2015 Advent Season Half Day
Recollection
Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 20,
2015
By Fr. Francis Nguyen, O.P.
The world in
which we live seems to be filled with more negative things than with positive
ones. Mass media are flooded with more
bad news than with good ones. Science
and technology do provide us comforts and assistance necessary for a better
life but do not necessarily bring us a happier one.
First, one
gets increasingly exhausted in the race between greater supply and greater
demand. Work turns to be less human with
countless life-threatening conditions and violations of human rights.
Harmful
consequences could be seen in all around the world. More time for career than
for family or more urgent need for survival than for human growth leads to
unwilling separation of spouses; to younger generations without the love and
care of either parent; and to broken relationship between individuals and
communities.
Second,
imbalance between insatiable exploitation of natural resources and sustainable
development keeps worsening the living environment beyond repair.
Without a
sense of common good, a high responsibility for future generations, a profound
gratefulness to God the Creator for gift of life, people act as though there
were no human beings and civilized society at all but only wild beasts and
primitive jungle life where reason should give up to muscle.
Third, a
feeling of physical, psychological and spiritual fatigue prevents even once committed
people from effectively dealing with the problems.
This happens
because of two reasons: one, the forces of evil seem to overwhelmingly dominate
the world and perpetuate their reign in the minds and hearts of people; two,
those who persistently fight against the evil painfully find themselves more
and more lonely, if not isolated by the rest of their fellow men and women.
Pessimistic
view of present time world, for the abovementioned evidences, is not baseless
because of two reasons: one, the “mystery of evil” does exist and is now at
work more infuriatingly than ever.
For the
mystery of lawlessness is already at work. [1]
Two, we as
humans have to confront forces which are much stronger, smarter and deadlier
than we could imagine.
For our
struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the
powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits
in the heavens.[2]
So we have
to turn to Christ our Lord and Savior for the salvation of our life not only
here on earth but also in heaven.
We need to
see the world and people with the gaze of Christ Whom the Gospel according to
Matthew describes:
A
bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he
brings justice to victory.[3]
Christ’s gaze on the creation of God His Father is so pure
and so innocent as that of a little child that He with eyes wide-open would
always ask endless questions on the primitive beauty of creation and the
greatness of the human person created in His Father’s image:
Look at
the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are
you not more important than they? Can
any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers
grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you the not even Solomon in all
his splendor was clothed like one of them.
God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown
into the oven tomorrow, will He not much more provide for you, O you of little
faith?[4]
Christ also teaches us not to fear anybody or anything but
God:
Do not
be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be
afraid of the one who can destroy both the soul and the body in Gehenna.[5]
He strengthens our faith by confirming the truth that he has
conquered the world:
In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have
conquered the world.[6]
Assignments for group discussion
1/ Group 1: Monitor: Ms. Thảo
Linh; Miss Trâm Em: Reporter
2/ Group 2: Monitor: Miss Ánh Hồng;
Reporter: Miss Mộng Huyền
3/ Group 3: Monitor: Mr. Bình:
Reporter: Miss Ngọc Linh
7/ Group 4: Monitor: Mr. Lộc;
Reporter: Miss Hạnh
Schedule:
-
11:30-12:00: Lunch
-
12:00-12:45: Homily
-
12:45-13:45: Group Discussion—Spiritual
Counseling and Confessions
-
13:45-14:15: Open Forum
-
14:30: Closing
