Daily Seasonal Reflections
Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent
Fr. Trey Nelson
 
 
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
 ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,  which means "God is with us.’”  (From Matthew 1:18-25) 
 
As we near the end of the Advent season, I thought it might be worthwhile to return for a moment to the basics.  I do hope that these days have been good for you. By that I mean bringing all of us to a deeper sense of trust in God’s care and a stronger, more consistent commitment to walking in the ways of Christ.  
 
This entire season focuses on hope and the coming of something new.  Sometimes the noise of life, or as Thomas Merton called it, “the violence of busyness,” gets in the way. It can cloud our judgement and interfere with our thoughts and prayer.   The “something new” that I hope for—for all of us—is simply a deeper sense of peace and acceptance of how things are. This is not always easy.  
 
How do we get there?  Well, I would suggest one simple step, one with which we are all familiar.  Begin and end each day with thanks.  Right now, all of us probably have a lot going on.  We all have things on our list to do. Whether we are in the midst of exams, shopping, preparing to travel or welcome family and friends, this can become a very busy and even overwhelming and stressful time of year.  Do not let that take away your peace.  If you are not already in the habit of doing so, when you get up in the morning and before you go to bed at night, instead of thinking, first, about “all the stuff I have to do,” stop and consciously bring to mind the things for which you are most thankful—and most importantly, the people.  The more we practice the art of conscious thankfulness, the more we are able to keep everything else in perspective.
 
I love the name, meaning, and tone “Emmanuel.”  God is indeed with us, in all moments and places. Prayers of gratitude always take us back to this promise.  If you do have a mental “to-do” list, make sure a moment of gratitude is at the top of it.
 
Happy Advent!