Advent and Mary

I  have discovered a new favorite writer over at the UK Catholic Herald, Laura Keynes, and read this article by her today, "What Advent and pregnancy have in common."

What I love is not just her writing style, but the comparison of her own experience as an expectant mother with that of the Blessed Mother, and how the waiting of pregnancy is akin to the waiting in faith during Advent. "This year I’ve been forced to slow down and trust in God that things will be accomplished in the fullness of time. Waiting is difficult though," she writes. It is a beautiful lesson and one I have been reflecting on. I am not impatient, but Advent sort of seems like one long, unbroken meditation session, or like being in a theater as the lights dim, waiting for the play to start. But in the waiting, there is purpose and the opportunity to grow closer to God, through prayer, acts of charity and so on. That's a very beautiful thought and makes me wonder what other parts of my life, which appear like just the prelude, are actually the main event. I appreciate that Advent asks me to slow down, look and listen. 

By the way, she also published an incredibly moving piece on her experience with abortion, "My burden lifted forever." From believing the media and culture lie that, "abortion is good for women, a 'right' no less," Laura experienced abortion and learned this was not true - quite the opposite. The story of how she returned to the faith afterward is beautiful, and proof that God can always bring good from bad.

I recommend reading both!

Allocutio 11-2-15: On the Acies Ceremony

Tomorrow night's spiritual reading will cover the Acies ceremony, an annual event all Legionaries attend to consecrate (or re-consecrate) themselves to Mary. This year was my first Acies and the allocutio is on how moving the ceremony was for me personally.

Ch. 30, Part 1: Acies

Earlier this year, in March, we all gathered at St. Agnes for the Acies, and a few memories stand out to me from that ceremony.

In particular was a conversation I had afterward with an active Legionary from another parish. He was an older man, past his 50s and most likely retired. He was wearing a sort of sporty wind breaker, some gold chains and looked a lot like my uncles and male cousins from the northeast. As we stood in line after the ceremony to enter the parish hall for refreshments, we got to talking about the ceremony and he confessed, “I couldn’t help it, I cried like a baby during the ceremony. I guess I’m just a sentimental old Italian.”

It was funny, not just because he wasn’t someone I expected would cry, but because I had the same experience, and I don’t think it had to do with being Italian and sentimental (though I, too, am both those things). It had more to do with a very real feeling during the Acies of being watched over by Mary. Of being led by the hand to the Legion, a realization of how my life had changed since joining and how my soul has softened and therefore my perspective has softened. It felt like that although sometimes God feels distant, He was suddenly very present – He and Mary were there, watching over me, very aware of my life and what they wanted for me. That is what made me cry.

And then to come to the part of the ceremony where we say, “I am all yours, my Queen, my Mother, and all that I have is yours” - I meant it. What I have is not my own. Whatever I own or have, as good as my life is, I owe all to the Blessed Mother and her Son. That knowledge made me cry, too.

Frank Duff stresses the Acies ceremony as a time for unification and reunion, wherein all of Mary’s “soldiers” are brought together, not operating out in the world via individual praesidia. It is a time for consecration, renewal and remembering the promise we take as Legionaries to serve our Lord and His Mother. This is particularly poignant when we are reunited with Legionaries from all over who share in this special devotion and calling, whose faith can help renew our own. That feeling of community is one of the most special parts of being in the Legion of Mary and the feeling is strengthened by the spirit of Mary, very present in a real way at the Acies.

The next Acies is now only about three months away. In the next three months we can continue to focus on this idea of a consecration to Mary, and look forward to the opportunity to loudly declare ourselves all Hers alongside our fellow Legionaries.

Advent Preparation

Being rather new to the active faith life as an adult, this Advent, just like Lent earlier this year, is my first "real" Advent. I cannot count those of the past where I neither paid attention nor cared about what was going on in the lead-up to Christmas, so it is with true joy that I get to experience and learn about this season now.

I went to Mass at St. Charles Borromeo for the first time last night after getting in from Thanksgiving travels. I have heard about Fr. Planty, and was very happy I ended up at that Mass because he explained in perfect detail what Advent is about, and how best to observe and grow in holiness during this time. First he explained why the readings are so focused on the second coming of Jesus: because Advent is about looking forward to the first coming of Christ, in his birth, and one cannot help but be reminded of His next coming. I missed which Saintly writer it was who developed it, but Fr. Planty mentioned the idea that there is actually a third coming, which is that of Christ into our hearts, reaching out to us, asking to be let in. And thus during Advent we seek this connection and to grow in holiness. His homily was based around the idea that, on Christmas day, after all the presents are open and the food is eaten and the music has stopped, we want to be sure we feel holiness, and not fatigue from material pleasures. I know that feeling. I do not want to go there.

So then, he gave us homework. I've never had a priest give me homework. Realizing I didn't have a pen, I took mental notes. He asked us to consider our faith life in four aspects in the next four weeks: the Sacraments (particularly Confession and receiving the Eucharist); the Word (particularly the birth story as written in Luke and Matthew); prayer (especially to pray the Rosary and to not underestimate it as a tool to get closer to Jesus); and charity (small or large; monetary or service-based). And before we went to bed last night we were to have taken a few minutes to reflect on these four areas and formulate a plan for achieving greater holiness during the Advent season so that when we wake up on Christmas, we are full of peace.

I had already been thinking about this prior to yesterday evening. The organization of the Church is one of the things about it which appeals to me the most, and thus my love of novenas, liturgical seasons, and all the things the Church has which one can prepare for ahead of time and get a great deal out of. Really, the meaningfulness of these seasons is really down to the individual: all the resources in the world are at easily available - books, podcasts, daily devotional emails, study groups and so on. One must simply prepare and pay attention. Or, in the words of Woody Allen, 80% of success is showing up. I have found that my most successful spiritual endeavors have begun with me simply showing up prepared, and the Holy Spirit does the rest.

So a couple weeks ago I bought a very small Advent daily devotional by Bishop Fulton Sheen. I am already subscribed to Fr. Robert Barron's daily Advent emails and Matthew Kelly's "Best Advent Ever" program. I decided to add an extra Rosary each week to my prayer routine and do daily Mass at least once a week. For charity, I will think about a small gesture to carry out on a regular basis. And, lastly, I will truly meditate on the birth stories found in Luke and Matthew. This would be a good time for lectio divina or even composition of place prayer - what was it like to be the Magi making the journey? How have I journeyed in the spiritual life to get closer to Jesus? What about the sound of the angels singing, the appearance of the star in the sky, the lowliness of the shepherds blessed with the knowledge that the savior had come? What did that look like, and feel like?

I am hesitant to overindulge in all of this action, so as not to do lots of things poorly rather than a couple things well. However my overall Advent plan (and I do love a good plan) shakes out, I will look for where the Holy Spirit is guiding me in the journey and stay close to that. It could be lots of rosaries or daily Mass; it could be serving the poor; it could be writing a very long and detailed essay that no one ever reads on what the great star looked like the night Jesus was born. Either way, I am so happy to get the chance to hit reset and begun a new liturgical year; wake up, be re-born and look forward to the light reappearing very soon now.