for the wounded,” per Pope Francis, where people discover Jesus’ liberation and healing. He also leads a communion service each game day for UM players and coaches of the football team. Following his ordination in June 2000 Fr. Ben served as President of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School of Indianapolis until 2006. Prior to becoming Catholic in 1988, Fr. Ben worked for the Agency for International Development, the foreign assistance program of the US Government.
Email: pastorstmarys@gmail.com

The Joy of the Unadulterated Soul

Written by Brendan Dailey on Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent

I went for a run one day, a little over a month ago, taking advantage of (what I thought would be) rare 60° weather on a mid-November afternoon. During my brief jaunt through my subdivision and nearby park, I for some reason had found myself drawn to four different children that were out and about in the great weather. I love kids, but this was more than that; there was something more tugging at my attention. After reflecting on it a little bit, I realized that there was something they all had in common – whatever it was they were doing outside, it was with a pure, innocent joy.

As I’ve grown older, my own childhood innocence has receded, replaced instead with the temptations and sins that ensnare me. But these children serve as a reminder to me of what it’s like to live with the exuberance, wonderment, and enthusiasm of an unadulterated soul.

Today’s Gospel tells us that Zechariah prophesies of his own son “You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way”. As John grows into this prophet, preparing the way of the Lord, he becomes the voice that cries out in the desert, calling us to follow Jesus. As our journey through Advent comes to a conclusion, I pray that I, and you, might hear John’s cry in the cries of laughter and joy of children, our little companions on this journey of life. May their joy serve as a reminder to us to prepare our hearts for Jesus, and to let ourselves experience Christ’s love with the awe, wonder, and exuberance of a child.

Questions for Reflection:
As I’m preparing for the Christmas season, what am I worried or anxious about, instead of joyfully focusing on celebrating Christ’s birth?
Can I let these things go as a final act of Advent preparation?

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Brendan Dailey
Brendan is an alumni of the University of Michigan and currently works for the University as an IT professional. He is a member of the Graduate Student and Young Professional lead team, and frequents the 12 pm Mass.
Email: bdailey@umich.edu 

Who has Your Back?

Written by Karen Thomas on Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

This Advent I had the blessing of catching up with a childhood friend that I had not seen in 15 years.  While our childhood friendship was filled with playing games, having sleepovers, and listening to Bon Jovi, it also included a shared belief in Jesus Christ.  Our faith was not the center of every conversation and interaction, but it was an underlying connection that strengthened our friendship and understanding of each other.

As adults, we have both continued to grow in our faith through a personal relationship with Jesus and by finding God in our relationships and life experiences.  Coincidentally, we have both been thrown some health related curve balls, me about ten years ago and hers is a present day challenge.  As she shared with me her current joys and struggles, she also reiterated her  complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ and his plan for her.  This faith and trust is not blind, but rooted firmly in the knowledge that God is doing great things with her life.  She knows that she does not need to be afraid, because he will not let her go.   Her words resonated deeply with my own experience and reminded me that God truly does have our back and calls us to be Christ for each other so that we too can have each other’s backs.

In reading today’s gospel, I was most struck by the shared truth that Elizabeth and Zechariah proclaimed about God by naming their son John.  While their neighbors and relatives did not understand the choosing of a non-family name, Elizabeth and Zechariah proclaimed the name, “John” with strength and faith.  Rooted in faith and standing strong together, they beautifully cooperated with God’s plan for their family and ultimately God’s plan for the world.

I believe that for Jennifer and I, our faith in God will always be a shared source of strength and joy.  Despite not being geographically close we can still have each others backs.  

Questions for Reflection:
Remember a friend or family member who has had your back.  How have they supported you in your life and faith journey?  Say a prayer of thanksgiving for their presence in your life.
Reflect on how God might be calling you to share your faith with a friend or family member this Christmas Season.  Who needs to hear the Good News from you?

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Karen Thomas
Karen is a native of Southeast Michigan and a graduate of the University of Michigan.  Prior to her work at SMSP, she served and worked with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, completed an MA in Pastoral Ministry at Marygrove College in Detroit, and was trained in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd method of religious education.  She serves as the Campus Minister for Family Faith Formation and lives in Ann Arbor with her husband Mike and two daughters.
Email: kbthomas@smspnewman.org

Seeing and Being the Light

Written by Meredith Burke on Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Lonnie Baker, known to many as someone who is not known to many. Lonnie may be known to some as “that man” who sells “those newspapers” on “the street.” To me, Lonnie is known as my friend.

