You are invited to share any thoughts, opinions, discoveries or writings in the attached “second cup” page.
Advent Week 1
Sunday, 12/2/12
Jeremiah 33:14-16, Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14, 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2, Luke3 21:25-28, 34-36
As this the first day of Advent, reflect on your expectations and desires for Advent, remembering, that these don’t always dovetail. Sometimes we focus on our to-do lists, especially at Christmas time, but Advent is not about task completion, it is about our relationships with God, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, various saints and one another. Reflect on your expectation and desire for this Advent season in terms of the relationships in your life.
Monday, 12/3/12
Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122:1-9, Matthew 8:5-11
In today’s readings, Isaiah writes about the day when foreigners travel to Jerusalem, and Jesus is approached by a centurion, an outsider to Judaism. Reflect on a time when you were an outsider, or a foreigner, focusing not only on feelings, but also what you were able to witness that “insiders” might not be able to see as clearly or in the same way.
Tuesday, 12/4/12
Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17, Luke 10:21-24
“His delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” In our culture we view fear as a bad thing. However, in our relationship with God, we are meant to be both enamored, desiring union, and to also fear Him. Explore your own understanding of “the fear of the Lord,” and how you personally reconcile societal views of fear, fear of the Lord, and desire and love for God.
Wednesday, 12/5/12
Isaiah 25:6-10, Psalm 23:1-6, Matthew 15-29-37
When we hear the story of the loaves and the fishes, we focus on the miracle itself, but there are many parts that are essential to the event; a) a great number of people are healed, b) they praise God in thanksgiving, c) Jesus shares his concerns for them with disciples, d) disciples find resources as instructed, e) disciples request the people to sit down, f) the people do as they are told, g) Jesus gives thanks, h) Jesus breaks the bread, i) disciples pass out the bread, j) the people are taken care and offer more praise and thanksgiving. There are many thoughts to respond to, but consider who you are in this story, one of the crowd, a disciple, or Jesus, as in provider, healer. Also think about where you are in this journey, are you giving thanks, for example, or are you eating? If you are a disciple, are you listening to Christ’s concerns or are you passing out bread?
Thursday, 12/6/12
Isaiah 26:1-6, Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27, Matthew 7:21-27
A wise man certainly builds his house on a solid foundation; however, sometimes we are still overcome by the storm, regardless of our careful planning. In the recent hurricane, eighty houses on Long Beach Island in NJ survived the storm itself, but then caught fire because of the gas leaks. In Jesus’ metaphor the foundation is the as underpinnings. However, in present-day reality, there are things under our foundations, such as metaphorical gas lines, that can cause unforeseen and untold damage. Reflect on the gas lines in your own spiritual life.
Friday, 12/7/12
Isaiah 29:17-24, Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14, Matthew 9-27-31
The blind men identify Jesus as “special.” When people tell us we are special or unique in any way we often respond with embarrassment, self-effacement and even negation. Often we do not actually hear and register the words or meaning of the identification. However, if you are engaged in a relationship with God and are working to deepen the relationship you are also identifiable as one of God’s own. Who identifies you as special, as one of God’s own? What do they say? What is God trying to communicate to you specifically? What are they seeing that moves them to say kind words?
Saturday, 12/8/12; Immaculate Conception
Genesis 3:9-15, Psalm 98:1-4, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12, Luke 1:26-38
At some point in your life, the Holy Spirit has overshadowed you. Sometimes, as with Mary, it is grand and obvious, at other times it is subtle and so gentle that we only know He has visited us by what remains, what could not have existed unless He had visited. Explore both such experiences of the Holy Spirit in your life. If you struggle to identify such incidents, you may want to reflect on the word ‘overshadowed’ itself.
Advent Week 2
Sunday, 12/9/12
Baruch 5:1-9, Psalm 126:1-6, Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11, Luke 3:1-6
Like John there are times in which we are lone voices singing our song in the desert; but then, also like John, there are times when suddenly people are listening to us and we are taken by surprise. Reflect on a time when you were not heard, yet passionately expressing yourself, and then follow by reflecting on time or situation in which you were heard, much to your astonishment.
Monday, 12/10/12
Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalm 85:9-14, Luke 5:17-26
The gospel story about the friends who lower the paraplegic man through the roof reminds us to reflect on our friends. What have you done for them, what have they done for you? Is there any action you should undertake, or gesture of gratitude you should make? You could also write either a character profile, or about a situation which requires gratitude for the friendship.
Tuesday, 12/11/12
Isaiah 40:1-11, Psalm 96:1-3, 10-13, Matthew 18:12-14
Thomas Merton writes, “Good Shepard, You have a wild and crazy sheep in love with thorns and brambles. But please don’t’ get tired of looking for me! I know You won’t. For You have found me. All I have to do is stay found.” Respond to this quote, think about your own experiences of either physically or metaphorically being lost, and found. You could also reflect on a situation in which you found someone or something, and reunited him or her to whom he or she belonged.
Wednesday, 12/12/12
Zechariah 2:14-17, Judith 13:18-19, Luke 1:26-38
Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we also celebrate Juan Diego. Juan Diego had a vision of Mary after demanding a sign of God’s love. We often have mystical experiences, even in our age, but we discount them and label them as products of our imagination or day-dreams. Write about a mystical experience, including your explanation of the experience at the time, and how the experience changed you.
