May your mysteries, O God,
kindle in us that fire of charity
with which St. Francis Xavier burned for the salvation of souls
so that, walking ever more worthily in our vocation,
we may obtain with him the reward you promise
to those who labor well in your harvest.
Through Christ our Lord.
How do we prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas? It is an important question at this time because preparation is what the season of Advent is all about. So, how are we preparing? Earlier this week the Catholic Church celebrated the memorial of one of the great Jesuit missionaries, St. Francis Xavier and I would like to use the prayer the Church offers us at the end of the celebration of the Mass before dismissal as a template of how we can prepare for the birth of our Lord and Savior by following the example of Francis Xavier.
May your mysteries, O God, kindle in us that fire of charity…what better way to begin our journey of preparation than to peer into the mystery of the Incarnation and find in it the fire of charity. God sent his only Son into the world so we may be saved, so we may inherit eternal life…the great act of charity. It is an act of charity we are called to live, become and share with others. It is looking outward towards others and discovering how best we can share the blessings of God’s love in stewardship of the gifts we have received from our Heavenly Father.
A few days ago a friend was sharing how he was putting up some Christmas decorations around his yard. Unexpectedly, a father and his children came across the street and volunteered to help him. This small act of charity on the part of the family relieved my friend, who is getting up there in age, of a small burden and also gave him much joy as he watched the young children excitedly go about the work of stringing some lights and setting up the decorations…which then led to some hot chocolate and cookies and the growth of neighborly friendship.
Burned for the salvation of souls…as sons and daughters of the living God we desire all to know Jesus Christ and to live in the grace and blessing of God’s love. Sharing this love, sharing the good news, sharing a small act, like the one described above, opens the door to God’s saving grace. People may get tired of me saying this…but…our work is to invite others into the great mystery of God’s presence, to be a true bearer of God’s Word, in the example of our Blessed Mother Mary. This means we must have courage to share our story and invite others into the mystery of God.
Walking ever more worthily in our vocation…we are reminded that the universal call to holiness is a call to live fully our vocation, whether as married, single, priest or consecrated religious and (here is the commercial) Creating a Culture of Vocation within our family and community is vital for building God’s kingdom. Charity at the center of our lives flowers in joy and the gift of love when we accept fully the blessing of our call to serve and sacrifice in the love of brother and sister. How do we practice this during this time of Advent preparation? Choosing words and actions which build up the holiness within our family and community.
Finally, We may obtain with him the reward you promise to those who labor well in your harvest. We look forward to Christmas morning with so much anticipation as children. We are literally bursting with excitement and joy in so many ways…this should be the same attitude we have for heaven…eager anticipation and joyful hope of the dawn of eternal life. Choosing to live life within the great mystery of the Incarnation, serving in charity, inviting others into the same joy of sacrificial love and growing in our vocation of holiness is the preparation of Advent and also of a life pointed towards heaven. May St. Francis Xavier and all the holy men and women who have gone before us help us to live our lives in the peace and blessing of the coming birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Through Christ our Lord.
Fr. Mark
