 During the Season of Advent, I find time to look inwards, into the preparedness of my heart, the disposition of my soul, and the willingness of my mind to conform to God’s will for me and mine. It is often that I find myself falling short of the goal, for I can be hardheaded in my ways, lacking in docility and humility. I then ask myself why that is? Why is it that we tend to be persistent in our obstinacy?
To be hard-headed and obstinate is nothing new. During the Exodus, God asked Moses to guide the Israelites out of Egypt, so that they may be free. God was providing His people with freedom from enslavement after many years under the control of Egypt, yet there were many who stayed. Some Jewish Apocrypha writings state that a large group of the Israelites enslaved in Egypt refused to leave. This group refused freedom. Why? Because they refused to “change”. Life in Egypt as slaves was all they had ever known, and they had to balance that against their fear of the “different”. The ones who stayed probably had not known God as some of their ancestors had, so why would they trust? They trusted more the “known” in front of them than the call to be God's chosen people. We can easily see that faith was sparse among the many, and hope without faith can latch on to false things, it can misdirect our gaze to miss what is true and real. They could not recognize their call as God’s people, and for that many died still captive. Change is hard, for it requires trust, docility, humility, acceptance… Most of us dislike change, and that is specifically because we lack the trust to challenge what it is we understand to be.
But even when we do take that leap of faith and follow our Lord, do we let go of our pride, of our desire for control? Do we stop longing for that which we knew? What happens the first moment change challenges us, and we waver in our faith, docility, humility, and acceptance?
There is always the temptation to go back to where we were. To go back to the known as opposed to trust in the direction God sets up for us. “Better the devil you know...” is a saying for a reason, because it is in our nature to waver and go back to the known, yet we must fight this impulse. God is calling us to change. He is calling us to trust Him, to conform to His will for us. He is calling us to prepare, in humility, and to accept what He is planning for us. The Hebrews stayed for 40 whole years in the desert. Mainly because they refused to accept God’s will for them. Yet, eventually, putting their trust in God’s plan, they were led to the land of Canaan, the land of milk and honey.
There will be times when life will feel heavy and overwhelming as we cross our own deserts. There will be occasions when we will feel we do not have what it takes to do what is asked of us. It is specifically in these instances that we need to grow ever closer to our Lord, conforming to His will for us more perfectly, for we know that what is nurtured is what grows.
Let us grow in faith and trust, that our hope be fulfilled in the acceptance of our daily mission of love and mercy in the world. Let us accept the freedom God is inviting us to live. May we protect the seed of our faith, and water it with the love of Christ Eucharistic, that we may grow ever faithful.
Let us pray: Lord, we do not always know what is your plan for us and ours, but help us to grow to perfectly trust in your will for us. May we be able with your mighty help to leave behind our old captive selves and embrace the freedom of your call to us. Amen.
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Dearest Eucharistic Family, We are blessed to live in our Church's pattern of prayer. Advent is a special opportunity for us to find the Christ-child within, and just as Mary carried Him, we carry Him in our reception of the Eucharist. The coming of Christ, His second coming, His imminent nearing to us, glorifies God’s will in our lives as we surrender to the preparation of our souls for the salvation of our existence. The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word "adventus", which means "coming". (Catholic Dictionary) After an 85-day stay in the hospital with my husband, I am still trying to process the trauma of his illness, the suddenness of suffering, and the changes our lives have endured since we are home. I had no idea that God would have me learn wound care twice daily to sustain the healing process of my husband’s recovery. In submission to the task, there have been so many blessings. The image of suffering before my eyes constantly keeps the soul in the beating heart of God. Every morning on the way out of Mass, I kiss the hand of a statue of Saint Francis, precisely at the point of the stigmata on his hand. The open wound is a holy reminder of Christ’s suffering. To care for, to love, to cherish seems the perfect way to prepare for the coming of Christ. Jesus is already near to us in Communion, our participation in His love brightens His light in our lives. We look to the stars, to the heavens, to the clouds there is the mystery of the veil between God and humanity, love unites us. I believe in my heart that the rearrangement of my life in caretaking of my husband is for the glorification of the Sacrament of our Marriage. It is in sickness and in health that our promise was made 37 years ago. In the Eucharist, we have everything we need to prepare and to live in joyful hope. We have Mary to emulate and the rosary to chat with her about the mystery of Christ. I was thinking recently about how blessed it is to know the power of the rosary. It is through praying day in and day out the life of Jesus Christ that we are prepared for the Cross and His Resurrection in IT. By this prayer, we are made strong, put together, and grounded in faith. God Our Father arranges everything perfectly. Our participation in the Eucharist and by our prayer, whatever comes to us will be held in Jesus’ love for us. The season of Advent glorifies Our Father as we love one another. We think of our loved ones and pray for the perfect gift to give. Kissing their wounds, bandaging the pains of others, and living in divine understanding is an awesome gift. In the forgiveness of sins we have received from Jesus, He held nothing back from loving us. As we prepare the way of the LORD, may we surrender to the open wound of humanity. The perfect gift of love reveals heaven to the world. Many have not encountered Christ; many have not found the Christ child within themselves. They may only meet Jesus through our lives.
How will we be remembered? Will we leave the perfect gift under the tree on Christmas?
By: Ivonne J. Hernandez  Hospitality is one of the charisms my husband and I share, both individually, and as a couple. People often tell us that they just feel comfortable in our home. As hosts, we do not get stressed out. We do not rush from the table to clean up; we don’t fuss over a spilled drink or a burnt side dish. Once our guests arrive, it is all about the time we share together. It is about telling stories while creating new ones. It is about living. It is about love. But hospitality begins way before anyone shows up--it begins with an invitation.
“What can I bring?” This is usually the first thing I hear right after someone accepts an invitation to join us at our home for dinner. Why is this? Some might say it is the result of social expectations--we are taught it is not polite to show up anywhere empty-handed. But I think there is more to this “almost” universal response. Like a great choir or symphony, our communities are more than just the sum of its parts. We are meant to participate, to belong. We are not extras in a film. Each one of us has something we bring to the table, be it the physical one or the metaphorical one. But we don’t get to choose what we need to bring. We need to know what is needed, what is required of us.
I heartily dislike potlucks. By a potluck I mean a table with a procession of slow cookers, each with a surprise dish behind every lid. The result? Dishes that do not go together piled next to each other on a plate. I prefer it when someone is directing, and the parts come together in beautiful harmony. A host can ask guests to bring something in particular. It is even better when they are asked to bring something they love to make--something they will be happy to share and feel proud of. The end result, rather than a collection of individual dishes, is a beautiful meal--a true celebration.
As Eucharistic people we have been called and invited to a banquet. The King of the Universe has prepared the table. Each one of us is invited to share of ourselves, but not haphazardly, without direction. We do not rely on luck for a well-balanced table. The Host knows our strengths and weaknesses and wants to weave us together for the great celebration. More than the sum of our parts, we bring our unique gifts to become a new creation. We share of ourselves and are satisfied in the great celebration.
You have received the invitation… Will you attend? What are you bringing? Oh, and bring a friend! There is always room at the table.
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AuthorsWe are Ivonne J. Hernandez, Rick Hernandez and Laura Worhacz, Lay Associates of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, and brothers and sisters in Christ. 
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