A reflection on the Second Sunday of Advent Mass readings.
Mass readings for the Second Sunday of Advent (8 Dec, 2024)
“Jerusalem, take off your cloak of sorrow and distress, put on the glory of God forever.”
Baruch 5:1
My childhood memories of Christmas are in many ways quite perfect: decorating the tree and singing Christmas carols in front of a blazing fire; wrapping up carefully chosen gifts; and the unmitigated excitement of Christmas morning.
However, my adult experience of Christmas and the time leading up to it has been markedly different. Joy and faith are undeniably present but exist alongside deep sorrow.
When I was 25, my mother had heart surgery three days before Christmas. The doctors reassured us of its 95% success rate, but statistics can be cold and hard realities sometimes.
My mother’s funeral was on Christmas Eve. The picture of it is still perfectly clear in my mind: the altar, adorned in beautiful linens; the Christmas trees, fragrant and alight on each side; a scarlet bank of poinsettias; and a large nativity set, awaiting the child Jesus, prominently placed at the base of the altar. In front, in a jarring juxtaposition, was my mother’s coffin.
My siblings and I made it through those days in a shocked haze. My father had died nearly a decade earlier. Even though we were adults, we felt orphaned and adrift. We certainly didn’t feel like celebrating Christmas. But in a rather sombre and subdued fashion, we did. The tree remained undecorated and the feast uncooked, but we gave each other gifts and shared memories and laughed and cried.
Through the subsequent years, I find that grief is an inextricable part of Christmas for me. I have learned to acknowledge it, accept it, but not be overwhelmed by it.
Today’s first reading says,
“Jerusalem, take off your cloak of sorrow and distress, put on the glory of God forever…”
Sometimes it has felt almost impossible to take off the garment of sadness. Each year, I make a conscious and deliberate choice to remove it, even if only for a little while, for my own sake and that of my family. To live in the truth of the Incarnation and the Resurrection means that I cannot wallow in grief, for, “we do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thes 4:13). Christ is our saving hope.
The gospel proclaims:
“A voice cries in the wilderness: prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low, winding ways will be straightened and rough roads made smooth. And all mankind shall see the salvation of God.”
My experience has helped me be aware of the many others who also find Christmastime emotionally difficult, who live in a wilderness of grief or a valley of despair, and who need the saving power of Jesus.
As each candle upon the Advent wreath is lit, invite him to illumine the darkness.
Come, Lord Jesus. Work in our hearts with your saving grace, fill the valleys and make the rough paths smooth. Prepare our hearts for your coming, that your presence might bring true tidings of comfort and joy for ourselves and our families.
Mary Beth grew up in the USA, but “true love” led her to Australia in 2002. She and her husband Peter are long-term foster carers and reside in Sydney. Mary Beth taught in Catholic high schools for over 15 years. These days, she enjoys travelling, cooking, and cocktail making, as well as spending time in her makeshift art studio, where she creates mosaics using classical methods.
5 Responses
Oh this made me cry. Thank you for sharing – can you imagine the joy of Christmas in heaven 💕
It is a tender reflection, and still hopeful at the same time. Thank you for your comment.
This made me cry too. I dread the day I get the phonecall to say my Mum has died. My Dad died unexpectedly in 2017 and that was shock enough. I’m sure my Mum will live many more years as she is so active and in good health, but God’s time is His time. However it’s hard when I only see her every few years (and even longer time for all my siblings and their families) due to distance between countries and with a large family we just can’t afford to visit.
Thank you for sharing. May God’s grace be with you and all who are suffering loss this Christmas or remembering anniversaries.
❤️
I’m sorry about the unexpected death of your father and the distance between family. Thank God for our faith and being able to entrust everything to Him. Thank you for sharing.