Thursday, 12/13/12
Isaiah 41:13-20, Psalm 145:1, 9-13, Matthew 11:11-15
Jesus speaks of the violence of love. While this idea causes us some confusion and discomfort, in Poetry and Prayer, Murray Bodo states that tension is needed for authentic prayer, as well as authentic poetry. Explore this idea in terms of the tensions you experience currently, and how they either draw you to or create distance from God.
Friday, 12/14/12
Isaiah 48:17-19, Psalm 1:1-4, 6, Matthew 11:16-19
We sometimes respond to others in the same way the children in Jesus’ parable did—we just don’t want to play. God, however, is rather playful. Explore a situation in which God was asking you to come out and play. What was your response? What would you do next time? How will you remain open to His invitation to play, the next time He asks you to join Him?
Saturday, 12/15/12
Sirach 48;1-4, 9-11, Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19, Matthew 17:9-13
We think of a prophet as someone who tells the future, but he or she is more than that. A biblical prophet observed the present, commented on the role of the past in the present, and spoke of what would happen in the future if the present did not change. Reflect on how past trespasses influence the present, the reconciliation required now and what the future holds if you don’t make these changes.
Advent week 3 to Christmas
12/16 Sunday
Zephaniah 3:14-18, Isaiah 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:10-18
John urged people to repent, clearly stating that he was preparing people to accept Jesus. Likewise, when we are loving, joyful, compassionate and at peace, we are preparing others to accept or deepen their relationship with the Trinity. Frequently, however, people see only the flesh and blood in front of them and miss the message of God’s love. Reflect on a time when you sensed God’s presence, but others saw only you, appearing to miss the presence of Christ. How did you feel at the time, how do you feel looking back, could have done anything differently?
12/17 Monday
Genesis 49:2, 8-10, Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8, 17, Matthew 1:1-17
One of the fascinating things about the bible, both testaments, is that we are all the characters in each story. Jesus’ ancestors included Jacob the cheat, Rahab the prostitute, David the murderer, and Solomon the idolator. God use our “bad” decisions, motives and attitudes for good. While that does not give us a blank check to “be bad,” it gives us hope. Remember some of your past sins, and reflect on the good that God has made of them.
12/18 Tuesday
Jeremiah 23:5-8, Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19, Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph had the strength of character to willingly accept the injustice and frustration of other people’s misunderstanding and negative judgements of the situation between himself and Mary. When have you faced a situation in which you knew you would be negatively judged and censored on misperceptions that you could do nothing about?
12/19 Wednesday
Judges 13:2-7, 24-25, Psalm 71:3-6, 16-17, Luke 1:5-25
Like Zechariah, we go to church in the name of obligation, we go, we pray, a little distracted by the boy with ADHD in front of us, or the lady with the hats singing off-key, loudly. We leave feeling good, but not necessarily moved. However, once in a blue moon, the spirit grabs us quite unaware and mass has changed or enlightened us somehow. Write about one of those times.
12/20 Thursday
Isaiah 7:10-14, Psalm 24:1-6, Luke 1:26-38
We don’t typically ask God for a sign because we don’t want to challenge Him, or set ourselves up for disappointment. If we are brave enough to ask Him for a sign, we typically tell Him what sign we are expecting. Also, often, we are uncertain as to what we want a sign of, His existence, His Love, His mercy? What, exactly? Think about the last time you received a sign from God that you are aware of and write. Then reflect on the other things that have happened to you since that point that could have been signs of God’s presence.
12/21/12, Friday
Song of Songs 2:8-14, Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21, Luke 1:39-45
Imagery of God as Lover is explored in Song of Songs. Explore societal expectations of a “lover,” as well as your own perceptions. Does the imagery make you uncomfortable? What God is trying to communicate to you through your discomfort, as well as where He might be leading you that you might be resisting? If you are comfortable with the imagery, write a poem or a love letter to God.
12/22/12, Saturday
Luke 1:46-56, 1 Samuel 1:24-28, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8
In “Canticle of Mary: A Song of Revolutionary Praise” Alex Neroth van Vogelpoel discusses Mary’s canticle in terms of liberation theology. Reflect on what Christ’s birth, ministry, death and resurrection have freed you from. You may also want to read his article and respond to it, or research liberation theology. http://alexnvv.axspace.com/documents/Magnificat.pdf
12/23/12, Sunday
Micah 5:1-4, Psalm 80:15-16, 18-19, Hebrew 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45
Sometimes we met someone who strikes us as holy, or special to God. How have you responded to that person? What were your feelings then, and now, upon reflection?
12/24/12, Monday
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16, Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29, Luke 1:67-69
Compare Zechariah’s canticle to Mary’s. How are they similar, different? Write your own canticle.
12/26/12, Wednesday
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59, Psalm 31:3-4, 6, 8, 16-17, Matthew 10:17-22
Reread your Advent journal, your “on my own” retreat. What have you grown or changed since the beginning?
© 2012 Marilyn MacArthur, all rights reserved
Writing to Pray 