Lonnie and I became friends last winter during a time when I was craving friendship with an honest, genuine person. It was during a time when I had many honest, genuine people in my life but was blinded by my experiences with mental health and was not appreciating or reciprocating my relationships with others. During this time, I did not see God in my life and only saw darkness, when in reality, there was so much light.

Every conversation and interaction with Lonnie restored my sense of be-ing. With frequent spiritual references and his “stick-to-it-iveness,” I called Lonnie the “Living Testament.” Lonnie gave me advice, Lonnie listened, and most importantly, Lonnie loved. And he still does.

During the past few weeks, I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend more time with Lonnie in hopes of sharing more of his story through photographs. We have become better friends and Lonnie has consistently taught me something “en-life-ening” each time we are together.

Lately, I have been looking at life as a compendium of mini moments. It is the mini moments that begin to define the big moments and who one is as a person. It is the mini moments with friends and family, doing what makes you smile (swinging on the playground for me), that begin to restore a sense of light in times when the light might be difficult to see.

I’d like to leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Leo Buscaglia:

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

Questions for reflections:
How do you see God in all beings?
How can you give of yourself to make someone and the world a better place?
What makes you smile?
Who are you going to show “I love you” to today?

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Meredith Burke
Meredith is a person who has found herself to be studying “all of the above.” Ready or not, she will be graduating in the near future with a degree in Environmental Studies and minor in Urban Studies. She currently serves as the Intern for Social Justice at St. Mary’s.  In whatever Meredith does, she hopes to help make smiles among her fellow earthly beings. You can usually spot her wearing polka dots, swinging on the swings at Wurster Park, or becoming friends with every dog in her vicinity.
Email: merburke@umich.edu

Love STILL takes the Risk

Written by Abby Braun on the Fourth Sunday of Advent

This is no time for a child to be born,
With the earth betrayed by war and hate
And a comet slashing the sky to warn
That time runs out and the sun burns late.

That was no time for a child to be born,
In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;
Honour and truth were trampled by scorn–
Yet here did the Saviour make his home.

When is the time for love to be born?
The inn is full on the planet earth,
And by a comet the sky is torn–
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.

-The Risk of Birth, An Advent Poem
– Madeleine L’Engle (1973)

Darkness is the word that has resonated with me the most this Advent season. The world feels heavy these days, full of so much violence, hatred, and fear. We prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ on December 25, but we know that it won’t be a magic fix for the problems of the world. Christmas will come and go, and terrorism, poverty, racism and injustice of all kinds will still exist. The struggles in our own lives will not disappear.

Fr. John Ferrone said recently that he often feels like he is perpetually in the season of Advent, that it never really ends. Amen to that. This week we will celebrate the birth of Jesus, remembering that day two thousand years ago that our savior was born and also rejoicing that Christ continues to make a home within each one of us. And yet we will still find ourselves waiting for that second coming of Christ, for God to redeem all that is broken in our world and in our own hearts.

For some strange reason, I find relief in the knowledge that the world in which Mary conceived and gave birth was just as troubled as our world is today. God chose to be born into that messy world and ever since has chosen to be born into the mess and chaos of our current reality. Indeed, Love still takes the risk of birth. That Love may not have “fixed” all the problems just yet, but it makes a big difference if we allow it.

I read an interesting reflection by Krista Tippet yesterday and was especially struck by this line: “There is something audacious and mysterious and reality-affirming in the assertion that has stayed alive for two thousand years that God took on eyes and ears and hands and feet, hunger and tears and laughter and the full, joy and pain and gratitude and our terrible, redemptive human need for each other.” Yes, that is exactly it. Our redemptive human need for each other.

This is what today’s Gospel is about.  Elizabeth and Mary needed one another to bring John and Jesus into the world. We need one another too. We need each other as we cooperate with God to continue to bring Christ into the world. This is also a risky venture, to rely on one another.  But Love has paved the way for us. So let us remember, as we enter into this final week of Advent, that we were created to walk this road together. Let us take the risk to be companions on the journey.

