Advent Stations - Second Station - from The Magnificat© Advent Companion 2021

 

The Covenant Begins

 Old Testament Scripture: Genesis 18:9-11; 21:1-3

 “Where is your wife, Sarah?” they asked him. “There in the tent,” he replied. One of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped having her menstrual periods. The LORD took note of Sarah as he had said he would; the LORD did for her as he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time that God had stated. Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his whom Sarah bore him.

 Meditation:

 We all desire to have an effect on the world, to make it a better place, or to leave some mark by which we may be remembered. The desire of Abraham and Sarah for a child, for a son, was even more than that – it was a desire to cooperate with God’s creative order in the generation of a new human life, a person who would share their life and come to know and love God. When they had almost given up hope, the Lord surprised them, the Lord fulfilled this desire. In our own life, sin creates a barrenness of soul, it keeps our actions from being truly fruitful and meritorious in God’s eyes. However, God is not deterred, for He would not have permitted the Fall without a loving plan to draw good out of the ensuing brokenness and to give us the Savior, in Whom we receive eternal life. In the second Advent station, we look to God as the source of all life. We place our trust in Him, for we are children of His promise.

 New Testament Scripture: Romans 9:1-9

 I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh. They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all be blessed forever. Amen.

But it is not that the word of God has failed. For not all who are of Israel are Israel, nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. For this is the wording of the promise, “About this time I shall return and Sarah will have a son.”

 

Prayer: Almighty God, Lord of all life: You fulfilled the longing of Abraham and Sarah, blessing them with new life. You revealed Your Name to their descendants, making of them a people to be Your own. By sending Your own Son to become man, You gave us the One with the Name above every other name, the great and powerful Name which saves. May all people, by joining in the worship of Your holy Church, come to know and revere the Name of Jesus and receive all that You have promised. We ask this in union with the Word made flesh. Amen.

 
 
O come, O come, great Lord of might
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times did give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice, rejoice!
Emanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

The Three Little Pigs

Jack Arthur Hansel and Gretel long version

Advent Stations - First Station - from The Magnificat© Advent Companion 2021

The Creation of Adam and Eve

 Old Testament Scripture - Genesis 1:26-28

Then God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.'

God created man in His image; in the divine image He created him; male and female He created them.

God blessed them, saying: 'Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the ari, and all the living things that move on the earth.'

Meditation: Creation is something only God can do. no other being, not even the highest angel, can bring something out of nothing. God created the world and crowned it with human live out of His own infinite goodness; He was not looking to acquire something but only to give something: His life, his beatitude, his love. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, believed the devil's lie and turned away from the One Who already wanted them to be 'like gods', and the One Who had made them in his own image. An out of fear and shame they hid from the Very One Who forgives, the One Who says, 'Behold, I make all things new.'  But God writes straight with crooked lines: 'O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!' (Easter Exsultet). This first Advent station directs us to glorify God for the wonderful gift of existence, and even more so for our redemption, for we are made new by Jesus Christ, the new Adam, born of Mary, the new Eve.

New Testament Scripture - Revelation 21:1-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be His people and God Himself will always be with them [as their God]. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain. [for] the old order has passed away.'

The One who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' Then He said, 'Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.'

Prayer: Heavenly Father, when Your Son became Man, you mad it possible for us to enjoy a destiny even greater that the earthly paradise, for you call us to eternal life with you in heaven as your sons and daughters. May we always stay free from discouragement and shame by remaining close to You. We pray especially that husbands and wives, and all who are preparing for marriage, will persevere in their Christian vocation to become and raise saints together. Give them the grace to manifest to the world the love between Christ and Church. And may we all persevere in Your grace so that we will reach our eternal home, our eternal family with the blessed in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O come, thou Wisdom born in heaven's height
Come peacefully, Thy people set aright,

To us the path of knowledge show

And help us in that way to go

Rejoice, rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
 
 
 
 
 

Recipe #7: First Snow of the Season Chili

 At the prodding of my beautiful wife, and instead of the spaghetti I so wanted to make, allow me to present another version of one of our favorite winter classics. 

Into the 7 quart Crock Pot, go:

1/2 large carrot shredded

1 large white onion diced

1 green bell pepper diced

1/2 of a beefsteak tomato diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 can Brooks Mild Chili Beans

1 can Kroger White Beans

1 can Kroger White Corn

1/4 oz can of Kroger tomato sauce

12 oz Miller Lite

2 cups of chicken broth, from a box

1 pretty good squirt of tomato paste

several dashes of Worcestershire sauce

1 squirt Dijon mustard

2 bone-in pork chops, cooked, seasoned, and diced into bite-size chunks

1 pound 80/20 ground beef, fully cooked and seasoned

1/2 pound pork sausage, freshly ground from our local Polly Market and fully cooked in a skillet

Seasoning: chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, paprika, garlic powder, ground black pepper

After the meat is cooked, everything goes into the slow cooker on high for the better part of the day for fullest amalgamation of flavors. At least three to four hours, and then turn it down to low for as long as you want to keep it warm. I add a couple of sliced chilis in mine when it's time to have a bowl, along with a small dollop of sour cream. Enjoy with your favorite cheese and bread.

 

 

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