Liturgical Spirituality includes not only our celebrations: Mass, Sacraments, Liturgy of Hours, but the different seasons during our Church Year. We look to them to form us more deeply in our faith, increase our knowledge of Jesus Christ, and assist us in integrating what we believe with how we live our lives. The readings and prayers of the Mass are central in this formation. We supplement them, at times with spiritual exercises or practices.
    Here we are at the Fourth Sunday of Advent—all four candles on the Advent Wreath have been lit and we have finished our Old Testament tour of Salvation History with the Jesse Tree. This Sunday begins the New Testament witness to the story of our salvation. What might we have learned from these two Advent spiritual exercises?
    The Advent Wreath with its accompanying prayers has in a symbolic way directed our attention to the darkness in the world; not the darkness of shorter daylight, but the darkness of the evil in our world. Just looking around, we see famines, poverty, economic inequality fueled by greed, racism and numerous other “isms” that distort Jesus’ message of our innate dignity-- to name some of the darkness. The wreath also shows us however, that Jesus comes into our chaotic times with light that will overcome the darkness if we but learn his ways and put them into practice.
    The Jesse Tree through its symbolic ornaments helps us understand the origins of the darkness that has plagued every age of human history. On the first day of Advent, we prayed with the story of creation. That is, God created all out of nothing and declared creation: nature, animals, and humans, to be good. God entrusted the care of creation to humans. On the second day of Advent, we heard a story that told us that somehow, we mucked it up. Enter darkness, evil.
    For the past four weeks the ornaments have narrated an on-going struggle between light and darkness, goodness and evil. It has also told the story of God’s continually reaching out to humankind to bring us back to him, to his desires for creation and our call to turn to him and learn of his ways.
    The peoples we encountered and the stories we heard are meant to shed light and understanding on our living the one precious life we have been given. We are God’s people in need of forgiveness and healing so that we can be at one with the Father. Jesus Christ is the source of this forgiveness and healing. We joyfully receive him at Christmas and in the daily events of our lives.
    Where have you met him? Where has he touched you? How have you become more loving and compassionate? Reflecting on these questions will deepen your faith and clarify where God is calling you now.