Questions for Reflection:
Where are you most in need of help or companionship from someone else?
What is keeping you from taking the risk?

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Abby Braun
Abby has served as a campus minister at St. Mary’s since 2012.  After studying theology at the University of Notre Dame (BA ’05) and Pastoral Ministry at the University of Dayton (MA ’08), Abby spent four years as a Campus Minister at Saint Louis University where she met her husband, Bob.  She is especially grateful to be a part of a Jesuit Parish that serves a University community.  Abby works part-time at St. Mary’s and spends the rest of her days at home/toddling around Ann Arbor with her daughter, Eleanor.
Email: aabraun@umich.edu

*Image credit: Visitation by Mary Southard, CSJ

Strength in the Darkness

Written by  Colleen McClain on Friday of the Third Week of Advent

Advent often feels like a “wake-up call” of the most intimate sort.  I imagine a hushed, excited voice calling out to me: Prepare! Awake! Arise!

But as on many frosty mornings, it takes me a moment to get up.  Even at the end of this third week of Advent, my heart longing for Christ, I lie in the dark and pause.

Am I really ready?

It’s in this pause—breath before speech; darkness before light; silence before rising—that God waits for me. The pause is quietly beautiful and piercingly difficult.  With all my walls and comfort zones stripped away, leaving just my heart and His presence, do I quiver from excited restlessness?  Or is that fear?

I imagine it’s a bit of both, and that Joseph’s reaction upon waking wasn’t all that different.  We hear of his dream in today’s Gospel.  The angel of the Lord appears in the dark of night and reassures him: Do not be afraid.

I’m reminded that even in the darkness, I’m far from the first to feel this way—nor the first to be rescued and embraced.  Tidings of comfort and joy, indeed.

So I continue, one cautious foot in front of the other, God with me.  A pilgrimage sometimes easy and sometimes excruciating; some steps blocked by my remaining, most stubborn of thorns; but all of them toward a wellspring of mercy and the radiance of Christ.

And there, in the darkness with all else stripped away, comes strength.  Perhaps my prayer is as song—the pause not just a rest, a breath between moments or measures, but a lift propelling me forward to a stronger voice.

O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
-O Antiphons, December 18

Suggestion for Prayer/ Questions for Reflection:
Spend some time in the silence this week.
Where does the coming light of Christ touch you?
What does it illuminate?
What needs to be stripped away for you to receive His light?

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Colleen McClain
Colleen is a PhD student in the Michigan Program in Survey Methodology at the Institute for Social Research (ISR).  When not at ISR, she can still usually be found on Thompson Street—serving with the Grad/YP and Small Church Community leadership teams or the noon choir at St. Mary Student Parish—or taking up residence at a coffeeshop a few blocks away.
Email: colleen.a.mcclain@gmail.com

Family Trees and the Paschal Mystery

Written by Michael Miller on Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

Each Christmas vacation, I have to travel a long way to see my family. While on the road, I anticipate a number of things: freshly baked molasses cookies, being in a (slightly) warmer climate and lots of laughter. I am related to some genuinely hilarious people and, soon after arrival, I can expect my cheeks to be hurting after hours of jokes and funny stories.

I hear about the latest antics of my nieces and nephews. We tell the stories that get told every year about that one time you-know-who did you-know-what. Although it’s been told so many times we know it by heart, we still laugh as if it was the first time we ever heard it.

While I love to share in this joy and laughter, I await other kinds of stories. These are the stories of suffering and struggle that are hard to hear. I’ll learn about the cousin who is having a hard time in school or the uncle who had to have an emergency open heart surgery.

In today’s Gospel, Matthew gives us the genealogy of Jesus Christ. This places Jesus in the context of salvation history and connects him to key figures like Abraham and King David. At first glance, it is simply a list of names – many of which are too difficult for me to pronounce and don’t seem to mean anything. But, if I look a little closer, I see the names of many of our foremothers and forefathers, each of whom has a lifetime of stories. The community Matthew was writing for would know their names and know their stories. Each person on Jesus’ family tree would have fun hilarious stories as well as stories of heartbreak and sorrow.

