O Radiant Dawn: Isaiah 9:1-2 But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time God will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.
Music: O Radiant Dawn – James MacMillan
O Radiant Dawn, Splendor of eternal Light, Sun of Justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Isaiah had prophesied, The people who walked in darkness have seen the great light upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. Amen.
For Your Reflection:
Picture the most glorious sunrise you have ever seen.
O King of Nations: Isaiah 28:16-17 Therefore thus says the Lord God, See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: “One who trusts will not panic.” And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter of falsehood
Music: O Rex Gentium – Gloriae Dei Cantores
For Your Reflection
Many resist the title of “King” for God because it implies a hierarchy and separation from us.
However God is central and omnipotent to our lives. What does that mean for you?
God’s infinite power was inversely expressed in the Passion and Death of Jesus. What does that mean for your spiritual life?
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For me, there is always something magical about dark winter mornings. I think the feeling might be left over from childhood. Stretching on tiptoes then, I would peek over the window sill into that rich darkness to see if it had snowed. Had the silent night left a white playground awaiting me in the first glimmer of the morning?
The magic too may be a residue of many Christmas mornings when I would peer into the darkness for a glimpse of a vanishing Santa, hoping to surprise him before his undiscovered retreat. Even today on a winter morning, before I brew my tea, I look out into the darkness for the promise and surprise of the new day. Something of childlike hope stays in all our grown-up hearts.
But sometimes, darkness can be scary. It can cause us to lose our way. It can cover the familiar with a grey veil of unfamiliarity. But darkness can also reveal what we might otherwise overlook. The magnificence of the stars can only be realized in the dark. The gentle revelation of moonlight on the water is a gift only of the night.
My father died suddenly when I was still a young woman. His death was devastating to me and my family and I wondered why God had seemed to forget us. The deep mourning lasted for months, but I remember one night in the midst of it that changed everything.
It was a clear, almost purple evening. I had walked to the window, my soul still filled with the silent tears of a long bereavement. I stared out into the darkness and saw the first brilliant evening star singularly poised in the velvet blackness. In that moment, I knew that under all our pain, the love and justice of God still anchored the world. I knew that in time more stars would break through and eventually the first rays of sun. I knew that the darkness contained much more than I could ever see or understand and that my father was safe in its embrace. I understood that the deep light of faith is often wrapped in the shawl of night.
This is a time of year when we remember the gifts that have come to us out of the darkness. Advent is a time when we await the Divine Word Who “when the night was midway through its course, and the whole world was still, leapt down from heaven to earth.” (Wisdom 18:1) .
During this time of faith and magical memories, may each one of us find our light in the darkness. May that light fill any night inside us with promise, hope, forgiveness, and thanksgiving. May it lead us to the confidence that under all our experience, God anchors our world in love.
For Your Reflection:
What feelings or reactions do I have after reading this reflection?
Do my feelings or reactions remind me of any passage or event in scripture, especially in the life of Christ?
What actions might I take today because of my response to these readings?
O Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.
Music: Emmanuel – St. Louis Jesuits
For Your Reflection
“Emmanuel” means “God with us”. How have you felt God close to you?
Are there places or reasons that feeling is missing?
O Key of David: Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Music: O Clavis David
For Your Reflection
Faith unlocks but never erases the mystery of God. How does faith carry you through your unanswered questions about life?
Which of these attempts to decribe the mystery of God most resonates with you: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace?
O Root of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1, 10 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Music: O Root of Jesse – St. Meinrad Archabbey
For Your Reflection:
This is an antiphon of pure hope. How does hope blossom in your life?
Where might hope need nurturing in your life? In our world?
When you pray God’s hopeful promise in this antiphon, what confidence does it give you?
Talk with God about your hope as opposed to your wishes? They are very different things. Hopes always long for universal life. Wishes express that which would make us personally happy.
O Adonai and Lord : Isaiah 11:3b-5 He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
Music: O Adonai – sung by Zero8 Chorus, composed in German by Arvo Pärt
O Adonai O Adonai, der Herr und Führer des Hauses Israel, im flammender Dornbusch bist du dem Moses erschienen, und hast ihm auf dem Berg das Gesetz gegeben. O komm und befreie uns mit deinem straken Arm.
O Adonai Adonai, the Lord and leader of the house of Israel, In the burning bush hast thou appeared unto Moses And given him the law upon the mountain: O come and deliver us with thy powerful arm.
For Your Reflection
Is God the core and leader of your life?
What does God’s “righteousness” mean to you?
How does God want to express this “righteousness” in your life?
Talk with God about God’s hope and desire for you.
Today, we stand on the threshold of the O Antiphons, the last great expressions of our longing for the coming of Christ. As preface today, we ask for peace in the many places and souls where there is unrest. We look for any such places in our own spirits. We ask God for the courage to do what we need to do in order to bring a peace that causes rejoicing.
O Wisdom: Isaiah 11:2-3a The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
Music: The Perfect Wisdom of our God – The Gettys
For Your Reflection
How has God’s Wisdom been evident to you?
Is there something that puts you in awe of God’s Wisdom, such as the night sky, the ocean, another person’s goodness, your own spiritual growth?
Click the white arrowhead to the left above for some relaxing music while you read. You may repeat click if you wish.
As Sisters of Mercy around the world, celebrate our 193rd Anniversary, we find ourselves in a great season of faith and gift-giving shared by those of many faith traditions!
Christians are in the midst of the season of Advent, also a time of fasting and prayer. Soon the exchange of gifts on Christmas will symbolize the love and peace we wish to give to one another in imitation of Christ Who was Gift to us.
But today I would like to speak of the beautiful celebration of Hanukkah, or the Feast of Lights. Those of Jewish faith remember in this feast the reclaiming of the Temple from their ancient enemies. Once the Temple Mount in Jerusalem had been reclaimed, the Temple had to be rededicated. According to tradition, only one jar of sacramental oil was found, enough for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, thus the eight days of Hanukkah.
This stirring faith story is one that all of us, whatever our tradition, can hear with joy and comfort. For indeed, God’s mercy is so generous that it abides with us always — for one day, for eight days, for all of the days that we live. God is with us — just like the Lights of Hanukkah — and there is nothing that can ever separate us from that Love and Presence.
It is a painful and challenging time for so much of our human family around the world. Caught in the tangle of wars, geographic displacement, and threats of political tyranny, we may be tempted to lose hope.
But God unfailingly abides with us. Remember this and rejoice when you see the lights of Hanukkah or Christmas; when you experience the generosity, forgiveness, encouragement and good will of those with whom you work and live.
Thank you for the Light each one of you offers to Creation. All Sisters of Mercy around the world pray in gratitude for you today. May that miraculous gift shine in your hearts and in the hearts of your families in this special season. Please pray for us as well.
For Your Reflection:
What feelings or reactions do I have after reading this reflection?
Do my feelings or reactions remind me of any passage or event in scripture, especially in the life of Christ?
What actions might I take today because of my response to these readings?
Suggested Scripture: Maccabees 4: 36-61 – The Rededication of the Temple
Lavish Mercy 