Reflection in Advent
By Paul Ashton, Psy.D., D.Min.
Consultant to the VIRTUS® Programs
To seek God is not difficult for the earnest soul, for He has left us countless clues to His presence-within us
in conscience, behind us in history, around us in the best people we know, in our hands, in His word, before us in the heart's resilient hopefulness, and plainest of all in the ever-accessible Christ. God may not always be obvious, but he is there discernable, knowable, reachable, dependable, and ever welcoming.
—Author Unknown
The powerfulness that Advent can bring to our lives is often shadowed by anxieties ironically focused on Christmas. In the push to get all that needs to be accomplished for the coming of our Savior, we often rush by Him along the way. It seems that there is no way around the stressors of the Christmas season, which starts sometime right after Halloween. Try as we may, it gets harder and harder to stop, focus and be present to the Advent Season. This article will not continue to admonish you for not making the time for Jesus and yourself; instead it will offer you some moments of quiet reflection to be with Him, and with hope to prepare your heart for His coming at Christmas.
Come, Lord Jesus, into my heart.
My loving Lord, I ask You to mold my heart to a spirit that welcomes all of life joyfully. Help me to see that the happiness and sorrows that come my way are there for me to both learn from and enjoy. Assist me to turn the difficulties that burden my heart into moments united to Your own heart and, in turn, with all of those suffering in the world. Give me a strong heart, a gentle heart and a heart filled with love for the fullness of Your creation.
Come, Lord Jesus, into my life.
Free me from the desire to build up my success and instead help me to focus my attention on the things that really matter to me and for my family. Help me to know that being successful in the eyes of the world sometimes is the opposite of what You have taught me about success. Help me to find balance and to maintain it. Help me to remember Your love when others fail me. Help me to see clearly that nothing I do, no matter what my work is, can be separated from You.
Come, Lord Jesus, into my soul.
In these few moments of prayer I offer myself to Your loving and merciful heart. Fill me with the graces I need to see You in all those I encounter. Empower me to find the quiet times I need to encounter You so that I may be refreshed, renewed and rejuvenated to face each day and the challenges that come. Show me the way of peace, that I might follow your path to a place of wholeness in my life. Enliven my soul so that I might see all as you see all, and by doing so embrace love for myself and those I encounter along this Advent journey.
Come, Lord Jesus, into my mind.
Assist me in these stressful days. I feel overwhelmed, scattered and frustrated. I do not think I can accomplish everything I need to do. Be with me and take away my anxieties. Help me to know that you love me no matter what I do and how I do it. You know my heart and my desire to please my family and friends. In doing so, You know I want to please You. Bring me peaceful moments these weeks of Advent so that I may have glimpses of what truly matters in my life.
O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in me! Bless my Advent journey and drawn my heart ever close to you and your loving mother, Mary, whose example leads all of us to Your loving heart.
O Jesus, living in Mary,
come and live in your servants,
in the spirit of your holiness,
in the fullness of your power,
in the perfection of your ways,
in the truth of your virtues,
in the communion of your mysteries.
Overcome every hostile power in your Spirit,
for the glory of the Father. Amen
—Prayer of Jean-Jacques Olier (1608-1657)
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