I hear these stories as an invitation to enter into the Paschal Mystery – Jesus’ life, suffering, death and resurrection. It is our hope, that, as followers of Christ, we share not only in His joy and suffering of life, but also in His resurrection. Our stories can serve as a reminder to fully enter into the Paschal Mystery.

Suggestion for Prayer/ Question for Reflection:
Listen for all the stories shared at your next family gathering.
How do these stories connect you with the Paschal Mystery?

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Michael Miller, Jr.
Michael is a husband, father and Regional Chief Mission Officer for Saint Joseph Mercy Health System. He’s studied philosophy, theology and bioethics, but wishes he would have paid more attention in that computer science class during the spring semester of ‘96. You can follow him on twitter @michaelmillerjr.
Email: michaelmillerjr@gmail.com

Suffering: the Pathway to Growth and Joy

Written by Bill Sbordon on Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

Emmanuel means, “God with us”. We need to remember in our times of trial that God sent us Jesus as a new light for love and hope, and that he is always with us as we prepare for his birth this Advent.

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“…affliction produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” – Romans, 5:3-5

When I was young, I’d often go to the lake with my family in the summer. My favorite toy to bring to the beach was a boogie-board. While out in the water, one of the games my sister and I created was to see who could stand on the board the longest when it was underwater. No matter how long we tried to stay on, the force that pushed up on the boogie-board would always drive it up to the surface, and leave it floating on the water.

It’s difficult to staying floating when everything around you tries to keep you submerged. Every person goes through a period of suffering in his/her life. You may feel lonely; you may feel like your trial will never end. It will – it always does. In our vulnerability during this time, our relationship with God will grow so much deeper than it already is. We’ll gain endurance, character, and most importantly, hope. God fills us with his love in our hope. He’s always there for you. He wants you to become the person you can be.

In the end, suffering is a pathway to growth and joy. Our suffering produces a greater love with God. He’s the force that pushes you out of your hard times and into a new, joyous person. Like the boogie-board, you won’t stay submerged forever. You’ll fly out of the depths and into a new light.

Questions for Reflection:  
How do I stay afloat in troubled times? How has God helped me in my suffering?

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Bill Sbordon
Bill is a young professional and part of the Grad Student/Young Professionals group at St. Mary’s. He graduated from the University of Michigan as an industrial engineer in 2012 and has been a part of St. Mary Student Parish since 2014.
Email: bsbordon89@gmail.com

Change your Minds

Written by Rita Zyber on Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

It’s pink candle week, the time in Advent when we focus on the joy that awaits us – simply because of God’s great love for us and the super-abundance of gifts he showers on us.

Today’s readings certainly give us cause for joy. Jesus shows us (despite the tricky questions) that we always have a chance to repent – to change our minds and believe.

I am honored to have the job of coordinating our RCIA sessions, which help people to learn and grow in the Catholic faith. We focus a lot on conversion, though we rarely use that word. In reality, our candidates are the ones who show us about true conversion. Somehow, somewhere, they’ve heard God calling. They have responded and are working hard toward greater belief. Their unique stories feed my own faith every year.

St. Paul reminds us that conversion happens when we are able to think and act so much like Christ that we literally “clothe ourselves” in Christ (Galatians 3: 27) and become a new creation. So conversion is about turning away from the distractions of life – from anything that’s an obstacle to God. It’s about slowly shifting our minds – and hearts – so that they are in alignment with God, like a flower that bends toward the sun.

Of course, that’s not always easy. Jesus reminds us that there’s a lot of work to do in the vineyard. In all of our human-ness, we don’t always run willingly to do that work. Conversion is an ongoing process for all of us. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. But what joy we have in knowing that we can always try again. It’s simple, Jesus says, “change your minds and believe.”

Questions for Reflection:
Have I failed to follow through on an action that might help someone else?
What distraction can I turn away from today in order to turn closer to God?

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Rita Zyber
Rita joined the staff in June of 2014 to assist with RCIA sessions. Rita has previous staff experience at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Ann Arbor, as well as years of volunteer service in religious education, stewardship, music ministry and RCIA. She is also a freelance writer. She and her husband, Frank, have two college-age daughters, Claire and Lauren.
Email: rzyber@smspnewman.org

Surrender to the Truth